Introduction

Introduction

This module is where we start to get into the nuts and bolts of what your job as a sleep coach will entail. It focuses on babies from newborn to 4 months of age (also known as ‘the fourth trimester’ – up to 3 months) and contains the advice I give to parents who contact me for babies at this age and stage (which, I have to confess, is my favourite!).

I am a big believer that parents can start to shape and guide their baby’s sleep from a very young age, which will not only help them to thrive in their early weeks but will also pay dividends in better sleep when they are older. Not only that, but I also believe that gently shaping a baby’s sleep from this age will help parents to enjoy the first few months with their baby, not just survive them – something I am truly passionate about. 

Please note that this module does not cover feeding in detail. This is obviously a key element of the early months and goes absolutely hand in hand with sleep, so is mentioned here, but feeding is covered in full detail in Module 7. Bear in mind though that feeding will need to be going well for sleep to go well, and vice versa. Better sleep will lead to better feeding, and better feeding will lead to better sleep.

A client with a newborn

There are lots of reasons why a new parent might seek the support of a sleep coach in these early months of their baby’s life, such as:

  • They feel out of control with a baby that doesn’t do what the manual says
  • They have to go back to work early on, perhaps because they run their own business, or have a career they can’t just put on hold
  • They just want to get off on the right foot with healthy sleep habits

Your job as a sleep coach, with a parent in this stage, is primarily to help instil confidence in their ability as a new parent. Having a baby can be overwhelming and the plethora of advice out there about babies, sleep and feeding  – with one source often contradicting another – makes things even harder.

You need to help your client to understand their baby, to know what to expect in the early months and to support them with recommendations and advice. Luckily, I have worked with thousands of families and little babies now, so I have plenty of that to share with you!