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When my twins were 4-months old, I came to a revelation old that was part luck and part desperation. I shared on my Instagram stories recently that our newborn period with twins was ROUGH. I was a first time Mom struggling to adapt. I was operating on zero sleep and struggling to bond with my babies. I didn’t know any better so I thought my sole purpose was to get them very drowsy and as close to sleep as possible..all.the.time. If they were actually asleep, even better! Swaddling was my forte. The nurses at the hospital showed my husband and Me the ultimate burrito swaddle technique and on top of that, we own most of the swaddle products on the market. My favorite was SwaddleMe. We used the newborn sack and then moved to the Velcro sleep sack. To this day, I recommend swaddling babies 100%. It mimics the confinement of the womb and stifles the prominent reflexes babies are born with. Always, practice safe sleep and always place your baby on their back with no loose bedding fo all sleep periods. We would bring our twins into our dark bedroom. Change their diapers, put pajamas on, swaddle and feed them. They would get drowsy and be half asleep. We would burp them, then gingerly lay them down in their bassinets and pray to everything that is holy that they would stay asleep for HOURS. But, hahahaha, do you think that happened? No. Definitely not. Morning view wrapped up in the SwaddleMe My girls were not good sleepers. They just weren’t. I talk to Mama’s all the time who say their 2-month old sleeps 5-6 hours at a time overnight, and I confidently know that never happened with us. Maybe it was because we had double babies, but I can’t be certain. I just know that was not in the cards for us. But, no one told me any different, so I kept rocking/patting/feeding them to sleep and continued to be so sleep deprived that I cried multiple times every day and was unable to drive my car. After 10 weeks of no one in our house sleeping, we were burnt out on running a 24-hour diner and we were confident (enough) to split shifts. My husband would take the first shift up on the second floor and I would pump then retreat to my dark room where I would fall asleep in less than 30 seconds. Then, after the first feeding, around 12-1am, we would switch and I would take the next shift upstairs solo. Mind you, I was still pumping so that meant I had to change and feed 2 babies plus pump for 15 minutes all before they woke up again 2-3 hours later. It wasn’t until the night before my first day back to work that I realized we were so far from anything routine. My personality and inner child thrives on predictability, and I was desperate for it. I took the first shift and put them down at 8PM (asleep), I crashed in the guest bed and was woken 30-minutes later from fussing and crying.. WHAT? I wasn’t going to disturb my husband, but I shushed and rocked them back to sleep and maybe got 3 hours broken sleep before it was time to feed again. The next day, I asked my husband if they woke like that every night so soon after bedtime, and he said ‘always’. I honestly couldn’t believe it. I was under the impression we had this thing down, but it turns out it wasn’t working. I stumbled upon a handout from one of my virtual friends one Sunday afternoon. I had cried to my Mom on the phone (again) telling her how depressed and tired I was. She reassured me that I was doing great and that it would get easier. The handout was very cut and dry. It told me my goal was to put my babies down awake and sit in the room with them if they cried. My husband and I quickly figured out that our oldest daughter did not like us in the room and overall she had the hardest time settling. I checked on her several times to reassure her, and myself, that she was okay and not ill or in distress. Sleep got immensely better after the 2nd night. We decided to cold turkey cut out the 4/5am feeding and like a light switch, we were all SLEEPING. Over the next few months, I still worked on the ‘drowsy but awake’ method. Before bedtime is a particularly tricky time to keep a baby awake! Afterall, it’s the end of the day and their brains have cued in to the bedtime routine….They know sleep is coming. We continued to feed them their last bottle in their bedroom in a dimly lit space to encourage drowsy. Was sleep perfect? No, it wasn’t. But I wasn’t a walking zombie/torture victim like I had been before. Both my girls took pacifiers and were always ready for the day and awake around 5:45-6am. I was working outside the home at this time, so having them awake and hungry didn’t allow me to get ready for my workday. Paci Addict Insert AWAKE > DROWSY! This is when they really started to sleep great! But, when can a baby sleep through the night? Ideally 4months+ and with the approval of your pediatrician. If you get the green light, then going down awake is how you can allow sleeping through the night to happen. For some, both parents and baby, this can be a tremendous change. Here's what you need to do. Formulate a plan Regulate yourself Lean on someone close to you Remind yourself that you are a good Mother/Father Being inconsistent to our babies and children is sometimes the unfair way to parent. This has nothing to do with ignoring your child's needs and emotional bond. There are plenty of opportunities every second of the day to reaffirm that closeness. This is about showing, guiding, and comforting your little one through the skill of learning to sleep. I truly believe sleep is a skill. The majority of us are really crappy at it. Even as adults, we have to prioritize it or else we are constantly tired which causes other areas of our life to fail. Questions about how to HELP your little one sleep better? Join my online community here!

This topic has come up a ton recently, and that is NO surprise. Traumatic night wakings peak around this time of year for a couple reasons… School starting (overtired & new routine) and Halloween (too much spooky stuff out there). Here are the main differences between the two. Night terrors are scary. If you have experienced one with your child, you know what I am talking about. They occur 2-3 hours after falling asleep during the transition from non-REM to REM sleep. They will be terrified/inconsolable and unable to make eye contact. They will NOT remember the episode the next day, and it won’t feel like a dream because it did not occur in REM sleep. They affect a small percentage of kids and could be inherited, so be sure to ask your parents if you experienced episodes like these. It’s best to keep engagement very low and do not try and “snap them out of it”. You can comfort them, but do not try to get their attention. It will pass quicker. Nightmares, on the other hand, are super common. We all have them frequently and they occur just as often as our weird/wacky/crazy dreams do. They occur in REM sleep, and we wake or rouse after it's over because the sleep cycle has ended. Your child may wake up scared and want to tell you about it or maybe they are sweaty and crying. It is okay to console and tell them, “it was just a dream”. I encourage you to keep your sensitive little ones as far away from the scary Halloween stuff as possible. If you know there is a spooky house down the streets with music, lights and people in masks, steer far away from it! Insert terrifying masked man sitting on porch with an ax (thanks Mom!) Here are some tips for reducing scary night wakings: 1. Keep screen time monitored. I highly discourage unmonitored Youtube. 2. Avoid over-tiredness (tantrums, rubbing eyes, screaming and throwing fits). Weekly naps may be needed to combat exhaustion from all the remote learning. 3. Reduce stress when possible & talk about what it means to be scared. Validate those feelings because kids are allowed to be scared. 4. Try the wake to sleep approach if you suspect reoccurring night terrors (gently rouse them 15-20 minutes before a typical episode occurs). This can disrupt the cycle. Reach out to me or leave a comment here if you have questions about scary sleep episodes with your little! Always happy to help. Lindsay Loring is a certified pediatric sleep consultant who is passionate about sleep. Lindsay has helped many families restore sleep balance in their home after a birth of a child. She is a Mama to twin girls and resides in the Midwest with her family. Join my online community here!

You’ve no doubt heard of a birth doula, but what about a postpartum doula? Hiring one is a new option in the world of birth work, but the job isn’t new at all. A postpartum doula fills the space that a community of women used to fill for new families. I became interested in becoming a postpartum doula after the birth of my third child. My husband had been deployed throughout my pregnancy and birth and returned the week after our daughter was born. My mother has unknowingly filled the role of postpartum doula for me after each of my children’s births. My older children were born within a two hour drive of my mother, so she has always been there the first week after they were born to help me with the transition to motherhood. She cooks for me, cleans for me, holds the baby while I shower, and sits and listens when I need to talk about my experience and weave my birth story. It is this care and work that inspired me. When my husband joined the military, we didn’t have a plan for a third child; that is just where our journey led us. But, as I struggled with the postpartum period and a third newborn plus being away from my family, I realized that I could be the person to help families similar to mine transition. I began to study and train, and when my daughter was a year old, I began working as a postpartum doula. How do I help you after baby is born? Beginning soon after birth, I come to your home and help you in any way that you need. I do light cleaning, cook nourishing foods, and give you a chance to shower and feel human again after spending months growing your baby. New mothers can be overwhelmed by how much work having a newborn is on top of trying to heal yourself. Your body looks different, it hurts everywhere, you’re sleep deprived, and there is this new person that you can’t bear to look away from because they are just so darn cute. And beyond that, you’re learning a whole new way of being. Even if this is your second, fourth, sixth child, it’s different every time and there are always things you don’t know you need until someone helps you with them. Just like with birth doula work, postpartum doula work is mother-focused. We study and focus on local resources for moms, and help them with the work that goes into motherhood. I love working with people like Lindsay, who can help get you and your baby into a sleep schedule that works for you. And as a postpartum doula, it is my job to find these people to refer to you. There are a few ways that a postpartum doula will work with you. When I come into a client’s house, I like to sit down, ask how their day is going, and put together a list with them of things they would like to get done. Think of a postpartum doula as a teammate. We can take over the things you’d like to get done but can’t because you are trapped by a nursing baby. A lot of times, the list looks like this: Shower Start laundry Start dinner And that’s it! Then it is my job to help facilitate those things. I hold the baby while mom showers, I get mom and baby settled watching TV while I start a load of laundry and maybe fold some towels, and then I get dinner prepped so Mom can cook it quickly, or I get something going in the crock pot. A lot of postpartum doulas also do overnight shifts. This is when a doula shows up around 9 or 10 at night, gets a list from mom (most of the time it’s laundry), and then Mom and Dad go to bed and the doula does baby care, bringing baby to Mom when he’s hungry, then whisking baby away again so Mom can go back to sleep. Around 5:30 or 6, the doula makes coffee and some breakfast and brings baby in to a well-rested family. This is a great option in the first few weeks after recovering from childbirth, though I always like to make sure we transition out of this situation slowly, so that Mom and Dad can work out their sleeping schedule without relying too much on doula to do all the work. I generally work with families for 4-6 weeks, just long enough to get them over the hump of new parenthood. By 4-6 weeks, we can usually get on some form of a schedule that works for them. Postpartum doulas can be a very helpful part of your birth team, and the postpartum period is often overlooked by pregnant families. I always encourage you to prepare for your postpartum as intensely as you prepare for your birth. There are people there to help you, you just have to look for them. Mary is a Labor, Birth & Postpartum Doula and Childbirth Educator. As a mother of three, she understands the challenges associated with transitioning from pregnancy to motherhood, and is dedicated to making that transition as seamless as possible for her clients! Being a military spouse makes her deeply familiar with being apart from a familiar support system, which creates the need for mothers to have a self-built village. She brings a calm, relaxed, non-judgmental attitude to pregnancy, labor, and the first few challenging weeks after baby is born. Mary lives with her husband and children outside of St. Louis, and serves families in St. Clair County and the greater St. Louis area.

Anticipating a nap schedule with your baby is a coveted prize for parents. The beginning months are unpredictable and exhausting, let's be honest. I get asked ALL the time, “when will my baby take better, more scheduled naps?” I specifically remember an “AH-HA” moment with my twins. We had just returned from their 4-month well-visit with their pediatrician and they were taking nap in the car. I transferred them to their swings under my supervision, and they took a 1.5-2 hour nap. From that day forward, their first nap of the day just fell into place right around 8:30/8:45, and soon enough, the rest of the day was that way, as well. I felt like I had won the lottery.. at least for a little while. The first nap of the day is typically the nap that regulates first. The body treats it as a continuation of night sleep, and melatonin is still being produced. I recommend to move baby to a dark, cool space with white noise to prioritize this nap. Baby sleep schedule at 16 weeks Nap 1: 8:30/8:45 for 1.5 to 2 hours Nap 2: 11:30/11:45 for 1 hour Nap 3: 2:15/2:30 for 1-2 hours Nap 4: 5/5 PM for 30 minutes One of two things will happen as you near and enter the 5th month. Either naps will be long enough where the 4th is pushed out, OR, more commonly, naps will be short. Therefore, a schedule change is needed to promote longer naps. A settled, predictable 3 nap schedule for a 5 month old 6 month old, even 7-month old looks like: Nap 1: 9/9:15 for 1.5 hours Nap 2: 12:30/1 for 1-1.5 hours Nap 3: 4/4:30 for 30 minutes Then, before you know it, your first big nap transition will be upon you! Your baby, who was once taking their naps like a champ, will start to fight you on them. The need to drop a nap can present itself in a few different ways. Here are some common examples of what the 3-2 nap transition looks like: · Refusing the 3rd nap altogether for many days. · Difficulty falling asleep for the 3rd nap despite it being pushed later and later. · Bedtime is getting too late, falling asleep past 8 PM. · Taking a long time to fall asleep at bedtime. · Naps altogether have become very short (30-45 minutes). 2-nap schedules are GREAT because sleep times become completely by the clock. No more counting wake times! During the transition, bring bedtime earlier. There’s a sweet spot for this age that puts bedtime around 3 hours after last nap ends. 4 hours can be too long for many babies and cause night wakings and early morning wakings. The range to transition fro 3-2 naps is 6-9 months. Ideal 2 nap schedule Nap 1: 9:30 for 1.5 hours Nap 2: 2PM for 1.5 hours *This schedule assumes a 7:00AM out of crib time. Full disclosure, this transition was by FAR the hardest for my twins. Especially, my Baby B. She chronically took 30-minute naps, before and after the transition. It took her weeks to connect sleep cycles. It was like clockwork… I would count it down- 3, 2, 1 BAM! Eyes open. She would then roll around quietly or fuss for almost an hour and never fall back asleep. It was one of the most trying times for me. It gave me a lot of anxiety knowing she wasn’t getting the sleep that she needed, in addition to keeping her synced up with her sister. If she only napped for 30 minutes, she was begging to be in bed by 6PM, showing me every sleep cue there is. Poor girl! We got through that regression with her and she went on to take great 1.5 hour naps until we moved to 1 nap…. Speaking of.. The 2-1 nap transition happens within a broad range of ages; 13-18 months old, with 15 months being the average. It can be difficult because wake times used to be in the 3’s and now will jump to the 4’s. Keep in mind, that a child who holds onto it longer, may experience disrupted sleep at night and overall shortened night sleep. As you near the transition, there are warning signs: Short naps Difficulty falling asleep for 1 or both naps Early morning wakings Taking a long time to fall asleep at bedtime Just like the other transitions, this one will also take some time. Generally, it takes 4-6 weeks to settle into the new schedule. Delay morning nap by 30 minutes and settle there for 5-7 days before adjusting again. Eventually settling at 12PM. Catnaps will happen in the beginning... This is okay. Bedtime will need to be moved earlier during the transition. *Check that your 2-nap schedule doesn't have some room for manipulation first i.e. capping nap lengths and lengthening wake times. 1 Nap Schedule 7am wake for the day Nap 12-2:30 Bedtime 6:45/7 Naps are TOUGH, guys. They take some skill, practice and lots of deep breathes. Don't feel like you need to struggle with naps the entire first year of your baby's life. Checkout my best advice on why babies take short naps. Lindsay Loring is a certified pediatric sleep consultant who is passionate about sleep. Lindsay has helped many families restore sleep balance in their home after a birth of a child. She is a mama to twin girls and resides in the Midwest with her family. Join our online community!

Being a mom is tough, that’s a given, and navigating those first few months postpartum is the ultimate challenge – physically, mentally, and definitely emotionally. You somehow feel very alone, but also find that you NEVER have a moment alone (odd – yet all the moms right now are like…oh my gosh YES!). As the owner of FIT4MOM 618, I get to speak to a LOT of mothers – I mean, it’s kind of my thing! And one thing I hear often is that most postpartum moms are struggling with a balance of everything they have going on. Things like, their changed bodies, new babies, care of other family members, self-care, feelings of isolation and generally feeling overwhelmed (rightfully so). A great way to combat all these new changes is to add some movement into your routine. Here are some intentional ways to incorporate movement and mindful fullness into your everyday routine! · Don’t wait! Start some gentle stretching in bed at the hospital. It’s not a time to strain or stress your body, but gentle movement will help you restore and recover. Start walking around as soon as you can. Again, the idea is not to get a workout in but just to create some blood flow. · Consider visiting a pelvic health physiotherapist after baby. Your pregnancy and labor may have impaired your pelvic floor. A specialist can assess this as well as give recommendations on diastasis recti and additional pelvic health exercises as needed. · Get out! Get some fresh air and start your stroller walks around the neighborhood. It’s great for you to get outside and get moving. Plus, you’ll get stronger as baby gets bigger. Start small and build up slow, but REMEMBER, any exercise during this time (pre-physician clearance) should only be focused on relaxation, stress management, and emotional well-being. You can increase intensity when you feel ready and have been cleared. · Hydrate. Water, water, water. This is especially necessary if you are breastfeeding. Keep a water bottle by your nursing station, in your stroller, and around the house. Add some lemon, fresh mint, or cucumber to keep it refreshing. · Meditate. This is a great time to learn. Use times like nursing or napping to practice breathing exercises using an app like Calm or Expectful to guide you through meditations. This is an important time to get your mind right. · Work on your posture. Your body went through some major changes during pregnancy. For most moms, they find that their head juts forward, shoulders round and hips tilt forward. It’s very important to get your body back into alignment. Do regular posture checks. Bring your head back, shoulders back, stand or sit tall and bring your hips to a neutral position. · Ease back into it. Once cleared by your doctor for more exercise, remind yourself to: Listen to your body Release the judgment Return to exercise & intensity SLOWLY Focus on well-being instead of the waistline Practice self-compassion Remember, ALL movement counts Enjoy this time · Find your village. While this may not seem like a postpartum tip, it will definitely support you as a new mom. As much fun as your baby is, you will need some adult connection. Find a group of moms to lean on, get support, and share experiences. · Join a mommy and me class. Classes like Stroller Strides at FIT4MOM 618 will do double duty as you get back in shape, meet other new moms, and have fun connecting with your baby. Certified instructors will help ensure that you are properly restoring your body. Be sure to give yourself lots of grace and start with realistic goals that are attainable and considerate to your changing body. Whatever your larger goal is -you CAN get there, but be sure to break it into smaller chunks as to not become overwhelmed. I love everything motherhood and fitness related, and one thing that goes hand-in-hand with that is time management. I know how difficult it is to squeeze in #allthethings in a 24-hour day, especially once you add kiddos into the picture. Tips to free up some time in your busy life: · Batch. I love batching! Think about ways you can turn tasks into an assembly line, then map out what you need to do for the week. It is much more efficient to run all errands on one day, for example, than one a day. Batch your time on the computer, doing paperwork, etc. And of course, batch cook your meals or meal prep for the week ONCE a week! SEE BELOW FOR A GREAT BATCH BREAKFAST COOKIE! · Delegate. Assign tasks to your partner and ask your loved ones for help. If your kids are old enough, give them a to-do list. · Ask for help. Ask friends, family, neighbors – even hire a babysitter! If you are working and need support, ask your local mamas about a nanny share. Get some help so you can do YOU. · Go on a TV diet. Ok, you do not have to cut out television altogether. But just cutting out one show per week could give you 4 hours a month! That’s more time you can spend working out, reading or SLEEPING. · Go on a digital detox. Cut back on email and social media. Turning off notifications and setting screen time limits can be a positive change. Or try designating hours during the day that you are reachable via email and social, but when those hours are up, you sign-off. · Fill wasted time with purposeful time. You know those cracks of time when you are waiting for your kids after sports practice or waiting in line? Do not go anywhere without bringing something to do in the gap time. You can use this time to make phone calls, answer emails, and catch up on or rewrite to-do lists. · Lean on your mama village. No one understands the needs of moms like moms themselves. Surround yourself with other mamas who can help you answer the sleep, poop, and feeding questions. Tell your village when you need help, they will take care of you without fail. · Identify your most productive time. We are all wired to have a most productive time - be aware of that time and BATCH your work time accordingly. I hope these tips help create a little bit of peace in your daily life. Putting a few of these tips into action can do wonders for your well-being. And, when you carve out an extra 10-15 minutes – give these Breakfast Cookies a try! FIT4MOM’s founding mother, Lisa Druxman, created this amazing recipe (it was even featured on The Today Show) and it’s a favorite in our household, too! They are nutritious, delicious, and easily batched to provide a healthy option all week long. Codi Jackson, FIT4MOM 618 Owner, is a fitness coach/motherhood enthusiast that empowers women and mothers in all stages of life to move their bodies and live a healthier, happier life. Find out more about Codi’s community of women at www.618.fit4mom.com

When people say, “Babies don’t come with an instructions manual”. You laugh, and then you cry.⁣ ⁣ ⁣ People and experts are quick to tell you ‘What not to do’, but where is the all information and testimonials about ‘What to do'?⁣ ⁣ ⁣ I was reading a post recently from a second time Mom, and she was sharing just how hard it is and the importance of realizing that, as the Mom, only YOU know what’s right for your family. 👏🏻 ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ I want to let Mama’s know that there ARE things you can do! ⁣ ⁣ ⁣No, I'm not going to be reinventing the wheel or inventing some new miracle product, but we CAN go over the basics according to Dr. Harvey Karp. Because, in the beginning parenting is HARD. There’s no other way to say it. There's A LOT of crying as we navigate how to respond and help our babies adapt to this big, new world.⁣ So, what do you do when your baby is 2 hours into the witching hour and no end in sight? Or you're trying to work out if they have colic or not? (The actual definition of colic is defined as more than 3 hours of crying for 3 or more days a week for 3 weeks) ⁣ ⁣ Tips to calm your newborn ⁣ 💟 Swaddling Your baby developed in a warm, compact environment. Swaddling helps mimic this during sleep while keeping them calm. ⁣Wrapping tightly with a receiving blanket or using a zip up swaddle with arms down is highly effective. If swaddling alone doesn't calm your fussy baby, move on to the next step. ⁣ ⁣ 💟 Side/Stomach Putting a fussy baby in the football hold on their side/slightly facing down (while being held) can trigger your baby's calming reflex. Note: these postures should not be used unattended or when caregiver is at risk of falling asleep themselves. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ 💟 Shush A fellow Mama told me a story recently how her 2 year old remembered hearing her heartbeat while in the womb. We can recreate that by shushing, white noise, running shower, fans, etc. ⁣Keep in mind that the shushing needs to be as loud as your crying baby or louder. The noise can then decrease once baby is calm. ⁣ ⁣ 💟 Swing Our babies were used to 12-15 hours of motion a day! So, our new babies will love to be rocked, bounce or jiggled with their heads supported. ⁣Use the swing after the previous S's have been completed. Then place baby in the swing while attended. The swing isn't meant solely to calm them, but instead, it will prolong a calm period for your child. ⁣ ⁣ 💟 Suck Breast, pacifiers, fingers, repeat 🙂⁣ It takes practice to learn to suck. Lightly tap the pacifier out of their sucking hold in order for them to learn to bring it back it. Holding the pacifier stagnant in their mouth doesn't teach them how to grab it with their mouth and suck. If your chid is breastfeeding, let them practice sucking on your nipple before introducing a pacifier. This will help feeding to become established quicker. ⁣ ⁣ Just like anything else, it takes practice. If it doesn’t work the first time, that’s okay. You’re in it together. Becoming confident in these techniques will take a bit of time and repetition. Newborn sleep schedule A newborn will have a very erratic rhythm at first where a schedule will seem impossible. At first, I recommend to follow a sequence of events instead of a time on the clock. The routine is called Eat/Wake/Sleep. Here is an example. This is just a small sneak peak into our Newborn Sleep Essentials Guide Want to know more? The slides in our newborn course will walk you through Newborn sleep schedule Newborn bedtime routine Newborn witching hour + colic Newborn bedtime + Much more! Get access to our guide here! Lindsay Loring is a certified pediatric sleep consultant who is passionate about sleep. Lindsay has helped many families restore sleep balance in their home after a birth of a child. Join her online community

Your little one finally masters sleeping through the night and then naps go out the window! 🤦🏻‍♀️ You can literally watch it on a clock. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..eyes pop open. You're left scratching your head and screaming "WHY?!?" inside right... Well here's the answer! As your baby starts to consolidate their sleep at night, the daytime sleep becomes less “required” and the pressure to catch-up on sleep starts to fade. Meaning in your little bundle of joys mind, they no longer need this nap! That's why it is really important to buckle up, and prepare to knuckle down on making naps a priority. Setting your little one up for success to take a LONG nap is still possible and with the right sleep training, you can make it happen and create healthy sleep habits that last a lifetime. Here are the top reasons why we see short naps happening with our clients children. 1. Naps are not timed correctly. ⏰ The times your baby takes a nap is directly related to their age. A 5-month old and a 10-month old would not take a nap at the same time of day. A 5 month old may need a nap as early as 8:45, where a 10-month old wouldn’t have enough sleep pressure until 9:30. 2. Naps are happening too early. Are you stuck in an early wake-up cycle? (5:30am) You may think your child needs a nap by 8:30, but by doing that, the early nap is reinforcing the early morning. Instead, try a new activity or food to bypass that previous nap time and get more in line with a ‘wake time’ reflecting a 6:30 or 7AM morning wakeup. Keep an early bedtime to reduce overtiredness during this time. 3. Baby is taking the nap directly after feeding and rocking. When baby goes down drowsy or with a feeding, they will complete 1 sleep cycle and then stir. When they don’t have the rocking or feeding present, they will become fully awake and begin to alert you. 4. It’s time to drop a nap! This can be confusing, because you find yourself stuck between 3 being too many and 2 not enough. For example, ff your baby is an awesome self-settler and the schedule is right, short naps can still happen from time to time. Developmental leaps and new milestones can often be the culprit. Hang in there! When my babies were 6 and a half months old, we found ourselves in a cycle of early wakes and short naps. I wasn't sure how to fix it. We were in the midst of a transition, but it seemed impossible. Part of my sleep consulting services include a schedule tailored to your child, and I show you how to achieve sleep success. Don't worry, you can do this! Hey, I'm Lindsay Loring! I'm a Pediatric Sleep Consultant and Mama to twins. Follow along via Instagram as I share more sleep training hints & tips for your littles.

When is the right time to transition to a toddler bed? If there is one thing I want you to take away from this it's PLEASE DON'T RUSH IT. My advice is waiting until your child is 3 years old at the minimum. Moving out of the crib and into a toddler bed takes cognitive understanding and maturity from your child. Just because they are a certain age or size does not mean they can compute the expectations we expect from them (staying in their bed) 9 times out of 10 the transition will be difficult, and the once 15-minute bedtime routine now turns into an hour +. Think about it like this. A crib was once a physical boundary for your child. It was the constant reminder to "stay in bed". Now that that crib is gone, we need to treat the entire room as their boundary and safe space, because they still require that reminder to stay in bed. Remove all toys in the beginning and make things as safe as possible; bolt down dressers and furniture. As the transition settles, soft toys and books can be introduced back in. The reason why I strongly suggest this is we want to be sure we are giving our children the best opportunity to sleep. That is why they are in bed in the first place, right? Having distractions such as toys, lights, screens and even parents in the room all work against the goal of falling asleep. A few things you can do to keep your child in a crib longer Lower the crib mattress to the lowest setting. If this fails to continue working and climbing is still happening, then some cribs will allow the inside frame to be removed and the mattress can lay directly on the floor. Now, there are only some types of cribs that will allow this to happen safely. Cribs that are level on all 4 sides and do not have wide gaps to which your child could hurt themselves. Watch closely on the monitor and as soon as you see your child start to climb, swiftly enter the room and say, 'your bed is for sleeping, not climbing, please lay down' Repeat that instruction over and over as you see fit. Put your child in a sleep sack to discourage climbing. Being in a wearable blanket will make it very difficult to maneuver climbing out. If you are switching from a crib to a bed, it's best to have a plan of action in place! Things like a family meeting about new expectations, visuals and appropriate/sustainable response from Mom/Dad if they attempt to leave the room. Some kids do well with the transition, so if it worked for you at a young age I applaud your success. But for most, parents find themselves making bribes, desperate pleas, and playing an exhausting game of ping-pong in and out of the room. And lastly, it's okay if the transition was a failure. Get the crib back out and try again in 6-months. Sleep is what keeps us clear-minded and patient which is what we all need to survive raising our tiny humans. Ready to make the crib to bed transition sooner than you thought?! You'll want these tips from our expert sleep consultants at Tweet Dreamzz Sleep Consulting.

TEETHING! In a baby’s first 2+ years of life, they cut 16 teeth! That’s no easy task ☹ Courtesy of Orajel.com Common teething symptoms ●     Red and swollen gums ●     Increased biting or sucking to soothe ●     Fussiness ●     Some disrupted sleep ●     Not as hungry ●     Rash around their mouth from drooling ●     Mild elevated temperature Does teething affect sleep? Many parents think teething is the reason their child has disrupted sleep. Yes, it can cause them pain, discomfort and tummy issues. But, a child who has good sleep habits established, and is NOT sleep deprived, will all around manage teething much easier. Just because your child has a tooth coming in does not mean you have to abandon your habits and routine. Sticking to the routine, will signal to them that nothing is wrong! It will help them feel more secure that Mom and Dad know what’s best. If your child is otherwise a good sleeper, then hold them to that even when teething. Studies show that symptoms associated with teething consistently occur only on 1-2 days before a tooth erupts, and the day after (Pediatrics, August 2011 Prospective Longitudinal Study of Signs and Symptoms Associated with Primary Tooth Eruption) There are actionable things you can do even when your baby is teething or cutting teeth! Some mild sleep disturbances can come with teething. It may be more painful at night because they feel those symptoms more when there are fewer distractions, and they’re also tired! Incorporating your bedtime routine and following age appropriate wake windows will help your baby drift off to sleep easier and sleep well overnight. Best remedies for teething baby Try these at home remedies to help your little one feel more comfortable during waking hours! + Refrigerated teething rings + Cold wash cloth. Try mixing breast milk or formula to increase interest + Bland foods to help combat belly upset + Recommended dosage of ibuprofen under supervision of a pediatrician AUTHOR: Lindsay Loring is a certified pediatric sleep consultant and owner of Tweet Dreamzz. Lindsay is certified through The Family Sleep Institute and has completed studies in baby and toddler sleep, as well as breastfeeding support and SIDS Awareness. You can find Lindsay providing expert sleep tips on Instagram and she does a free Q & A every Friday! Sleep is a passion of Lindsay's, and she truly believes it makes up the groundwork of a family's dynamic. Through her personalized coaching, Lindsay designs plans that will ensure the success of the child according to the family's goals. To learn more about Lindsay, visit her at: www.tweetdreamzz.com.

The U.S. just celebrated its 243rd birthday, and with that comes late nights, fireworks, and lots of pool time. While it's fun for kids to stay up late during the holidays, it can take a toll on their sleep routine. In this blog post, we'll discuss how to help your children recover their sleep routine after the holidays and snap right back to normality! Step 1 - Stick to a Sleep Schedule: As a parent, you probably know that routine and predictability are crucial for your child's sleep. Even during the holidays, try to stick to your child's regular sleep schedule as much as possible. This will help them maintain their sleep routine and prevent them from becoming overtired. Step 2 - Use Sleep Training Techniques: If your child has trouble falling asleep after staying up late, sleep training can help. Sleep training involves teaching your child healthy sleep habits and establishing a consistent bedtime routine. This can include activities like taking a bath, reading a book, and singing a lullaby. Sleep training can be an effective way to help your child get back into their sleep routine after the holidays. Step 3 - Compensate with an Earlier Bedtime: If your child stays up late during the holidays, compensate by putting them to bed earlier the days following. This will help prevent sleep debt from building up, which can cause your child to become overtired and cranky. The holidays are a time for fun and celebration, but they can also disrupt your child's sleep routine. By sticking to a sleep schedule, using sleep training techniques, and compensating with an earlier bedtime, you can help your child recover their sleep routine after the holidays. Remember, healthy sleep habits are important for your child's overall health and well-being but also for your own as a parent. If you're struggling getting your children to adopt healthy sleep habits, book a free consultation with one of our pediatric sleep experts today

Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone" ~Joni Mitchell Or maybe, you knew what you had, but you thought you would never lose it? At the time, I thought carrying twins to term was the hardest thing I had ever done. Silly me! Enter twin-motherhood and sleep deprivation... The hardest thing I have ever done is caring for two tiny twin babies who slept at different times and wanted to eat around the clock - robbing me of precious sleep! Months 1-3 with my twins were purely survival for everyone, our dog included. And it's important that you understand that if you're in this exact spot right now, that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I was almost unable to care for my twins some days. The lack of sleep drove my anxiety and potential postpartum depression through the roof. In fact, studies show that sleep deprivation, post-partum depression and post-partum anxiety are linked. Because I wasn't getting ANY restorative, deep sleep I was emotional, groggy, and even unable to drive a car some days. I literally felt impaired. Enter our amazing sleep consultant! They taught me that children are no different. Their growing brains need food and SLEEP to help them continue developing! Children and babies who are sleep deprived are all the things I have described above and more. They are unable to handle their emotions, they have decreased appetite and their gross motor skills can suffer. Finding sleep and making it a priority truly is one of the best things you can do for your family! If you are struggling with sleep in your household right now, why not book a free 15 minute consultation and we can help you learn the necessary skills to make sleepless nights a thing of the past. Check out our sleep training plans for more information.