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5 Month Old Held For All Sleep Case Study
When I met Ashley and Ja-von for the first time during a discovery call, they shared with me how their 5 month old had to be held for all sleep or she would only sleep for 20 minutes! They were exhausted!
Adding to that, Ashley was returning to work soon as a nurse and she regularly worked long shifts. Ashley and Ja’von were nervous about Ashley’s return to work with no one getting sleep in the family. As first-time parents to baby Amber, they knew they needed help figuring it all out.
The Sleep Challenges
During our intro call, they shared with me their challenges:
- Amber would only sleep if held or nursed to sleep.
- They were holding Amber to sleep for all naps. She refused to sleep in the crib or bassinet for naps or nighttime sleep for longer than 20 minutes.
- Desperate for sleep, they would bring her into bed with them every night, which then resulted in an all-night nurse-a-thon.
- They had a nanny starting when Ashley returned to work and they wanted Amber to have a solid routine and a consistent schedule that any caretaker could follow.
After hearing about their challenges, I shared with them that I specialize in baby sleep and I could definitely help them. Personality wise we were a great fit and knew we wanted to work together! They quickly signed up for a Sleep Revamp package, then completed their intake form and shared their sleep goals.
The Family’s Sleep Goals
They shared the following goals that they wanted to work towards together:
- Moving her out of their bed and encouraging her to sleep in her crib moving forward
- Independent naps on a consistent schedule
- Continued room sharing
- Sleeping through the night, aside from 1-2 age-appropriate night feeds
The Consultation, Sleep Plan and Support
The family scheduled their video consultation with me. During their consultation, we discussed their goals and came up with a plan together to help teach Amber how to be a healthy sleeper. They chose a sleep training method where they had a consistent response that would allow Amber to learn new, healthier sleep habits.
After the consultation, I created a customized sleep plan for the family. In the plan, I outlined everything that we discussed during the consultation and provided step-by-step guidance on how to do the sleep training.
Teaching Independent Sleep and Self-Settling
Next, the family chose a kick-off day for support to start. During the 2 weeks that we worked together, the family logged all of Amber’s sleep in our digital sleep log. This allowed me to provide insight, advice and encouragement each day. We spent a lot of time texting, making sure that we got nap timing right. We also hopped on the phone as needed.
By the end of the 2 weeks, I was delighted with the results that we had achieved together! They met their family’s sleep goals with a little support, accountability and encouragement from me.
The Results
Sleeping In Her Crib
Amber started sleeping in her crib! Mom and Dad were happy that they weren’t bed-sharing anymore for safety and for them to get quality sleep as well.
FALLING ASLEEP INDEPENDENTLY
With changes to their routine and putting Amber down wide awake, she learned to settle herself to sleep independently both at night and for naps. This allowed her to learn to sleep through the night aside from age-appropriate night feeds and to start taking quality naps.
INDEPENDENT, QUALITY NAPS ON A CONSISTENT SCHEDULE
Within two weeks, Amber was napping independently and she started getting 3-4 restorative naps each day. Mom felt relieved that she was on a consistent schedule so the nanny and all caregivers had some predictability to their days and that she was meeting her sleep needs.
QUALITY SLEEP FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY & CONFIDENCE MOVING FORWARD
Amber and Ja-von started to get better sleep by themselves in their bed and at the end of our time together, they felt equipped and ready to continue on with the schedule.
What They Had To Say About Working With Bella Luna
Sarah was wonderful to work with. She gave great insight and held us accountable with staying on track with Amber’s sleep schedule. She responded right away to any questions that I had and gave great suggestions! I would definitely use Bella Luna again and refer to friends and family!
Ashley, Mom to 5 Month Old, Amber
Need Help?
If you are struggling with your getting your baby out of your bed, nursing all night long and holding your little one for all naps, I’d love to help and support you in achieving your family’s sleep goals! Schedule a discovery call to chat about working together!
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