11 episodes

Hey tired parents! If you feel exhausted and overwhelmed about your baby’s sleep and are trying to be gentle and responsive but aren’t clear how, welcome!

In this podcast, we go beyond wake windows and bedtimes to help you understand your baby’s sleep so that you can find responsive ways to support it…without sleep training!

The Baby Sleep Connection also explores all the layers connected to baby sleep --maternal mental health, nutrition, temperament, sensory processing, gentle/responsive parenting, and infant development so that sleep (and life!) feels easier. I'm so glad you're here.

The Baby Sleep Connection Heather Boyd

    • Kids & Family

Hey tired parents! If you feel exhausted and overwhelmed about your baby’s sleep and are trying to be gentle and responsive but aren’t clear how, welcome!

In this podcast, we go beyond wake windows and bedtimes to help you understand your baby’s sleep so that you can find responsive ways to support it…without sleep training!

The Baby Sleep Connection also explores all the layers connected to baby sleep --maternal mental health, nutrition, temperament, sensory processing, gentle/responsive parenting, and infant development so that sleep (and life!) feels easier. I'm so glad you're here.

    4 Reasons Your Baby Isn't Sleeping Like You Expected

    4 Reasons Your Baby Isn't Sleeping Like You Expected

    Heather Boyd, occupational therapist, mom of 3, and Infant & Family Sleep Specialist, outlines the four most common reasons she sees parents struggle with a baby who is not sleeping as well as expected.

    This episode is a sneak peak at Heather's upcoming free Masterclass, "Why Isn't My Baby Sleeping?". Save your seat for May 30th at www.familysleep.ca/free-workshops to attend live, get the replay, and get a written summary of the call.

    Wondering what you can do next?

    ✔️ Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend!  Provide a review on Apple Podcasts.  It truly makes a difference to reaching families who would benefit from better understanding their baby’s sleep.

    ✔️ Attend the next free online masterclass, Why Isn’t My Baby Sleeping?, https://www.familysleep.ca/free-workshops May 30th 2024  

    ✔️ Sign up for weekly baby sleep emails.⁠ https://heatherboyd.activehosted.com/f/1

    ✔️ Work with Heather https://familysleep.ca/contact⁠

    Credits: 🎵 Music: Jordan Wood 🎙️Podcast coach: Min Sukree

    • 13 min
    Self-Care and Healing for Parents with Special Needs, with Sara Intonato

    Self-Care and Healing for Parents with Special Needs, with Sara Intonato

    Join Heather Boyd in her interview with Sara Intonato, master coach to parents of children with special needs, as they explore parenting, self-regulation, and how Sara used yoga and self-care to heal emotionally after her son was diagnosed with autism.    


    With over 20 years of coaching experience that includes an extensive background in the ancient science of yoga, Sara Intonato brings a unique combination of skills and insight to her clients.


    Sara’s disciplined self care has allowed her to boldly advocate for her own child with autism successfully, even when experts told her it was impossible. Using her Full Potential Method, Sara teaches parents the skills they need to heal themselves, lead with confidence, and live a life so joyful, they thought was only a pipe dream, simply by showing up and taking action every day.

    Sara's insights are valuable whether you are a parent of a child with special needs or high needs, highly sensitive or neurotypical. If you find yourself questioning how to parent the child in front of you while not burning out, come listen to Sara's perspectives and supportive insights.

    In this interview, Sara and Heather discuss:


    the importance of tools for coping with parenting challenges
    self-regulation
    how to put your self-care in the context of better supporting your child emotionally
    the value of having a plan of simple actions to support co-regulation, including breathwork and yoga
    the role yoga played in Sara's 20s to cope with debilitating panic attacks
    how to take your own healing seriously
    the value of going inward, instead of to social media, for the answer to the question "What do I need?"
    how silence can help one heal
    how to release guilt around taking care of yourself
    the importance of acknowledging the reality of intense, 24/7 parenting


    You can find Sara at saraintonato.com and on Instagram at @sara.intonato   Her book is: Emotional Healing for Parents of Children With Autism: The Journey You Never Expected to Take





    Mentioned in this episode:



    Bessel van der Kork, The Body Keeps the Score


    Documentary: Rocco Up RoccoUp.com


    Pema Chödrön , American Tibetan Buddhist, author, speaker




    Wondering what you can do next?


    ✔️ Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend!  Provide a review on Apple Podcasts.


    ✔️ Attend the next free online masterclass, Why Isn’t My Baby Sleeping?, https://www.familysleep.ca/free-workshops May 30th 2024 


    ✔️ Sign up for weekly baby sleep emails.⁠ https://heatherboyd.activehosted.com/f/1


    ✔️ Work with me https://familysleep.ca/contact⁠ in the Confident & Connected Baby Sleep group program or one-on-one.

    • 58 min
    My Top 4 Gifts for Mother's Day

    My Top 4 Gifts for Mother's Day

    Heather Boyd, Occupational Therapist, Sleep Coach, and Mom of 3 explores a NEW way to give on Mother’s Day.  If you’ve been disappointed, underwhelmed, overwhelmed, or overcommitted on Mother’s Day and are left wondering how to feel loved and nurtured on Mother’s Day, have a listen.

    Heather explores:


    4 gifts to give yourself this (and every) Mother’s Day


    What to let go of


    Why self-love is important



    Mentioned in this episode:


    Sarah Rosensweet: website https://www.sarahrosensweet.com/   Perspective on Mother’s Day: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_-tMBcgPQf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link


    Gabor Mate, How to Reset Your Body from Chronic Stress https://youtu.be/Rik5E7wey0w?si=dBsoKKTW2yEdROpw


    I promised in the episode to share a booklist on self-love.  Here it is!



    Kamal Ravikant, Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It


    Shad Helmstetter, PhD, What to Say When You Talk to Yourself 


    Dr. David D Burns, 10 Days to Self Esteem


    Nathaniel Brandan, 6 Pillars of Self-Esteem


    Brene Brown, The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting: Raising Children with Courage, Compassion, and Connection




    Wondering what you can do next?


    Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend!


    Attend the next free online masterclass May 30th 2024, Why Isn’t My Baby Sleeping?, https://www.familysleep.ca/free-workshops  


    Sign up for weekly baby sleep emails.⁠ https://heatherboyd.activehosted.com/f/1


    Work with me ⁠ in the Confident & Connected Baby Sleep group program or one-on-one. (
    https://familysleep.ca/contact)



    Credits:

    🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

    🎙️Podcast coach: Min Sukree

    • 24 min
    How to Change Sleep Without Changing Your Baby

    How to Change Sleep Without Changing Your Baby

    When sleep gets challenging, it's tempting to focus all of your attention on your baby's behaviour (hello, behavioural sleep training!). Instead, what if you put your energy and attention on things BEYOND actual sleep that can make sleep easier?



    Sleep hygiene is probably the most underrated and underappreciated strategy for sleep, but can be SO valuable for making sleep easier. And that's the goal! Easier sleep!


    Join Heather Boyd, Occupational Therapist, sleep coach, and mom of 3 as she discusses 4 sleep hygiene approaches that you can use to make it easier for everyone in your family to sleep.


    Wondering what you can do next?


    Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend!


    Attend the next free online masterclass, Why Isn’t My Baby Sleeping?, May 30th 2024  


    Sign up for weekly baby sleep emails.⁠


    Work with me⁠ in the Confident & Connected Baby Sleep group program or one-on-one.



    Credits:

    🎵 Music: Jordan Wood🎙️Podcast coach: Min Sukree

    • 23 min
    5 Ways to Work Less Hard on Sleep and Get More Of It

    5 Ways to Work Less Hard on Sleep and Get More Of It

    In this episode, Heather Boyd, mom of 3, certified Infant & Family Sleep Specialist, and Occupational Therapist, talks about why working so hard on making our baby’s sleep better can often make sleep harder.

    She shares:


    ✔️ Why we are conditioned to think grit gets us goals


    ✔️ Why sleep training  culture makes us believe it’s our JOB to work hard to make sleep easy


    ✔️ How working hard on your baby’s sleep is like training for a 5km run at 2am!


    ✔️ How working less on sleep gives you MORE time, MORE energy, and maybe even MORE sleep!


    ✔️ 5 ways to work less hard on your baby’s sleep to get more sleep.

    Mentioned in this episode: Episode #2 of The Baby Sleep Connection Podcast: What’s Driving Your Baby’s Sleep? https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/0ofSCAQyZIb

    Looking for more?  Here's what you can do next:


    Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend!


    ⁠Sign up for weekly baby sleep emails.⁠


    ⁠Work with me⁠ in the Confident & Connected Baby Sleep group program or one-on-one.



    Credits:

    🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

    🎙️Podcast coach: Min Sukree

    • 18 min
    Rediscovering Movement Post-Partum with Jessica Darling

    Rediscovering Movement Post-Partum with Jessica Darling

    Heather Boyd chats with Jessica Darling, a personal trainer from Toronto, Ontario who specializes in prenatal and postpartum fitness. 

    As a former competitive athlete, (rowing, cycling) and all round gym rat, Jessica loved feeling strong and pushing herself to the limits. After the birth of her daughter, jumping back into that kind of exercise wasn't the right fit. After some searching she found the right program that helped her rediscover my body and feel good in movement. It was a powerful experience that she wants to bring to all women.

    Jessica takes a person-centered approach and uses breathwork and deep core awareness to help women reconnect with their bodies. From there she helps them build a path to a stronger self, no matter their life phase.  When she's not helping clients, you can find her somewhere outside, either on the water paddleboarding, rucking some trails or enjoying time with her family. 

    In this episode we talk about:


    Jessica’s personal journey from pregnant with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) to a tired but strong mom!


    Reframing what it means to adapt to your body and new role after birth 


    Redefining what “counts” as exercise?


    Where to start in reconnecting with your body post-partum


    How to set expectations that help you, rather than prevent you, from progressing towards your goals


    Navigating the false dichotomy of being a responsive parent AND taking care of your needs


    What’s missing in post-partum support


    Reframing our roles and priorities post-partum



    Where to find Jessica:

    Website: www.mauvement.ca

    Email: jessica@jessicadarling.ca

    Social Media Handles: @jdarling   https://www.facebook.com/jdarling.fit

    Resources:

    Free "Return to Movement Guide" (https://jessicadarling.ck.page/freeguide). 

    1:1 coaching services virtually or in person in East York Toronto. 






    What you can do next:


    Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend!


    ⁠Sign up for weekly baby sleep emails.⁠


    Explore the Family Sleep website.



    Credits:

    🎵 Music: Jordan Wood

    🎙️Podcast coach: Min Sukree

    • 42 min

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