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Challenge: Bringing Home Baby: What Do You Wish You’d Known?

I wish I knew that being a mom didn’t mean I had to be sleep-deprived

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​After the birth of my son I became an incredibly sleep-deprived mom. I had a lot of experience with babies and children of all ages, so I thought that I would immediately know how to handle all aspects of parenting. I was wrong! I found myself with a nine-month-old baby who woke every 1-2 hours at night, and slept sporadically throughout the day. My husband worked away from home, so I was alone with a baby who did not sleep and I was EXHAUSTED!

One day, a random woman (who must have seen the look of desperation on my face) came up to me and suggested I hire an “Infant Sleep Specialist.” Those three words changed my life! Within two weeks my son went from an overtired, irritable baby, to being rested and happy. I was able to enjoy being a mother, because I was finally rested and happy also!

During my pregnancy I received non-stop advice from people about breastfeeding, diapering, clothing, and everything else that comes with being a mom. Never did anyone tell me that I needed to teach my baby how to sleep. After this experience I became so passionate about helping other sleep-deprived moms, that I got certified as a child sleep consultant with the Family Sleep Institute.

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