Success Story: From stressful bedtimes and catnapping to calm nights and cot naps
Maeve had been waking up every hour through the night since she was four months old and her parents were struggling to help her sleep anywhere other than in their arms. By the time Maeve reached six months old her parents felt it was time they all needed a new approach to help them get the rest they needed. With the guidance of our 6-9 month Sleep Success course, Maeve started to sleep in her own cot happily all night, take restful naps and enjoy lots of play time with her parents through the day.
“The course has given me my love for breastfeeding back as it's no longer a tool to desperately feed her back to sleep. Before she sleeps, I feed her and we discuss our day together! The bond between us has doubled because the anxiety has disappeared - she knows exactly what to expect and there is no mixed messages. We can enjoy the day and know what to expect and our little baby is happy and thriving off of a routine we implemented. ”
Hazel and Toby, Maeve’s parents, had spent two months struggling with frequent wake-ups every night and found themselves in a situation they felt was unsustainable for them.
“I am a first time mum with a beautiful little girl. Since she was 4 months old she was up every hour throughout the night and I would breastfeed her back to sleep and transfer her gently back into the Next2Me. By 4am I would give up and get her in bed with us, which may work for some but I absolutely hated it and she would just use me as a dummy which made me feel quite resentful.”
By the time Maeve had reached six months old, Hazel was feeling anxious on a daily basis about bedtime and facing another night of broken sleep. It felt like the right time for them to make some changes.
"My bedtime 'ritual' was 2 hrs long and the majority of that was feeding her till she was deep asleep & many failed attempts of putting her down and her waking up again. The night dread was real!!
She would always nap in my arms and it was very much the case of "she'll nap wherever I go" and small cat naps. As she got older it no longer seemed fair for her to be expected to fall asleep anywhere.
I also felt like myself and Maeve were ready for our own space, so it really felt like the right decision and the right time for us. However I had no idea how to improve it!"
Hazel had very clear view on her parenting approach and wanted to make sure that any changes she put in place were right for her baby and met with her parental beliefs.
“I always wanted to be a 'baby led' mum and follow Maeve's lead on her sleep needs. It was important for me to be able to feed on demand whilst also bring in a structure and routine to my days with Maeve"
After seeing feedback from other families who had followed our online Sleep Success courses, Hazel realised that her current sleep situation was similar to where other families had started.
After careful consideration, and a little encouragement to get Toby onboard, they decided to get started with the 6-9 month course. They found the structure of the course and the approach given was just what they were looking for and got started straight away.
“I was apprehensive about buying the course at first as it seems like a lot of money if it wasn't to work but then I saw a sleep chart, similar to Maeve's, that was shared on a story with the before and after results. It made me feel really hopeful and I was in amazement!
I read through the course over a couple of days. Having both written and video content was great because I could read it when I was feeding or watch the video if I was short of time. I was already tracking her sleep in an app thankfully, so I cleared my diary for a couple of weeks, bought a temporary blackout blind and I started asap (the desperation was real)!!
I really liked how the course enabled me to decide what I wanted to do. For example, I really like to feed on demand and also liked the choice between the two sleep methods. It made the plan feel adaptable and relatable but also gave structure to the day which I think is really healthy for babies and parents. I also loved the science behind sleep. Everything made sense and explained why we were struggling so much.”
Every baby is different, some respond to a new routine and way of sleeping very quickly and others can take a while longer to gradually adapt. For Hazel and Toby, they found that Maeve settled into a new rhythm within a few days of following the sleep plan they created whilst following the course.
“The first night Maeve took a while to settle with my support but I was downstairs an hour and a half earlier than usual. As part of my plan I intended to feed during the night whenever Maeve needed - she woke twice that night and I was amazed! The following night she woke once and the 3rd night she woke and settled herself without me. I decided to try and see if she could go the night without needing me for a feed and since then I haven't needed to feed her in the night once! It taught me that I can give my baby comfort with just my presence rather than feeding.
She now sleeps 730pm-730am with no wake ups (if she does, she will self settle). Our days are much more structured and I definitely think Maeve feels more secure. Previously she slept 9hrs on average a day and now sleeps for around 14hrs a day”
For Hazel and Toby, the course gave them the knowledge and confidence to make changes that worked for them and their baby, helping them enjoy more time together as a family of three.
“As a family it has meant that we aren't always chasing sleep. We can enjoy the day and know what to expect and our little baby is happy and thriving off of a routine we implemented.
Toby can get involved with settling, so it's not all on me to feed etc. He was apprehensive and thought it was another fad, but now is so grateful to have a happy wife & baby!"
"We are beyond grateful for the course & so happy I invested in my little girl.”