Ask a Specialist: Bedtime Basics Without Sleep Training
Join us today as we delve into the world of infant sleep with Kerry Secker, an esteemed infant sleep consultant and the visionary behind the innovative sleep approach known as Care it Out!
Meet Kerry!
Kerry, a mother of three and a seasoned infant sleep trainer, boasts over two decades of experience assisting and guiding families toward achieving uninterrupted nights of rest, all without resorting to the conventional, often arduous sleep training routines. Alongside her invaluable expertise, she curates the Sleep Show podcast and conducts nurturing sleep sessions throughout the United Kingdom. While Kerry has been a dependable resource for families tackling diverse challenges, it's in the realm of sleep that her passion truly ignites. Five years ago, she established Care it Out, a platform dedicated to enriching family sleep patterns.
Care it Out: A Restful Night Without Sleep Training
What exactly is sleep training? In its conventional form, it involves progressively prolonging the intervals before intervening with a crying infant, permitting them to self-soothe even if it involves bouts of crying before slumber takes over. A core tenet for many parents is the establishment of a rigorous bedtime routine, which can indeed be helpful. However, without an adaptable approach, this one size fits all method does not work for many families.
Enter Care it Out, a distinctive method that challenges the norm. Here, soothing a crying baby is not dismissed; it's embraced. The approach encourages parents to move away from the strict bedtime routines and babies to sleep in harmony with their own rhythms, even if it means they don't sleep through the entire night. This approach asks families to reconsider preconceived notions of ideal sleep patterns. Because let's face it, there's no definitive manual for parenting!
A Wholesome Paradigm Shift
Similar to Kerry's Care it Out philosophy, The Natural Nipple is dedicated to tackling the hurdles that parents encounter during nighttime breastfeeding and bottle feeding, promoting well-rested parents and infants. Our revolutionary research addresses the foremost challenge of nipple confusion and offers respite from colic. Our infant feeding system thrives on our unique LatchMatch™ feature, which pairs parents with The Natural Nipple tailored to their individual shape, feel, and flow—making the transition between breast and bottle feeding a breeze.
While the benefits of breastfeeding are widely acknowledged, we understand that circumstances vary, and breastfeeding might not always be feasible. We stand beside families, supporting the path they choose to embark upon.
A Guide to Trying Any New Tool:
Before embracing any new approach, it's essential to question its compatibility for your family. Does it resonate with your unique family dynamics and as you experiment, remember to gauge its impact—does it genuinely enhance your life or your baby's?
- Ask yourself “Does this make sense?” The same method won’t be effective for each family; parenting isn’t one size fits all!
- Ask yourself “Does it feel good for me?” and after trying it, evaluate “Does it make my life or my baby’s life better?” While it may be easier at times to have a clear guidebook to parenting, your unique intuition is the closest thing you’ve got!
10 Things to Consider if Your Sleep Approach Isn't Making Changes
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Is there big development, sickness or teething? It’s tough at the best of times but they’re going to be less open to change at these times.
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Has there been a lot of big changes recently? New sibling, holiday, a parent returning to work. Too much change together can make trying something new tricky!
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Are there too many changes at once? You don’t have to work on naps, bedtime and nights all at the same time. This can be overwhelming and make it harder for everyone. Pick a priority for you and focus on that!
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Has it had enough time? It’s boring and basic but changes take time, practice, patience and repetition.
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Do their nap times need a tweak?
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Are you having plenty of connection and time together during the day and bedtime routine?
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Are the changes consistent? Again, basic but consistency is a big key!
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Does bedtime need adjusting? If they’re shattered at bedtime they’re less likely to be up for something new. Settling them 10/15 mins earlier could make a difference!
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Not every approach is going to work for every family. If it’s not working, it’s the approach that’s wrong, not you.
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Does it need pausing? Just because it’s not working now doesn’t mean it’s never going to. If there’s lots of upset, parking it for a bit is always ok.
Remember there is no secret to sleep, for more resources you can visit Care It Out!
To watch, visit our Youtube, and to listen, visit our Podcast!
