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!!  If only I knew back then what I know now.  There was no way I would ever have considered sleep school.  And sleep consultants?....don't get me started on them!!! My belief was that they merely peddled strict routines and instructions for controlled crying!!  How wrong I was!
 

So here I am. A decade on, a full time sleep consultant with a 25 yr 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.

- Katie.

One of the most important elements of my role, is often reassuring 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 provide perspective and celebrate the wins.  I provide 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 believe parents should be in-charge at all times.  I merely lend them my knowledge and experience, so that they can easily find the most sensitive and effective solutions to their sleep challenges, that will align with their values & parenting style.  My aim is never to wade in and steal the show. On the contrary.  There are often many months of hard work and determination invested by parents prior to my involvement.  It's only right that they complete the puzzle and feel the sense of accomplishment and confidence in their own achievements.  My job is to merely help them locate the missing pieces. 

So, I hope that answers a few of the questions that you may have, about the ways in which i help my clients.  Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have further queries or would like to arrange an appointment.  

I'd be delighted to join your support team.

Katie ♡

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