The Baby Sleep Connection: Holistic help for tired, responsive parents who don't want to sleep train

If you’ve been giving yourself a hard time for not staying calm, have a listen.Perhaps being calm is overrated.It feels so good to stay calm, but calmness doesn’t always fit the situation. It’s also simply part of the human experience to go through challenges that throw us out of calm, dysregulate us, and leave us feeling off balance and stressed. The Beatles may have sung about having “nothing to get hung about”, but the truth is there are things in life to get hung about.I am proud to say that my teenager edited and published this episode for me. In our excitement of working together (and my impatience to get it published after a 3 week delay). Congrats on a job well done, Roo!In this episode, I talk about:Is staying calm really the goal?When things get hectic, stressful, or exciting, do we “stay” regulated? Or do we match ourselves to the situation?A 4-stage framework that is an alternative to “staying calm”: Recognize, Recalibrate, Reset, and NurtureThe analogy of squeezing a lemonAn incident this morning that gave Heather real world practice recognizing, recalibrating, and resetting.Mentioned in this podcast:Lisa Carpenter, coach and previous guest on The baby Sleep Connection Podcast: lisacarpenter.ca Mitch Albom, Twice, novel. Ep 27: Sleep, Rest, & Support:…–The Baby Sleep Connection: Holistic help for tired, responsive parents who don't want to sleep train – Apple PodcastsWhat you can do next:Provide a review on Apple Podcasts. It truly makes a difference to reaching families who would benefit from understanding their baby’s sleep better. Sign up for weekly baby sleep emails.⁠ https://heatherboyd.activehosted.com/f/1 Book a screening call with Heather (receipts provided for families in many provinces in Canada -email Heather at heather@heatherboyd.ca if you wonder if your province is covered)Credits: 🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

Sometimes health and medical issues get in the way of how sleep development unfolds.In this episode, Heather Boyd discusses why airway and obstructive sleep apnea are so important to understand, common signs parents may see at night and during the day, sleep apnea’s impact on learning and behaviour, and a plan of action if you are noticing signs of obstructive sleep apnea in your infant.Knowing what to look for and when to pursue medical support can make all the difference.Mentioned in this episode:Little Bird Dental self-assessment tool: https://littlebirddental.ca/airway-centric-health-care/What you can do next:Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend!Download the Parent Self-Care Toolkit at https://heatherboyd.vipmembervault.com/products/units/view/1239883/?lesson=1601156Find previous episodes of the podcast at familysleep.ca/podcastCredits:🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

In this episode, we break down what newborn sleep really looks like in the first week—especially the shift from the sleepy first night to the cluster-feeding intensity of night two. You’ll learn what’s normal, why it happens, and simple ways to support rest and regulation in these early days. Night one is recovery; night two is recalibration.We cover:The biology of newborn sleep and why it’s so fragmentedWhat to expect on Night 1What to expect on Night 2 (and why it feels so intense)Gentle strategies that actually help in week oneRed flags that mean it’s time to reach out for supportMentioned in this episode:Ep 62: Sleep Development from Newborn to 3 monthsJoin the December 16th Mom & Baby Circle sample class at Between Mothers in St. Catharines Ep 15: Holistic Approaches to Raising Healthy Kids with integrative pediatrician, Dr. Joel WarshEp 25: The Feeding Journey with Karla Masse, IBCLCWhat you can do next Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend! Provide a review on Apple Podcasts. It truly makes a difference to reaching families who would benefit from understanding their baby’s sleep better. Sign up for weekly baby sleep emails.⁠ https://heatherboyd.activehosted.com/f/1 Book a screening call with Heather (receipts provided for Ontario families)Credits: 🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

As the parent of a new baby, you know better than anyone that newborn sleep is different.For Heather Boyd, occupational therapist and mom of 3, there likely was nothing that could have prepared her for the interrupted sleep, the noises her baby would make while sleeping, or the intensity of cluster feeding.However, knowing what to expect and what is normal for baby sleep can be reassuring at a time when everything feels raw, unpredictable, and new.Listen to this episode for an overview of:What sleep looks like in the first 3 monthsHow sleep developsWhat red flags to watch forStrategies for supporting and influencing sleep at this stageMentioned in this episode:Dr. Gordon Neufeld nuefeldinstitute.comGreer Kirshenbaum https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/Sarah Ockwell-Smith https://sarahockwell-smith.com/What you can do next:Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend! Provide a review on Apple Podcasts. It truly makes a difference to reaching families who would benefit from understanding their baby’s sleep better.Sign up for weekly baby sleep emails.⁠ https://heatherboyd.activehosted.com/f/1Book a screening call with Heather (receipts provided for Ontario, Alberta, and Manitoba families).Credits:🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

Heather Boyd, occupational therapist and mom of 3, shares ways that separation-based advice backfires and what to do instead.When parents get advice that involves separation without any focus on attachment, it can block a parent's ability to help their children regulate. Whether it’s daytime meltdowns or bedtime shenanigans, separation can feel very alarming.Listen to this episode for examples of bad separation-based advice that Heather wishes she’d ignored early on in parenting, and what to do instead. With attachment-based perspectives and tools, as well as self-regulation tools for parents, the focus shifts to connection and co-regulation.And with connection and co-regulation, the alarm of separation can soften.Mentioned in this episode:Gordon Neufeld: “Speak but not too much. Be close but not too close” www.neufeldinstitute.comKim Barthell: Be a behavioural detective. www.kimbarthel.caParent Self-Care Toolkit https://heatherboyd.vipmembervault.com/products/units/view/1239883/?lesson=1601156What you can do next:Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend!Download the Parent Self-Care Toolkit at https://heatherboyd.vipmembervault.com/products/units/view/1239883/?lesson=1601156Find previous episodes of the podcast at familysleep.ca/podcastCredits: 🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

What is a sleep emergency? How is it different than difficult sleep that needs coaching.And when is it a mental health emergency requiring medical attention?Heather Boyd, occupational therapist and certified infant and family sleep specialist, explores these questions and offers strategies for getting support and managing a sleep emergency including:Signs and symptoms of a mental health crisis that warrants intervention without delayWho to reach out to in a mental health crisisSigns that what you are experiencing is a sleep emergencyWhat to do about a sleep emergencyHow sleep coaching plays a role (and when it’s not enough)Preventative steps for sleep emergencies How to consider caregivers and feeding in a sleep emergencyAdditional Resources:If you are struggling, call for support without delay: your doctor, your midwife, your therapist or when it is a crisis, 911 or your local crisis line.Call your local crisis line -in Niagara Ontario it's COAST (Crisis Outreach And Support Team, available 24/7). In the U.S. call the Maternal Mental Health Line (https://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs-impact/national-maternal-mental-health-hotline). Internationally, reach out through Postpartum Support International at https://postpartum.net/ . Go to the Emergency Department or call 911 if you worry that you or your partner or spouse is at risk of harming themselves or their baby. Getting the support you need matters.Mentioned in this episode:The concept of sleep emergencies is from Lyndsey Hookway in a talk a number of years ago. Lyndsey Hookway is an IBCLC and founder of the Holistic Sleep Coach training in the United Kingdom at https://lyndseyhookway.com/hscp/If you found value in this podcast:Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend!Download the Baby Sleep Connection Podcast Listener Guide at www.familysleep.ca/podcastBook a screening call with Heather Boyd at familysleep.caFind previous episodes at familysleep.ca/podcastCredits:🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

Laila, mom of two and host of the popular Learning To Mom Podcast, shares her personal story about discovering what prenatal depression is and why she has come to understand that prenatal depression may have been part of what made her unexpected pregnancy at age 24 so challenging.This is a heartfelt conversation that runs the gamut from laughter to vulnerability.Although the circumstances of Laila’s journey are unique to her, and where she found support may be different than for you, her message is important: when you understand your experience, and you know what may be happening to you, it becomes easier to get the support you need to survive and thrive at a very challenging time. It can also reduce the guilt and shame you may be feeling around how you are navigating pregnancy and motherhood.In this episode:Laila talks openly about her personal struggles and what helped her. She outlines the common symptoms of prenatal depression, what the risk factors are, and 8 tips she has for families based on her experience.If you are struggling with depression (prenatally, postnatally, or outside of pregnancy altogether), talk with your doctor or mental health professional today, be honest with what you are feeling, and get the support you deserve.If you are the spouse, partner, or loving family member or friend who sees your loved one struggling, do not hesitate to help them get help.Mentioned in this episode:Brianna Wiest, on Self-Care https://thoughtcatalog.com/brianna-wiest/2024/04/this-is-what-self-care-really-means-because-its-not-all-salt-baths-and-chocolate-cake-2/Additional Resources:Prenatal Depression Resources. If you are struggling, call for support without delay: your doctor, midwife your therapist. Call your local COAST (Crisis Outreach And Support Team, available 24/7), or local Mental Health Association (CMHA.ca in Canada). Call 911 if you or your partner or spouse is having a mental health crisis. Canada’s new (2024) resource for prescription drugs during pregnancy https://www.healthypregnancyhub.ca/ based on research from the https://motherchildcohort.ca/You can find Laila at:https://www.instagram.com/learningtomom.podcasthttps://www.learningtomompodcast.comlearningtomompodcast@gmail.comWhat you can do next:Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend!Download the Baby Sleep Connection Podcast Listener Guide at www.familysleep.ca/links⁠Work with Heather⁠ inside the Confident & Connected Baby Sleep group program or one-on-one.Find previous episodes of the podcast at familysleep.ca/podcastAnd do ONE THING right this moment that helps you feel grounded –take a deep belly breath, wiggle your toes, make some tea, look up at the stars, or anything else you can do easily that feels good.Credits: 🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

Have you been doing “everything right” with your baby’s schedule, following a rigid instructions of a nap and bedtime schedule you found in a book or online and still feel like sleep isn’t working?Listen to 3 key perspectives that will have you rethinking your relationship to your baby’s sleep schedule.Ultimately:Sleep schedules are tools, not solutions.Stress (in you or your baby) can lead to sleep disruptions that no schedule can fix. Address the stress, connect, and regulate the nervous system.Regulation strategies that focus on connection help you see more clearly what sleep routine or schedule works best for your baby in this momentSensory strategies that use movement, proprioception, heavy work, and vestibular experiences are an important foundation to a regulated nervous system that can fall asleep more easily.What you can do next:Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend!Download the Baby Sleep Connection Podcast Listener Guide at www.familysleep.ca/podcast -it includes a breakdown of how much sleep to expect at each age⁠Work with Heather⁠ inside the Confident & Connected Baby Sleep group program or one-on-one.Credits:🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

Angela Sacco talks with Heather about how to give birth through the perspective of yoga.In the interview we talk about:How sounds during labour support opening of your cervix (and what sounds to make)Breath, and its role in birthing your babyHow the vagus nerve supports you in staying in a regulated parasympathetic state and staying out of sympathetic fight or flightThe connection between fear and painVisualizing (and how it’s ok if it’s not a strategy that you lean on)How much a sense of community is underestimated in supporting pregnancy and motherhoodThe number one question parents ask AngelaTrusting your instinctsWhat you really need when you have your baby (spoiler: it’s not as much as you think)Angela’s roles, past and present, as doula, yoga instructor, and owner of Between Mothers in St. Catharines OntarioAnd much moreWe also get interrupted by a phone ringing and a cat meowing (#reallife)To learn more about Angela, go to betweenmothers.ca, facebook.com/betweenmothersWhat you can do next:Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend!Don’t miss the next episode of The Baby Sleep Connection: ⁠Sign up for weekly baby sleep emails (which includes a heads up when a new podcast episode is released⁠Work with Heather⁠ inside the Confident & Connected Baby Sleep group program or one-on-one.Find previous episodes of the podcast at infantsleep.ca/podcastCredits:🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

Join Heather Boyd as she talks to Carrie Bennett, a health educator in the emerging field of quantum biology, about using light to optimize health and sleep. Carrie has a background in biology, nutrition and body work. Her work is focused on supporting clients by translating and applying research and knowledge about using light and water for promoting optimal health.In this episode, Heather and Carrie talk about:Quantum Biology: what is it?How to use natural light exposure to improve sleep and healthThe value of true darkness at nightThe biology of ultraviolet lightWhat times of day to consider light exposureCarrie’s simple recommendations for increasing light exposure safelyUVA’s link to serotonin, melatonin, and tryptophanSunlight’s link to serotonin and healthy bowel movementsHow where you place your lighting impacts your circadian rhythmRed light blue light: what colour and kind of bulbs are best?Why you can still get the benefits of light sitting on the grass in the shade of a tree Mentioned in this episode:My Circadian AppHooga lightsThe Carnegie CurvePublished Research about concepts covered in this episode:Red blood cells have a negative charge; zeta potential; Rouleaux Formation https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3415751/Earthing restores negative charge on red blood cells https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3576907/Environmental light exposure and melatonin https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9855654/Where you can find Carrie:carriebwellness.comInstagram https://www.instagram.com/carriebwellness/Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@carriebwellnessPodcast https://www.youtube.com/@QuantumConversationsPodcastWhat you can do next:Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend!Download the Baby Sleep Connection Podcast Listener Guide at www.familysleep.ca/links⁠Work with Heather⁠ inside the Confident & Connected Baby Sleep group program or one-on-one.Find previous episodes of the podcast at infantsleep.ca/podcastCredits:🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

Let’s talk about the 4-month sleep regression: what it is, what it’s not, and how to manage it.In this episode, Heather Boyd, occupational therapist and sleep coach, explores what’s happening at the 4-month mark and how to move past the worry and fear about this stage of your baby’s development.You’ll learn:An alternative perspective on the entire idea of a 4-month sleep “regressionWhat’s happening in your baby’s brain and body at 4 monthsWhy sleep is sensitive at this stageWhat makes this stage difficult for some babies4 strategies for supporting your 4 month old babyThat if sleep is difficult, it doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong Mentioned in this episode:Parent Self-Care resource https://heatherboyd.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/1090681Baby Sleep Mini Course (50% off in June 2025 with the code JUNEBUG): https://familysleep.ca/baby-sleep-courseWhat you can do next:Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend!Download the Baby Sleep Connection Podcast Listener Guide at www.familysleep.ca/links⁠Work with Heather⁠ inside the Confident & Connected Baby Sleep group program or one-on-one.Find previous episodes of the podcast at infantsleep.ca/podcastCredits:🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

Wondering if your newborn’s sleep is normal?In this episode, Heather Boyd, occupational therapist and sleep coach, breaks down what to expect in the first few months of sleep development.Listen in to hear:What sleep looks like in the first few monthsWhat movements, sounds, and behaviours you’ll see in your newborn when they are sleepingWhat reflexes, breathing patterns, and movement patterns you’ll see from your newbornWhen sleep cycles and consolidated night time sleep start to develop, and what you can do to helpThe role that routines play in supporting your baby’s sleepYour role in supporting newborn sleepMentioned in this episode:Baby Tired Cues resource (and resources from other episodes) https://heatherboyd.vipmembervault.com/products/units/view/1654580/?lesson=2922858What you can do next:Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend!Download the Baby Sleep Connection Podcast Listener Guide at www.familysleep.ca/links⁠Work with Heather⁠ inside the Confident & Connected Baby Sleep group program or one-on-one.Find previous episodes of the podcast at infantsleep.ca/podcastCredits:🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

Baby wearing (carrying a baby on your body using a sling, wrap, or fabric carrier) is a popular and useful way of keeping baby close, and keeping a caregiver’s hands free. In this episode, Heather talks with Jordan Morillo, maternal health occupational therapist, mom of one, and babywearing educator about the benefits and barriers to baby wearing. Jordan became inspired to start The Babywearing OT when she saw gaps in the perinatal care continuum after giving birth to her son.Her evidence-based wisdom and passion for sharing information on the safety, merits, options and strategies for baby wearing leaves little doubt: babywearing is not a fad, but is a long-term helpful strategy that, with the right knowledge, can be done safely and easily.When Jordan’s not working, you can find her caring for her plants, exploring local restaurants and boba tea shops, and spending afternoons on the couch, nap trapped.Where to find Jordan:Website: motherhoodtherapyservices.com IG: motherhoodtherapyservices.comWhat you can do next:Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend!Download the Baby Sleep Connection Podcast Listener Guide at www.familysleep.ca/links⁠Work with Heather⁠ inside the Confident & Connected Baby Sleep group program or one-on-one.Find previous episodes of the podcast at infantsleep.ca/podcastCredits: 🎵 Music: Jordan Wood