This birth has taken me a bit to process. It was long, it was exhausting, it was not linear, and it was the hardest of all three of my babies. However, like any birth does, it cracked me open a level deeper. His birth showed me the value in patience, trust, and mind over matter. That within us, when we believe we have nothing left, lies a deep pit of strength and wisdom. That our bodies are incredibly wise and our minds and spirits hold the utmost power. Luca was born on a Monday, mid afternoon, at 40 weeks and 3 days, but his birth story really began a few days prior.

One of the first things expectant parents hear is how they will never sleep again. I am a mother of two children under three, and I can personally attest that comments like this can cause a lot of anxiety. As a certified baby-led sleep and well-being specialist, I believe we need to change that narrative. I help families empower their children to sleep by focusing on connection.

Having a baby is hard. Having a baby and not seeing eye to eye on how you want to approach your little one’s sleep can make things feel more stressful and exhausting. Here are my top 4 tips to getting on the same page, so everyone can rest more easily.

Infants are by design contact seekers, they should be dependent on their parents and caregivers for contact and closeness. It is paramount to their growth and maturity.

Children are wired for closeness and contact to their primary caregivers. A mother’s body is a child’s home. It is important to remember that full term babies are born 9 months premature and early babies, even more-so, when it comes to brain development.

Here are a few simple strategies that we have been practicing and plan to keep practicing for when our new little one is here to help our oldest adapt. I know it’s going to be a challenging transition for her and I am sure I will have more to add/edit here once our bundle of joy makes her arrival in July!

Gianna came into this world on July 29th at 6:41pm, just 5 days after due date. Her labor was everything rolled into one. It was long, peaceful, calm, serene, and had a grand finale of intensity. It was a stark contrast to the labor and delivery experience that I had with my first.

Daily sleep totals are the total amount of sleep your baby needs in a 24 hour period. These ranges were created by the National Sleep Foundation.