
Is sleep training "always wrong"? Kaitlin Klimmer on grey areas and maternal mental health
Sleep like a baby?Show Notes
A controversial question this week! There will be people who say that cry-it-out is always wrong/cruel/avoidable. And others that believe it is the best thing ever. But what about the space in between these two polarised stances? Kaitlin Klimmer and I are both sleep specialists who offer alternatives to sleep training, but where do we stand on the moral debate around infant sleep and controlled crying? We go deep into temperament, cultural expectations/norms, maternal mental health and setting boundaries whilst protecting attunement.Austria-based, Canadian sleep specialist and mother of two, Kaitlin Klimmer, has a degree in developmental psychology and more than a decade of experience working with children under five. She's completed several holistic infant sleep and breastfeeding qualifications, and is a qualified Circle of Security Parenting Facilitator. For more information see www.kaitlinklimmer.com or follow her on Instagram @KaitlinKlimmer.
More from Sleep like a baby?
Do you have an orchid or a dandelion? How do you know if your baby is highly sensitive? And how can you parent with your own specific sensory needs?
The advice about over-tiredness is always changing when it comes to babies... is it a thing? is it the end of the world? is there any science involved in this whole concept that a person can be TOO tired?
Nobody talks about how lonely it can be if you're the only one with a child who continues to be wakeful when everyone else around you seems to be getting more sleep. And then you might feel the pressure to sleep train if you ever talk about how tired you are. Perhaps your partner or someone else close to you is trying to get you to make changes in a way that doesn't feel right for you right now. This is an episode for anyone stuck in a comparison trap or a cycle of disagreement over whether to sleep train or not.
Do you have to sleep train in order for this regression to end? Why is your baby suddenly more wakeful? Why is there so much fearmongering out there about this stage? In this episode I talk about the sleep science at this age as well as all the other reasons why it can be a tough patch. If you want to know what you can do to improve the situation (without sleep training) and what red flags to look out for, I've got you.
Yes that's right, more Lucy! We had so much to say about second babies that we had to make it into a 2-parter.What if you can't imagine loving. your new baby as much as your first? How does the bond work? How do you do bedtime with two children (and one parent?) Are nap times always a disaster if your older child doesn't understand the concept of 'quiet! the baby is sleeping...'?