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

Ep 64: The First Few Days of Newborn Sleep

In this episode, we break down what newborn sleep really looks like in the first week—especially the shift from the sleepy first night to the cluster-feeding intensity of night two. You’ll learn what’s normal, why it happens, and simple ways to support rest and regulation in these early days. Night one is recovery; night two is recalibration. We cover: * The biology of newborn sleep and why it’s so fragmented * What to expect on Night 1 * What to expect on Night 2 (and why it feels so intense) * Gentle strategies that actually help in week one * Red flags that mean it’s time to reach out for support Mentioned in this episode: * Ep 62: Sleep Development from Newborn to 3 months [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0n8JNtQkEYUG6elxcgj09C?si=fkCPLU11RxGN8RRyZFPRzQ] * Join the December 16th Mom & Baby Circle sample class at Between Mothers in St. Catharines [www.familysleep.ca/mom-and-baby-group] * Ep 15: Holistic Approaches to Raising Healthy Kids with integrative pediatrician, Dr. Joel Warsh [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7gS5L44VWiS5F4qFWb5BS7?si=LDkXwZOJR_SbZ-sv35tsMw] * Ep 25: The Feeding Journey with Karla Masse, IBCLC 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. * Sign up for weekly baby sleep emails.⁠ https://heatherboyd.activehosted.com/f/1 * Book a screening call with Heather (receipts provided for Ontario families) Credits: 🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

Ep 63: Parenting From Within As a Highly Sensitive Person with Nelia DeAmaral

If you identify as a highly sensitive person, wrap yourself in your favourite blanket, grab a tea, take a deep belly breath and listen in on this episode.  Psychotherapist Nelia DeAmaral chats with occupational therapist and sleep coach Heather Boyd about how to navigate early motherhood as a highly sensitive person. In this episode we talk about: * What you may recognize in yourself as a highly sensitive parent * The difference between overstimulated and stressed * Shifting from overstimulated to regulated * Is your baby overstimulated?  Or are they actually under-stimulated? * Contrasting calm versus regulated * The Window of Tolerance * Strategies for supporting yourself and your baby as a highly sensitive parent Mentioned in this episode: * Brainspotting.com [http://brainspotting.com] You can find Nelia at neliadeamaral.com, and on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nelia.deamaral/info [https://www.facebook.com/nelia.deamaral/info].   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. * Sign up for weekly baby sleep emails [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 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