As many of you know, I recently had my third heart attack. Yeah…THIRD. I’m doing well now, but it was by far the scariest experience of my life. I’m so grateful that I was able to be surrounded by so many experts in their field to support me through the initial experience and my recovery. So much so, that it’s inspired this blog post! Today, I want to talk about how having a sleep expert in your corner to support you during a difficult stage of your baby’s sleep can make a world of difference.
Like I mentioned, this most recent heart attack was one of three I’ve had in my entire life. For each one, I’ve had to stay overnight in the hospital to have my heart monitored and to run tests as we looked for answers. I learned some valuable lessons during my three (non-baby related) hospital stays, and want to compare them to the sleep journey that you are most likely currently trying to navigate.
In this blog post, I’m going to talk about the four reasons why having a sleep expert in your corner makes all the difference:
1. Every Baby’s Sleep Situation is Unique
Let’s get to it!
1. Every Baby’s Sleep Situation is Unique
To best explain why talking to a sleep expert is so beneficial, I’m going to use the analogy of my hospital experiences. In this analogy, I’m your baby, and the experts who helped me along the way are your Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, or, baby sleep expert.
There’s typically some “stereotyping” around who can have a heart attack: elderly people, those struggling with their body weight, and/or people who are very very stressed. Here’s where I got stumped…I don’t fit into any of those categories.
I, Chrissy Lawler, am a 36-year-old mom who is healthy and gets regularly exercise. I was SO confused as to why with would happen to ME. Check out this informational clip I love and somewhat naively resonated with the mom when she says, “Do I look like someone who would have a heart attack?!”
Click here to watch this little film called, “Just a Little Heart Attack” from the Go Red for Women campaign.
My point is that everyone and every baby is unique. You can have a heart attack even if you’re young and healthy. Your baby can be having sleep issues even if you’re doing all the “right things”.
Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultants understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to getting better baby sleep. They dive in, play detective, and learn the nuances of YOUR baby to determine their needs and make the next best move.
Your baby’s sleep needs are unique…your support would be too!
You’ve probably heard me say this a million times, but it’s because it’s so true. No matter what level of support you need, you do not need to feel lost or confused in the sea of varying opinions and methods.
2. “It Takes a Village”
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “It takes a village” in terms of raising children. But what about when it comes to your baby’s sleep situation? You’re the one who has to navigate it all. It can be hard to find support from older parents who “did it differently” or friends whose baby “just always sleeps through the night” (insert big *eye-roll*).
When I first posted about my heart attack on Instagram, my DMs were flooded with (mostly!) positive messages of love and support. There was also a big handful of messages from people who apparently thought they knew everything about my heart and health. Let’s just say, some of them weren’t very kind.
Moms understand it more than anyone…
There’s a fine line between support and unwelcome, overwhelming and even discouraging advice, that’s for sure! It wasn’t until I had my expert nurse friend and expert nurse sister by my side in the hospital that I felt like I could really trust someone to give me the advice that I needed.
A baby sleep expert can be a village for you (the good kind of village that doesn’t get annoying). They can support you in the best way that actually works for you. Our consultants offer fully customized support so that you can feel confident that your and your baby’s specific needs are being met. We collaborate with you. You know your baby best, which is why we work together throughout the entire process!
3. They Know What to Look For
I mentioned earlier that my sister who’s a nurse came to be with me in the hospital. And it was one of the things that helped me the most. Because was there for me (literally sleeping on those horribly uncomfortable hospital couches next to me), she was able to learn and understand what I specifically was going through and experiencing.
And, because she is a nurse, she also had an entirely different skill set and years of experience that I didn’t. When it came to talking with other doctors and nurses at the hospital, she was able to advocate for me in a way couldn’t advocate for myself.
Your sleep consultant will be this person for you. They’ve sleep-trained SO many babies and will actually listen to you! It is such a relief having an expert who KNOWS what’s going on. They have so much specialized experience working with other babies and other mamas!
4. You Deserve Empathy
This is something I feel was missing during my hospital stays. I get it. To those doctors and nurses, I was one of 30 patients that they’ll see all day and every other day,. To them, I was a dime a dozen. But for me, this heart attack was only one of three heart attacks of my life. Only one of three (non-baby related) hospital stays of my life.
For me, this whole thing felt HUGE. For them, it just was an everyday thing.
It gives me so much relief that I can confidently say that even though we at The Peaceful Sleeper have sleep-trained so many – even thousands of babies…you are NEVER going to feel like a dime a dozen. I promise that throughout your entire sleep journey, we will be there with you and have that empathy, support, and hand-holding. We recognize that even though we’ve been there 10,000 times, you’ve only done this once or twice.
Click here to check out this entire post on Instagram.
Recap on 4 Reasons Why Having a Sleep Expert in Your Corner Makes All The Difference
No matter what your baby’s current sleep situation is, I promise that you do not have to work through it alone. We have support options ranging from quick phone calls to complete in-home service. Whatever level of support you need, we can give to you.
Remember that we are here to help you! I have a team of AMAZING certified pediatric sleep consultants all around the country who can be in your corner supporting you through your unique sleep situation. Click here to grab a consultation with one of them!
Whether your little one is a newborn (0-4 Months Content Library), 4-24 months (4-24 Months Content Library), or a toddler (2-5 Years Content Library), we have the resources you need to get your family the sleep you all deserve!
0 Comments