MSD Baby Sleep Coach

This month I had the pleasure of contributing to an article written by Dawn Antis.  Dawn is a writer and founder of Mom & Tot OC.  I regularly speak to Dawn's mommy & me group  on "Healthy Sleep Habit"s for babies and toddlers. What you need to know about potty training - Southern California Family Life | OCFamily.com Toddlers are typically ready to learn to use the toilet between 2 and 4 years of age. Just like crawling, walking or sleeping through the night, potty training is a learned skill that can’t be taught in one day. Rather than focusing on a specific age, you should begin potty training when your child shows multiple signs that they’re ready. Signs of readiness include waking up in the morning with a dry diaper, telling you when they’ve soiled their diaper, removing their soiled diaper and clothing, showing curiosity about your potty behavior, understanding potty-related words and showing interest in using a potty chair or toil...

As we celebrate a New Year, I always reflect on successes and struggles of the previous year.  For successes, I am so grateful that so many families trust me with their little ones and allow me into their inner circle. That they trust me to guide their family on the path toward precious sleep.  So many families now enjoy the amazing benefits of more sleep in their home for everyone. Here is a recap of MSD Baby Sleep Coach's most popular sleep blogs of 2016. #5 Is It Time To Move From The Crib To The Bed? There are lots of questions around when is the best time to move your child out of their crib as there are many important factors to consider.  This blog will help you answer the important questions so you can decide if now is the right time to make the move to a big girl/boy bed. #4  Early Rising Not surprising early rising is on this list as it is the second most common question I get, next to night wakings.  Early rising is also the last stage of sl...

Traveling with small children is sure to cause roadblocks in your child's sleep patterns.   In order to navigate these obstacles, create a road map around them so that you don’t bring all your good sleep habits to complete halt. Having a plan will aid you and your family so you can enjoy your holiday travels without loosing precious sleep. The key to a successful plan is to have some flexibility when traveling with young children. When you're flexible you can adjust your plans to adapt to your children’s sleep needs so you all stay well rested.   Extra support is normal You can also expect that your child will need more assistance at sleep times, even if they don’t need it at home.  It is normal for children to need extra help to fall asleep in a new environment, so add that into your plan.  Take extra time with your bedtime routine and allow your child time to get used to the new sleeping space before bedtime arrives.   At sleep times, if ne...

I had the great pleasure of interviewing my dear friend Tanya Newbould. Tanya is an actress and producer who lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.  Tanya produced When The Bough Breaks , a feature length documentary about postpartum depression (PPD) and perinatal mood disorders.   When Tanya experienced PPD with her daughter, she did not understand what was happening to her or even how to get help.  Tanya teamed up with Director Jamielyn Lippman to begin the journey to better understand this illness that affects one in five new mothers. One of the woman they interviewed was Lindsay Gerszt.  Lindsay agreed to let the cameras document her treatments and condition in order to give the audience an in depth look at her path to recovery. This film features stories from singer Carnie Wilson, celebrity chef Aarti Sequeria and Peggy Tanous from The Real Housewives of Orange County. When The Bough Breaks is Narrated and Executive Produced by Brook...

Article featured in- OC Family Magazine July 2016, Page 50 By: Michelle S. Donaghy A fter months without sleep, you’re ready to help your baby learn to sleep through the night.  Getting better sleep for your baby, and you, is one of the best things you can do for your entire family.  If your child is 6 month or older and still waking during the night, it’s time to make a sleep plan.   Sleep 101:  Sleep is learned!   Sleep is a learned skill and teaching a brand new skill to your baby is no small task.   But you want the best for your baby and are willing to help your child learn this life-long skill. Sleep Associations: What are they?   Do you rock or feed your baby until they are completely asleep?   If yes, this is your child’s sleep association.   Sleep learning begins with changing your baby’s sleep association. Here's how to create a plan: 1   New bedtime routine.    A calm and pr...

Becoming a new parent is such an amazing time in your life.  But it's also full of questions and advice from well meaning family, friends and strangers.  I wanted to share with you some questions I had when my first daughter was born and common concerns of new parents. Newborn Sleep Myth #1 Baby's instinctively know how to sleep - FALSE! This fact is a surprise to new parents as most don't realize that your baby is not born knowing how to instinctively put them self to sleep.  Which means, it is okay to help your newborn fall asleep - you can nurse, rock, shush, pat (or anything else that is safe and works) to help your baby fall sleep.  You are not going to create any life long sleep habit.  In fact most sleep issues can be resolve after 6 months of age very, very quickly.   Newborn Sleep Myth #2 Never waking a sleeping baby -  FALSE! Newborns need to eat every 2-3 hours during the day.  If your baby is sleeping longer than 2-3...

Sunday, March 13th we “spring forward”!   Turn your clocks ahead 1 hour, before bed on Saturday  night  March 12th. If you/your child(ren) typically wake at 6am, then they will likely wake 7am.   If you like this change then YEA!   Keep naps and bedtime on the new schedule (1hr later).   To protect this new schedule and time make sure you use continuous white noise for all sleep periods and keep the room really, really dark.  You won’t achieve this without black out curtains or shades. If the new time doesn’t work for you, below are some options to help your family adjust: Gradually adjust: This is ideal for children under 2 or those who don’t do well with big changes.  Go to bed 15 minutes earlier every night this week.  Each day, wake up your child 15 minutes earlier in the morning.  If napping, put her down 15 minutes earlier for each nap.  Continue to adjust the schedule earlier in 15 minute increments (wak...