Should I Sleep Train My Baby?

Being a postpartum doula and a mother, every single day I read a post or an article online somewhere about sleep training babies, and there are ALWAYS very big emotions and opinions around it. Parents post in local groups asking Why won’t my baby sleep? What do I do if my baby has their days and nights mixed up? The responses they get vary widely, but when people hear the words sleep training, they immediately connect those words to “negative” terms like Cry-it-Out, (CIO), BabyWise, and Ferber, but I’m here to set the record straight on some things.

The very first and most important thing is JUST STOP. Stop the mommy wars, stop the parent shaming, stop the judgment. THERE IS NO ONE RIGHT WAY to raise a child, and as long as no one is getting hurt, we all need to leave it alone and let everyone find what works for them. Period. Full Stop.

Back to sleep training.

There is a good and valid reason that sleep training is associated with the “negative” term above, even though those words and concepts by themselves are not necessarily negative (more on that later). The information our parents and grandparents had when it came to raising children and getting them to sleep was scientifically shoddy at best and steeped in religious dogma, superstition and old wives’ tales at worst. (Some old wives’ tales hold up though, we just needed some science to back it up) IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT. Remember, no shame. They were doing the best they could, with the information they had at the time, and now we have study after study after study that gives us more information we can use to do better for ourselves and for our babies.

Here we go. Continue here for the entire article.

Guest post from Jenn Leonard of Colorado Newborn  and Graduate of Newborn Care Solutions

Jenn Leonard is one of Colorado's leading specialists in connecting new parents with the finest professional support and guidance through pregnancy, birth, and infant care. In 1996, Jenn's first son was born – and she had never as much as babysat a newborn, leading her to wonder how new parents were supposed to do it all on their own! After five years of dedicated research and education, other parents started to come to Jenn for pregnancy and infant advice and her passion for family support was ignited.  In 2011, Jenn became formally trained and certified in supporting new families through birth and postpartum. Shortly after, she founded Colorado Mountain Doulas, the first doula agency in Colorado Springs. Today, she heads up Colorado Newborn, a statewide agency connecting parents with pregnancy and birth support; placenta services; postpartum support; overnight newborn care; and other supportive family services.  When not matching up tired new parents with their dream postpartum and infant specialist, Jenn can be found writing relatable blogs or enjoying the beautiful Colorado scenery with Adam, her best friend, and husband; Ash and Aeden, her sons; and her three furred kids. 

Jenn Leonard
https://colorado-newborn.com/
comtndoulas@gmail.com
Additional Articles by Jenn: https://newborncaresolutions.com/author/jenn-leonard/