Before:
Olivia’s mommy, Jen, discussed prior to meeting with me the hardships they were facing with Olivia’s sleep. She was sleeping through the night at a very early age but when Olivia was around 4 months old, she stopped being that perfect little sleeper. Jen was okay with waking up once or twice a night to go in and relax her as she would immediately fall back to sleep, but Olivia was starting to then wake up every hour if not earlier! Jen ended up just bringing her in bed with them so they could all just sleep. The constant nights of little to no sleep were draining them all.
During:
From the moment I stepped foot into Olivia’s home, I knew this little love bug was going to keep me on my toes. Olivia, who was 10 months old when I met her, is a spunky little girl that is so full of life! She made my heart melt instantly. We started off Olivia’s sleep training by creating a steady routine for her throughout the day, something that had been lacking. The method we began with was from Baby Wise however, I had noticed Olivia was becoming overstimulated by Jen’s presence and would cry harder after Jen came to reassure her. I quickly changed her method to Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Marc Weissbluth. This method keeps parents aware of the signs your child is giving you and when putting them down to sleep, giving them the ability to learn to self soothe without the parent having to go in at scheduled times.
Our first night of training was a riot. Olivia was absolutely exhausted and crying, yet determined to not lye down in her crib. Jen stayed strong and didn’t go in. Once the crying ceased, we would check her monitor and there Olivia was, still standing but falling asleep on her crib bar. SO DETERMINED!!!! Excitement would hit us as we watched her slowly slide down her crib rail and sit down. She would rock herself back and forth while sitting there – Sleeping! But when I had thought I saw it all, Olivia took things up a notch. She had slowly fallen over face down (still asleep) in what Jen and I called her “Clam Shell Pose”. I really couldn’t believe my eyes. After leaving their house and doing some research on my own, I learned many kids can be comfortable in these positions which are similar to when they were in their mothers womb. They eventually change positions but it can take up to a few weeks. Olivia had taught me something new that night!
After:
A week of tough training had passed and Olivia was sleeping throughout the night without a single wake up. So proud of her!!! Once she hit a year old, Jen started facing a few set backs in Olivia’s naps. Olivia started transitioning from two naps to one nap. I figured out a nap schedule that would be best for Olivia and this past week, Jen has been following through the routine and the hard work has paid off. Olivia is once again sleeping perfectly during her new nap time. Love this family, love this little sweet girl who has taught me so much. I can’t thank you both enough for entrusting me with your little one. Sweet Dreams!
