All it Takes is a Plan

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...

It's almost time to "spring forward", and it makes parents everywhere cringe. Daylight saving time is confusing and feels so unnecessary! But it's happening. In this episode, we walk through how to adjust your little one's schedule so you make it through daylight saving time without losing too much sleep! To see the schedule samples we walked through, go to this blog post to screenshot the example...

When your toddler/preschooler drops their last nap, it can be scary to think about what happens next. Now what, they're just awake all day? No midday rest or reset?? As a mom and sleep consultant, I am a big fan of replacing that old afternoon nap time with a regular quiet time! So in this episode, we are diving into everything you need to know about establishing a consistent afternoon quiet time...

The thought of our kids not napping anymore is overwhelming! And it can be tough to figure out when toddlers and preschoolers are truly ready to drop that final nap. So in this episode, we are covering all of the details about the transition from one nap to zero, including: When most kids are ready to drop the last nap Signs it's time to transition from one nap to none How to actually go about dro...

Figuring out when to transition your baby/toddler from two naps to one can be a challenge, let alone figuring out how to go about the transition. In this nap transition can certainly feel tough! So in this episode, we will walk through: What age most babies/toddlers transition from two naps to one Signs they are ready to transition to one nap The best one nap schedule How to transition from two na...

The transition from three naps to two naps is an exciting one - it's finally time to transition to a set, clock-based schedule! But it can be tough to know when it's time to transition to two naps. So in this episode, we will walk through: What age babies are usually ready to transition to two naps Signs your baby is ready to transition to two naps How to make the switch from three naps to two The...

For some babies, the transition from four naps to three naps is very smooth and just kind of happens. For other families, they struggle to know when to transition and how to transition to three naps, so in this episode, we dig into all of it, including: What age babies are usually ready to transition to three naps Signs babies are ready to transition from four naps to three How to go about this na...

The Wonder Weeks app (and book) helps parents understand the developmental leaps their babies and young toddlers are going through. It can be helpful to better understand why your baby is all of a sudden fussier and what developmental milestones they're likely going through. In this podcast, Lauren and Maura talk more about the Wonder Weeks app and specifically dig into this question: will the Won...