The Baby Sleep Connection: Holistic help for tired, responsive parents who don't want to sleep train

Ep 62: Baby Sleep Development from Birth to 3 months

As the parent of a new baby, you know better than anyone that newborn sleep is different. For Heather Boyd, occupational therapist and mom of 3, there likely was nothing that could have prepared her for the interrupted sleep, the noises her baby would make while sleeping, or the intensity of cluster feeding. However, knowing what to expect and what is normal for baby sleep can be reassuring at a time when everything feels raw, unpredictable, and new. Listen to this episode for an overview of: * What sleep looks like in the first 3 months * How sleep develops * What red flags to watch for * Strategies for supporting and influencing sleep at this stage Mentioned in this episode: * Dr. Gordon Neufeld nuefeldinstitute.com * Greer Kirshenbaum https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ * Sarah Ockwell-Smith https://sarahockwell-smith.com/ What you can do next: * Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend! Provide a review on Apple Podcasts. It truly makes a difference to reaching families who would benefit from understanding their baby’s sleep better. [https://heatherboyd.activehosted.com/f/1] * Sign up for weekly baby sleep emails.⁠ [https://heatherboyd.activehosted.com/f/1]https://heatherboyd.activehosted.com/f/1 * Book a screening call with Heather [familysleep.ca] (receipts provided for Ontario, Alberta, and Manitoba families). Credits: 🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

Ep 61: Rewind: How to drop naps without losing your marbles

In this episode, Heather Boyd, O.T., mom, and sleep coach, explores why babies drop naps, why it can feel so difficult, and what to do to make it easier. Even though dropping naps is a normal part of development, it can be a bumpy ride! HOW to drop naps without making sleep challenges worse is one of the most common questions Heather gets in her practice. Whether dropping naps is parent-led, circumstance-led, or baby-led, Heather explores ways to make the transition easier. She also explores: * Robust naps versus “cat naps” (neither is bad or good) * What signs there are that your baby is ready to drop a nap * The role adenosine plays in naps * Why nap dropping isn’t “all or nothing” * How to prepare for bedtime when a nap varies from day to day * How expectations can support you in managing the “messy middle” of dropping naps * How the last nap drop with our child went (and how we stayed flexible) * Why dropping naps can feel disappointing for parents, and * Why dropping naps can be a great thing! Wondering what you can do next?  Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend!  Provide a review on Apple Podcasts.  It truly makes a difference to reaching families who would benefit from better understanding their baby’s sleep.  Sign up for weekly baby sleep emails.⁠ [https://heatherboyd.activehosted.com/f/1] https://heatherboyd.activehosted.com/f/1 [https://heatherboyd.activehosted.com/f/1]  Book a screening call with Heather [https://familysleep.ca/] (receipts provided for Ontario families) Credits:  🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

Ep 60: Separation Strategies That Backfire

Heather Boyd, occupational therapist and mom of 3, shares ways that separation-based advice backfires and what to do instead. When parents get advice that involves separation without any focus on attachment, it can block a parent's ability to help their children regulate.  Whether it’s daytime meltdowns or bedtime shenanigans, separation can feel very alarming. Listen to this episode for examples of bad separation-based advice that Heather wishes she’d ignored early on in parenting, and what to do instead.   With attachment-based perspectives and tools, as well as self-regulation tools for parents, the focus shifts to connection and co-regulation. And with connection and co-regulation, the alarm of separation can soften. Mentioned in this episode: * Gordon Neufeld: “Speak but not too much.  Be close but not too close” www.neufeldinstitute.com [http://www.neufeldinstitute.com/] * Kim Barthell: Be a behavioural detective.  www.kimbarthel.ca [http://www.kimbarthel.ca/] * Parent Self-Care Toolkit https://heatherboyd.vipmembervault.com/products/units/view/1239883/?lesson=1601156 [https://heatherboyd.vipmembervault.com/products/units/view/1239883/?lesson=1601156] What you can do next: * Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend! * * Download the Parent Self-Care Toolkit at https://heatherboyd.vipmembervault.com/products/units/view/1239883/?lesson=1601156 [https://heatherboyd.vipmembervault.com/products/units/view/1239883/?lesson=1601156] * Find previous episodes of the podcast at familysleep.ca/podcast [http://familysleep.ca/podcast] * Credits:  🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

Ep 59: Managing a Sleep Emergency Part 2

In Part 2 of Sleep Emergencies, Heather Boyd, occupational therapist and sleep coach, explores a shift she has seen in her private practice away from “preventing” sleep challenges towards more sleep emergencies, and increased parent stress. The impact on mental health is significant, and getting the appropriate supports is crucial. At a time when stress and information overwhelm are high, parents who are struggling with their child’s sleep are also experiencing feelings of guilt and shame.  This only adds to the burden parents are carrying. Listen in to explore: 1. How Bad advice can be worse than no advice at all. 2. How social media and information overwhelm are making parents feel like they are not measuring up 3. How to shift to more preventative measures when sleep or parenting are getting challenging 4. How creating a sleep emergency plan may actually lead to options you have not considered that actually help your baby sleep. 5. Why getting support can make all the difference What you can do next: * Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend! * Download the Baby Sleep Connection Podcast Listener Guide at www.familysleep.ca/links [http://www.familysleep.ca/links] * ⁠Work with Heather⁠ [https://familysleep.ca/contact] inside the Confident & Connected Baby Sleep group program or one-on-one. * Find previous episodes of the podcast at familysleep.ca/podcast [http://infantsleep.ca/podcast] Credits: 🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

Ep 58: Managing a Sleep Emergency

What is a sleep emergency? How is it different than difficult sleep that needs coaching. And when is it a mental health emergency requiring medical attention? Heather Boyd, occupational therapist and certified infant and family sleep specialist, explores these questions and offers strategies for getting support and managing a sleep emergency including: * Signs and symptoms of a mental health crisis that warrants intervention without delay * Who to reach out to in a mental health crisis * Signs that what you are experiencing is a sleep emergency * What to do about a sleep emergency * How sleep coaching plays a role (and when it’s not enough) * Preventative steps for sleep emergencies * How to consider caregivers and feeding in a sleep emergency Additional Resources: If you are struggling, call for support without delay: your doctor, your midwife, your therapist or when it is a crisis, 911 or your local crisis line. Call your local crisis line -in Niagara Ontario it's COAST (Crisis Outreach And Support Team, available 24/7). In the U.S. call the Maternal Mental Health Line (https://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs-impact/national-maternal-mental-health-hotline [https://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs-impact/national-maternal-mental-health-hotline]). Internationally, reach out through Postpartum Support International at https://postpartum.net/ [https://postpartum.net/] . Go to the Emergency Department or call 911 if you worry that you or your partner or spouse is at risk of harming themselves or their baby. Getting the support you need matters. Mentioned in this episode: The concept of sleep emergencies is from Lyndsey Hookway in a talk a number of years ago. Lyndsey Hookway is an IBCLC and founder of the Holistic Sleep Coach training in the United Kingdom at https://lyndseyhookway.com/hscp/ If you found value in this podcast: 1. Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend! 2. Download the Baby Sleep Connection Podcast Listener Guide at www.familysleep.ca/podcast [www.familysleep.ca/podcast] 3. Book a screening call with Heather Boyd at familysleep.ca [familysleep.ca] 4. Find previous episodes at familysleep.ca/podcast [familysleep.ca/podcast] Credits: 🎵 Music: Jordan Wood