Sleep Joy

Merry Christmas from these four beauties🎄🙌💕

😴Contact Naps😴.
As a pediatric sleep consultant I work with sleep deprived parents to teach their children independent sleep skills. Buuut, it’s okay to break your own rules sometimes. What I’ve learned with my Davey baby is following my maternal instinct to connect with a consistent foundation and practice of independent sleep skills still yields a great sleeping baby! So when he’s fussy and the only place he’ll sleep is on me for a nap everyone once in a while, I fully lean in, breathe him in and savor the moment💕.

Hoppy Wednesday 🐰🐰

Happy Palm Sunday and start of Holy Week ✝️

Happy Fri Yay! This 13 week old is so glad mommy is back to work and taking new Sleep Joy clients🥳 After successfully sleep training my 4th baby (5 predictable naps during the day and sleeping 9.5-10 hours/night) I’ve learned some new tricks and refreshed my perspective on newborn and young baby sleep. I’m more equipped than ever to coach you and your little one on independent sleep that has you present and empowered💪🏼😴🙌

If we pay close enough attention, our young babies have clear non-verbal signs that tell you they are tired and ready for bed. One of them is turning away from light (into your chest even) or blocking light. Once you see this sign, head towards the crib for sleepy time😴.

Happy National Son’s Day!

Important to get your newborn outside for needed vitamin D, fresh air, to build melatonin (sleepy hormone) and for fresh stimulus. His next nap will be awesome for it!

Sleep training is not linear. Exhibit A: Davis pictured at 3am last night.

This weekend Davis slept through the night two nights in a row! But the last two nights he has woken up once for a feeding.

In sleep training newborns, this is completely normal. Even though it can feel like a roller coaster, it’s important to stay consistent in your sleep training approach and his sleep will continue to improve and will be more consistent with time.

*Newborn naps on the go*
Newborns sleep ideally 12-16 hours/day. Introducing the crib or bassinet early on is important for starting independent sleep skills. But sometimes you need to get out of the house and strap the baby on you. On the go newborn naps check several boxes:
🌙Bonding with baby (though not skin to skin, it’s heart beat to heart beat❤️)
🌙Being snug and tight promotes good sleep (like a vertical swaddle effect)
🌙Allows flexibility for you and baby to not be in house arrest for all sleep (important for your mental health)
🌙Make sure your front carrier is secure and provides both neck and head support for your newborn.
🌙Check often to ensure your baby’s air passages are open and clear (have their head facing directly right or left, not in your chest)

Happy 4 weeks of Davis Greene 💚 To celebrate I’m treating myself to a pedi!
🌙 With a predictable nap and feed schedule, I can pop out of my house with confidence to run an errand or to have some needed self care!

Happy Fri Yay from my baabay!

Happy 2 weeks Davey Baby!

**So Blessed** My former newborn clients sent a surprise coffee gift card to help me through the my newborn fog🥳☕️ Happy Fri Yay!

With newborns (or kids in general) parents can feel it’s our responsibility to put them to sleep… it’s not (big sigh of relief!) That’s right, your kid is responsible for putting themselves to sleep. But how does that work🤔.
Putting your babe down awake allows them to see, smell, understand their sleep environment. The more they become familiar with their sleep environment, the better (and quicker) they can self soothe and fall asleep their on their own.

First bath at home! 6 days old and he loved it! Newborns can only handle so much stimulation in their brief wake windows, so bath is a perfect activity to do directly after a feed before nap starts. The bath’s warm water helps calm baby to prepare for a good slumber.

Cluster feed vibes 🤪 In your newborns first week or two of life expect “cluster feeds”. This is a time where your little may need to eat on demand more often than every few hours. Know this is normal and healthy:) As they’re learning to regulate their appetite and hit growth spurts, they’re also bonding with you and forming the bond outside of the womb. If you’re a breastfeeding mom, this is also the time your baby plays a significant role to bring your milk supply in. What a beautiful need you both have for one another!
So manage expectations, know it’s a short season and bond with baby!

Matthew and I are overjoyed to share the arrival of Davis Greene Beatty! Coming in on Jan 4th at 6lbs 11oz and 20 inches. The kids have all claimed him as their baby and are doing as well as expected in the transition to a family of 6. Thankfully Davis is tolerating all the noise, poking and prodding like a champ😂 Grateful for the Lord’s love over our Beatty Bunch 🙌

Happy New Year from the Beatty Bunch! How blessed to start the year on the beach! Love where you live 💕

With all the gadgets and gizmos out there to help a baby sleep, know your trusty Sleep Joy consultant practices “less is more.” As I prepare for baby #4, the only things I need for newborn sleep are:
🌙 gown jammies (for easy diaper changes)
🌙 socks (keep toes and feet warm)
🌙 cotton swaddle (breathable fabric that has enough weight and pressure)
🌙 pacifier (recommend by the American Academy of Pediatrics- helps soothe and reduce risk of SIDS)
🌙 crib in their own room (independent sleep starts with an independent sleep space)

Sitting in baby’s room today dreaming of what life will be like adding our 4th kid to the mix, how tired I will be, what sleep training will look like… and then I paused and prayed. I am grateful for the chaos that is coming.

Cookie making! What are you doing fun with your littles this weekend?!

A cookie surprise from my newborn New Mexico client who graduated from Sleep Joy with flying colors (psst- sleeping 10.5 hours a night and four great and predictable naps during the day)! These adorable NM themed sugar cookies of chips and salsa and green chilis have truly spiced up my day🥳 Such an honor to help families get back to sleep!

Well who said being almost 38 years old in your 4th pregnancy couldn’t be fun and fabulous? Nobody! Especially not Summer Lambert Photography who makes everything beautiful💕📸 Can’t wait to meet you, Davis Greene Beatty💚

Well who said being almost 38 years old in your 4th pregnancy couldn’t be fun and fabulous? Nobody! Especially not Summer Lambert Photography who makes everything beautiful💕📸 Can’t wait to meet you, Davis Greene Beatty💚

Pro Tip Tuesday: spend quality when there’s a big change in the home.
🌙The change: my husband is on a 9-day mission trip across the country.
🌙 My oldest already misses him and it’s causing delays at bed time and early wake ups wondering where daddy is = separation anxiety.
🌙 Create and spend quality time with your child who is “feeling” the change. This could mean extra snuggles and affirmations to start and end your day, doing intentional check ins and supporting your child, or it could be surprising him for lunch at school!
🌙 Providing security and confidence to your child in the midst of a big transition is the greatest gift and plays a big role in security and confidence at bed time.

It’s cold and flu season… ooh boogers😪 As the weather changes and runny noses present, here are some tips to help your little one sleep with a sniffle:
🌙 Cool midst humidifier at all sleep times
🌙 Increase water hydration throughout day
🌙 Have child sleep in their own bed for all sleep (no matter how pitiful they seem- best sleep and healing happens in your own bed).
🌙 Warmer bath or steam out bathroom to get things running before sleep, then clean out nose before bed
🌙 Keep water close by for middle of the night cough fits.
🌙 Allow your child to nap/sleep as long as they like… their body is fighting a bug and when they receive strong restorative sleep their immune system builds and can better beat off illness

Pro Tip Tuesday- Accountability or Responsibility Chart.
🌙 For my clients 3 and up I recommend a responsibility chart as part of the bedtime routine. This age craves independence, but also wants to know what is expected and coming next (so then they can carry out their independence). A chart gives them notice, while also giving instant gratification of success. From there, you can set goals with your little one and provide weekly incentives as you see fit.
🌙 The Melissa and Doug Mickey Mouse responsibility chart is now 50% for Prime members (around $13).

Happy national sons day! Love my dear Jackson and Bennett!

Happy national daughter day to my cool, fun and independent Abba!