All it Takes is a Plan

In the last two episodes, I shared about our challenging sleep journey with baby number four, and how that resulted in quite a bit of co-sleeping. This week, I want to have some real talk about co-sleeping, both from a sleep coach's perspective and from a real mom who had to co-sleep! And if you're currently a co-sleeping parent but are looking for help getting your baby or toddler sleeping in the...

Last week, I shared all about our challenging sleep journey with baby number four, due to some airway issues. But how we finally got the green light to sleep train him at 9 months old! So this week, I'm sharing all about what it actually looked like to sleep train James, both the highs and lows. I share how he did, as well as how I coached myself, sleep coach to mama, throughout the process, when...

We welcomed our fourth baby and first son, James, into the world last February, and he has just been the happiest baby! Rather than being the "easy" last baby, however, he struggled with sleep from day one. We never had any intentions of co-sleeping and really weren't comfortable with it, but we didn't have another option the first several weeks of his life. He was not able to lie flat to sleep wi...

When is the BEST time to sleep train? When should you NOT sleep train? In today's episode, I'll be answering those questions for you, so you can decide if and when sleep training is best for your family. If you're curious to learn more about what it would look like to sleep train your little one with our team's help, check this out!

In this episode, I'm sharing my love for the SlumberPod ! I truly think it's one of the best baby and toddler sleep products out there, and I recommend it to every family I work with! I will be sharing: What the SlumberPod is Why we love it Frequently asked questions How to use it with toddlers To get a discount on your SlumberPod or SlumberTot, use the code VIAGRACESPOD at checkout! Our favorite...

This week, I am interviewing my favorite pelvic health physical therapist, Dr. Lindsay Durand Massumi. She is based in Northern Virginia, serving families at her practice and in their homes, as well as families nationwide through her virtual PT! We talk all about what the pelvic floor is and why pelvic floor PT can benefit everyone - male, female, young, and old. We also talk about how pelvic floo...

Last week, we answered why your baby might be waking up at night. So this week, we're answering the questions: "Why is my toddler still waking up at night?" Or, "Why is my toddler all of a sudden waking up at night again?" I walk through the four most common reasons toddlers wake up at night, as well as some others that could be causing night wakings for your toddler. These are all of the podcast...

This week, we’re talking all about why your baby is still waking up at night! I’m essentially letting you inside my head, as a pediatric sleep coach. I’m peeling back the curtain on what I think through when a family reaches out to me and says, “Why won’t my baby sleep through the night?!” Or, “My baby was sleeping through the night, but now they’re waking again. Why??” Sometimes it’s pretty strai...

Have you ever been worried about being out late with your baby or toddler because they might fall asleep in the car and you're not sure how to transfer them to their bed when you get home? Or have you ever tried transferring a sleeping baby to their bed for the night, and it just didn’t go well? If so, today’s episode is for you! I'm getting into the specifics of how exactly I recommend transferri...

In today's episode, I'm interviewing Jennifer Barnard of Baby Begin. Jennifer has been a pediatric Occupational Therapist for over 20 years and is the owner of Baby Begin . Her goal is to eradicate plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) worldwide. She has become an expert on treating torticollis and correcting flat heads without a helmet and trains passionate therapists all over the world to do the sa...

Most of us have heard a lot about the safe sleep guidelines for babies, but we don't talk a lot about safe sleep guidelines for toddlers and older kids! So in this episode, we're talking all about safe sleep for toddlers still in cribs, as well as big kids sleeping in a big bed. We're talking about: the importance of sleeping with the door closed safe sleep guidelines for toddlers still in a crib...

In today's episode, I'm diving into the ins and outs of the safe sleep guidelines for babies. We'll start with the basic ABCs of safe sleep, and then dig in even more. My guess is that whether you're a first-time parent or a fourth-time parent, you'll hear a safe sleep guideline you haven't heard before. (To learn more about how to dress your baby for sleep when it's colder in their nursery, read...

As first-time parents, we blamed any and every challenging day or night on teething. We figured our baby must be teething since sleep was a disaster. As fourth-time parents now, I have to admit that teething really doesn't faze me. Because I know that it's not the big-bad-monster it's often made out to be! I'm not saying teething doesn't impact babies at all, but I am saying it doesn't usuall...

Today, we’re going to be talking about adult sleep with our adult sleep coach, Kathryn, and it might feel like a strange tip at first. But what if one of the best tools for better sleep isn’t melatonin, magnesium, or even a stricter bedtime routine—but more fun ? If stress is one of the biggest enemies of adult sleep, FUN might just be one of the anecdotes! Not only is having more fun one way to g...

It is so frustrating when your toddler takes a short nap. You know they need more daytime sleep, but no matter what you do, they still take a short nap! So in this episode, I'll be diving into those short toddler naps. I share: What is considered a "short nap" How long your toddler's nap should be 7 strategies to lengthen them If you're looking for more personalized help when it comes to your todd...

It is so common for babies to take short naps, and it's also so frustrating! And while short naps are sometimes developmental, there are also strategies we can apply to help extend those short naps! So that's what we're covering in this episode -  why  your baby takes short naps and  how  to extend them.  I walk through five different strategies you can try to finally...

Welcoming a new baby into the family is very exciting, and can also be very overwhelming - especially for toddlers and older siblings, as having another baby in the house is a big change! And big changes like this can often cause sleep regressions. In this episode, I am sharing some tips to try to prevent a sleep regression after bringing home a new baby, including things you can do BEFORE baby ar...

It is very common for toddlers and older kids to experience fears and anxieties around bedtime. AND those fears and anxieties do not need to keep them from sleeping - they are still so capable of great sleep. In this episode, I am sharing the following 8 strategies to help your child through their bedtime fears and anxieties, so you can start adding tools to their tool belt for the next time they'...

We teach our kids “why”s all day long… We have to shut the door so bugs don’t fly in, or so we don’t waste the AC. We have to buckle up in the car so we are safe. We cover our mouth when we cough so we don’t spread our germs. From my experience as a mom and a sleep consultant, however, parents don’t usually teach their kids about  sleep  as explicitly, but we can and I think we  sho...

Last week, I shared about my breastfeeding challenges with our son, James. I shared about the wonderful IBCLC who helped us get feeding on track, and this week I'm interviewing her! Allyson Wessells, of Nurture Columbus , is on the podcast this week talking about what tummy time is, the importance of tummy time, and how it has a direct impact on infant feeding, whether that's by the breast or bott...

Although I had nursed three babies before, for a total of over 4.5 years, I had quite a few challenges breastfeeding our fourth baby the first several weeks of his life. In this podcast episode, I'm sharing all of the details! I'm sharing about what red flags we noticed early on, who we sought out for help, the terrible advice we got along the way, the bumps we hit after the frenectomy, and how th...

I love the swaddled, baby burrito phase of newborn life - they're just too cute! And swaddles are a really helpful tool when it comes to newborn sleep. There does come a time, however, when it's time to transition out of the swaddle. Yes, once your baby is trying to roll over, the swaddle needs to be gone for safety reasons. But I recommend transitioning out of the swaddle based more on age rather...

Traveling with young kids can be challenging enough, not to mention changing time zones and dealing with a jet-lagged baby or toddler. It can be rough! But that doesn’t mean changing time zones with kids is impossible, and I certainly don’t want you avoiding family vacations and all of those sweet memories because you’re afraid of the jet lag. In this episode, we'll cover: When to start adjusting...

Do you live in an area of the country where hurricanes, tornadoes, or wildfires are a pretty real threat? If so, this episode is for you! I’m interviewing my teammate, Maura, as she has been in or around her fair share of natural disasters. She’s going to be sharing about how she and her husband prepare for these potential storms, as well as how that has changed a bit with a child. We'll also talk...

Have you ever gone to see the fireworks with your kids on the Fourth of July? Or are you hoping to go for the first time this year? In this episode, we’re going to be talking about your different options when it comes to celebrating the Fourth of July with kids. You can: Stay home, and maybe have some friends or family over Go to a friend's house Go out to see the fireworks! And if you choose to g...