Katie Newcombe - Holistic Infant Sleep Coach

You are so welcome 🫶

(Unless you LOVE traditional sleep training and aren’t willing to hear anything against it. Then you’re probs not welcome ✌️)

Ok listen… the reason your baby is waking at night is NOT because you’ve supported them to sleep 🙅🏼‍♀️

Here’s the thing…
Babies are born with very immature brains. They need to borrow our mature brains to help them do the things they can’t do yet!

And they aren’t able to self-regulate or self-settle—these are skills that develop as their brains mature, often well into toddlerhood.

So the idea that you should be able to put your baby down ‘drowsy but awake’ and let them settle themselves to sleep just doesn’t align with what’s biologically or developmentally normal!

(This isn’t to say that no babies are capable of it. Some babies with a more chilled temperament may well be able to!)

By trying to do so, you’re likely creating unnecessary stress—for both you and your baby!

Offering consistent, attuned support helps your baby in the moment— AND starts building the neural pathways that will make independent sleep possible in the future.

Let’s stop worrying about “bad habits” and start recognising the power of supporting them.

Amidst the chaos and uncertainly of your postpartum journey, it’s normal to desire some control and consistency.

And these sleep schedules give the *illusion* of this, right?!

All you gotta do is feed them at these specific times, and make sure they sleep at these times for this long and everyone will be happy.

Easy!

Funny thing is… babies are not robots. And — all babies are different! 🤯 (also — fyi, wake windows are NOT evidence based!)

Some babes will have a super chill temperament that means they will happily follow your lead and slot into a schedule.

Others, quite frankly, will not…! (Like mine 🙋🏼‍♀️)

So if you’ve tried to follow a plan but your spirited little one has fought you every step of the way — I need you to know that it’s ok for you to put the sleep plan DOWN!

To stop tracking their sleep.

And instead - to watch your baby!
To trust them. Trust yourself. And follow their lead.

(And PLEASE — never ever let any of these plans or ST accounts make you feel like you’re just not trying hard enough to make it work.)

Amidst the chaos and uncertainly of your postpartum journey, it’s normal to desire some control and consistency.

And these sleep plans give the *illusion* of this, right?!

All you gotta do is feed them at these specific times, and make sure they sleep at these times for this long and everyone will be happy.

Easy!

Funny thing is… babies are not robots. And — all babies are different! 🤯 (also — fyi, wake windows are NOT evidence based!)

Some will have a super chill temperament that means they will happily follow your lead and slot into a schedule.

Others, quite frankly, will not…! (Like mine 🙋🏼‍♀️)

So if you’ve tried to follow a plan but your spirited little one has some big feelings about it, I need you to know that it’s ok for you to put the sleep plan DOWN!

To stop tracking their sleep.

And instead - to watch your baby! And to follow their lead.

And PLEASE — never ever let any of these plans or accounts make you feel like you’re just not trying hard enough to make it work. Like it’s your fault — and you’re doing your baby a disservice by not getting it right…

Ever gently laid your baby down in their cot only for them to wake up the second you step away? 🙃

Yep.. It’s beyond frustrating—BUT it’s also totally normal.

In my latest blog, we’re diving into why babies prefer being close and how to make nap time easier for both of you.

I’ll walk you through:
- Embracing contact naps (and why it’s okay to do so!)
- Tips for smoother crib naps if you’re ready
- Floor beds vs cots

Head to my bio or comment NAPS below for the keys to cot nap success!

There’s nothing wrong with you if you’re struggling with any transition. As well as the complex mix of emotions, you may also experience hormonal shifts, just to make it feel even MORE intense!

So I’d just like to offer some invitations + questions for you to consider…

1️⃣ Firstly - check in with your motivations behind the changes. Ask yourself - is this something I really do need / want to do, or do I just feel like I *should*? Are there ways you can continue whilst making it feel more sustainable? Or are you hoping that this change will ‘fix’ night wakes?! (Spoiler alert: this may not be the case!!)

2️⃣ Know that you are allowed to change your mind if you start something and it doesn’t feel right. You can abandon the plan and try again another time.

3️⃣ If you are able to, try to avoid making changes at the same time as any other big things that are going on in your little ones life! Eg. Starting nursery / close to the arrival of a new sibling / potty training etc.

4️⃣ Explore the emotions that are arising for you and consider the beliefs you hold that are sitting behind them. (Eg. Do you believe that all tears are ‘bad’ and you feel guilty if you cause your baby to cry by refusing night feeds?)

Give yourself grace and look after yourself however you can during the process. Lean on those around you. Know that you get to go at your own pace and you can choose whatever path feels right for you.

Know also that your little ones sleep is not linear. So whilst you are working to make changes now, they are still going to need you! Those night time cuddles will still be needed at times. They may still want to climb into bed with you sometimes. They’ll continue to need your closeness and comfort for many years to come. And you can continue to offer it for as long as you want to.

If you’d like some guidance and moral support whilst making changes, book in for a free chat to see how I can support you ♥️