Group Coaching: Sleep Support Circle for 0-8 months begins July 04, 11am EST for 4 weeks | Register Now
BLOG
When I was a first time mom, the parenting landscape looked a lot different than it does today. Responsive parenting was not mainstream, and there was a lot of pressure to follow certain ‘rules’. When my baby was 6 months old, we did the only thing we were told we could do about our āsleep troublesā: we sleep trained.ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā
ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā
We painstakingly searched for someone who would fit our parenting style, and found a sleep consultant who seemed the least aggressive of all the ones we spoke with (the holistic world of sleep – and coaches like me today – literally werenāt a thing). Her methods were, in short, a wolf in sheepās clothing, and though we asked for a gentle approach, what we were actually presented with was anything but.ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā
ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā
These quotes are a snippet of her advice – which she suggested implementing at 6 months of age – regarding night weaning. Night weaning wasnāt presented as a choice, but rather a necessary part of our sleep plan. Without it, she couldnāt ensure ‘success’.ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā
ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā
On the first night of implementing this, I left my husband and our crying baby home alone. My husband continually texted me throughout the evening as our baby screamed, and I stayed out so that I wouldnāt ācaveā and feed her before midnight, which was the arbitrary time at which a feed was allowed. ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā
ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā
I came home around 11pm, and she had been screaming for hours. Just thinking about it breaks my heart. My husband was so stressed from it all that he insisted I feed her to make it stop. Needless to say, as soon as I calmed her and fed her, she went right to sleep (SPOILER ALERT: she was legitimately hungry). ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā
ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā
šš½ THIS šš½SH*T šš½ NEEDS šš½ TO šš½ STOP. I’m here to normalize š»š¼šæšŗš®š¹ infant sleep, and I hope you’re here for it, too.
