About me

Welcome and thanks for checking out my website. 

I too used to struggle with sleep when my kids were little and my bed was often littered with them by morning! (I have 4, btw)  

I loved baby wearing, co-sleeping and feeding to sleep while they were tiny, but as they grew I felt myself becoming resentful and exhausted, particularly as my youngest two arrived together. Twins!!  Back then, I was of the firm belief you either co-slept or sleep trained. There was nothing in between. I certainly wasn't going to sleep train them so instead decided to simply sacrifice my sleep for about 2yrs and all would be well.  If only I knew back then what I know now.  

So here I am.  13yrs later, a full time sleep consultant with a 25yr midwifery career forever in my heart, and the holistic view of parents and baby as one.  

For babies to thrive, we need thriving mums & dads.  We need feeding rhythms to work, and for sleep needs & mental health to be priorities instead of after-thoughts.  

I understand this now and despite feeling sad that I could have easily improved sleep for myself and my own babies without the thought of sleep training; today I am able to support others in avoiding the same exhaustion and misinformation that kept me feeling stuck.  

Yes you can still co-sleep. Yes you can still baby-wear. Yes you can breast feed through the night.....but you know what? Turns out it doesn't have to be every 45mins for 2years!!!  I'd love to show you how.

One of the most common aspects of my role, is to reassure parents that they have NOT created bad habits when it comes to their child's sleep, despite the messaging they receive from well-meaning friends, relatives and main-stream media.  

So many parents seem embarrassed to admit they may be co-sleeping or feeding and rocking their babies to sleep, and many will blame their own actions for the situations they find themselves in.  As a result, there is often stunned silence when I congratulate them for relying on the age old techniques trusted by thousands of generations before them and for leaning into their child's biological need for closeness.

I'm certain there is widespread belief that sleep professionals like myself love to chastise exhausted parents before prescribing a strict regimen of zero sleep props and independent solitary settling.  To be brutally honest, I'm aware that many still do, though where the current evidence for recommending such practises lies, who can say?   Probably somewhere back in the 1800s alongside the beliefs that fathers were not welcome at the births of their children!

Fortunately, time has marched on, and natural parenting practises are being embraced once more. However, this is not easy within a culture that maintains the continued assumption that babies who sleep all night are the good ones, and those who don't... are NOT! This is usually where exhausted parents reach out for my support.

Embracing normal

I love to provide perspective and celebrate the wins. 

I offer clarity on normal infant behaviour and help identify health or feeding challenges that may warrant specialist advice. 

I also help families normalise the beautiful chaos that often comes with newborns while optimising their own rest.  

I reassure parents at the half year mark that its ok to take a step back and surrender to the wonders, even though sleep may suffer for a time.  

I also remind mums and dads that it's OK for toddlers to test boundaries and challenge us. They are merely exercising their free will whilst testing how capable we are at handling their big emotions and being the calm, confident leaders they need us to be.

Babies don't need to be taught how to sleep. Sleep is a big part of their watery world, long before they arrive earth-side.  However, they often need help to relax and surrender once they get here. They need our help to feel safe at all times. They may even need us to identify any causes of discomfort.  They have limited ways of communicating, so we MUST listen.

Inviting sleep not forcing it.

Once all physical and emotional needs have been addressed, with age appropriate expectations we can begin the gentle art of coaxing better sleep for all. Some children welcome the changes immediately while others like to take their time. Either is fine by me.

As the resident experts on their own children, I deeply respect the months of hard work and determination parents have often invested prior to seeking my guidance. My aim is to empower them to complete the puzzle, so they can feel the pride and confidence that comes from their own achievements. I simply lend them my knowledge and experience, to craft sensitive solutions and compromises that will align with their values & parenting style.  

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