All it Takes is a Plan

It is not uncommon for babies and toddlers to sleep differently at daycare than they do at home - sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. So in this episode, I am sharing realistic expectations you can have about daycare sleep. I will help you think through what questions to ask your daycare providers about sleep at their center, and I will also share what you can realistically expect from your...

There are certain milestones we talk about a lot in parenting - learning to crawl, walk, eat food for the first time, the first word, etc. And there are some sleep milestones we talk about regularly, like sleeping through the night, moving baby to their own room, or transitioning to a big bed. One sleep milestone we don't often talk about but is certainly a transition, is giving our toddlers a pil...

Did you have some sort of lovey, stuffed animal, or special blanket growing up? Many parents wonder when they can safely give their babies and toddlers their own special lovey to sleep with! In this episode, we walk through what a lovey is, when it's safe to give one to your baby for sleep, how to introduce a lovey, and so much more. Here are our favorites/the most popular lovies: Jellycat Soother...

Ever wonder how families do it who have multiple kids sharing a room? Or are you entering a season of life where you need to or want to have your kids share a room, but you're nervous about it messing up their sleep? If you answered yes to any of those questions, this episode is for you! As a mama of girls who have room shared for nearly four years, and a sleep consultant who has helped numerous f...

We all know it's much easier to sleep in a cool room than in a warm room, but do you know why? And did you know body temperature plays a big role in your sleep, as an adult? On the podcast this week, our adult sleep coach, Kathryn, is sharing more adult sleep tips; specifically how body temperature impacts sleep, as well as some tips to cool down and stay cool overnight to get the best rest possib...

Whether you choose to sleep train on your own or hire help from a sleep consultant, there are five key pieces to a successful sleep training plan. Those five pieces are: A solid sleeping environment An age-appropriate schedule Consistent and supportive routines A sleep training method/plan Time + Consistency! If one of those pieces doesn't exist, sleep training likely won't be successful! Here are...

Do you normally breathe with your mouth open or closed? What about when you sleep? Did you know that for optimal health, we are all supposed to breathe with our mouths closed , both during the day and overnight? Sometimes, however, we can't (or don't!) breathe through our noses, due to habit or another physical restriction. Sometimes that restriction is a high palate! Oral myofunctional therapists...

Have you ever heard of craniosacral therapy? I hadn't until our lactation consultant recommended we see one after our daughter's lip and tongue tie was released and it opened my eyes to a world that is so helpful and important! In this episode, I'm interviewing our favorite craniosacral therapist, Keri Smith, who owns Nurturing Touch and Wellness in Northern Virginia. In this episode, Keri shares:...

Many of us have heard of tongue ties and lip ties, but without personal experience with those oral restrictions, it can be hard to really understand. It's important, however, for new and expecting parents to understand what oral restrictions are, as well as the signs and symptoms a baby might have those restrictions, so they can be the best advocates for their little ones, if necessary. In this ep...

This episode recounts the early days and weeks of my daughter's life as we saw signs and symptoms of her having a tongue and lip tie. Little did we know, she also had a high palate, and all of it was connected. I am sharing those signs that pointed to her oral restrictions, as well as the care team we surrounded ourselves with to get the frenectomy and handle the after care to the best of our abil...

If you're listening to this, you've very likely heard of pediatric sleep coaching, but you might not know that adult sleep coaching exists, too. We're excited to announce that there is now officially an adult sleep coach, Kathryn Weber, on the Via Graces team! In this episode, Kathryn shares her own journey with insomnia and how she finally got to sleep again, and she shares her motivation behind...

There's no such thing as a "perfect product" to solve all of your baby's sleep challenges. Yes, certain types of products certainly help (i.e. blackout shades and sound machines!), but there's not a "best" or "only." There are, however, some popular baby sleep products that we do not recommend. Those include: DockATots (and Snuggle Mes!) Crib Bumpers Magic Merlin Sleepsuit Nest Bean Sleep Sacks Dr...

We took our girls to Disney this last winter, for my daughter's Make-a-Wish trip, and it was magical! And also exhausting. In this episode, I share how we balanced making amazing memories at Disney, while also still keeping sleep in mind. I talk about how we balanced naps on the go with an early bedtime, and the overall mindset we had toward sleep on this trip. To learn more about how to travel wi...

Traveling with our kids is such a gift, and it can also be overwhelming. And thinking about how our babies, toddlers, and young kids are going to sleep while we're traveling certainly contributes to the overwhelm! So in this episode, we're sharing our top tips for traveling with kids, so everyone can continue to get the best sleep possible. FAVORITE TRAVEL BLACKOUT SOLUTIONS SlumberPod (discount c...

Toddler clocks are one of my favorite tools when it comes to establishing consistent boundaries with our toddlers and young kids around sleep. Toddler clocks are also helpful in fostering independence around sleep (specifically around morning time!) with our young kids. In this episode, we'll cover what a toddler clock is, why they are so helpful, as well as when and how to introduce a toddler clo...

What is dream feeding and does it actually help babies sleep longer stretches overnight? In this episode, we're chatting about: What a dream feed is If dream feeding helps babies sleep longer Why we don't recommend dream feeding And so much more! For more help with your newborn's daily routines, including feeding and sleep, snag our newborn freebie here ! If you're looking for more comprehensive h...

Sleep regressions, in general, are no fun, and toddler sleep regressions are no exception. They are frustrating and can be hard! So in this episode, we are talking about: What a sleep regression is If all toddlers go through sleep regressions The 18 month sleep regression and 24 month sleep regression The “why” behind toddler sleep regressions What to do when your toddler is going through a sleep...

Sleep regressions are real and so frustrating. While the four-month sleep regression is the most popular, there are other sleep regressions your baby might experience. In this episode, we are talking about the 6-month regression, the 9-month regression, and the 12-month regression. You will learn: What a sleep regression is When and why sleep regressions typically happen How to help your baby thro...

The four-month sleep regression can be really hard. Your baby might have been a great newborn sleeper and now all of a sudden, the four-month regression hits, and sleep is not happening. Or maybe your baby was already struggling with sleep, and the four-month sleep regression made it that much worse, and you're exhausted. The tough news is, the four-month sleep regression is pretty unavoidable. Wh...

In last week's episode, I interviewed my friend, Sterling, and we talked about why her one-year-old might still be waking in the night to nurse. We also talked about what night-weaning methods she could use to finally get her baby to sleep through the night! On this week's episode, Sterling is back and tells us about what night weaning method she and her husband decided to go with, and she also te...

A friend reached out to me several weeks ago saying that her almost one-year-old was still waking up at night to nurse and she was ready to night wean. Weaning a baby from overnight feeds, however, is not just a one-step process, and I wanted to make sure I had all of the information I needed to give her the best advice possible. I then asked her if she'd be willing to chat over Zoom so I could re...

Bedtime battles are unfortunately common for so many families. Toddlers and young kids want to keep playing, or they want mom to sleep with them, or dad to hold their hand while they doze. While the "answer" to sleep is not always easy, in this episode we're talking about one key piece to a calm and successful bedtime - ONE-ON-ONE TIME! We will be talking about the "emotional piggy bank" analogy a...

We found out we were pregnant with baby number four this fall and were excited to tell our families over the holidays. However, just a few days before Christmas, we went in for an ultrasound and discovered that our baby had stopped growing at about 6.5 weeks.  We were going to miscarry this tiny baby. I quickly realized how little I knew about miscarriage, what my options were, and...

Blackout curtains are one of my biggest pet peeves as a sleep consultant because there are SO many products out there that say "99.9% blackout," but it's just not the case! And having total darkness is going to help your little one get the best sleep possible. In this episode, I'll be sharing: Why we recommend a pitch-black sleeping environment Common questions about blacking out your little one's...

Listen in as Lauren interviews DeeDee Moore of More Than Grand, as they talk about how to have conversations about sleep training with grandparents. Some questions we answer include: What did sleep look like when our parents had young kids? What advice do you have when grandparents disagree with a family's approach to sleep? What if the grandparents are regular caregivers and disagree with parents...