Sleep like a baby‪?‬ Hannah @ Little Nest

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...'?

Are you ever ready?
What might sleep look like the second time around?

Is there such a thing as a 'perfect age gap'?

How do you keep your sh*t together when sleep deprived AND looking after another small human?

I talk to my very good friend (and fellow sleep consultant) Lucy Bagwell about what she's learnt since having her second baby and try to take in as much advice as possible now that I'm verrrry pregnant again...

For more about Lucy, see https://www.secondstarsleep.com/ or follow her @secondstartotheright_sleep

What if there was no word for self-settling? How different would your parenting experience be if nobody expected your baby to sleep in a cot in their own room? This week I'm joined by Lenka Medvecová Tinková from the Durham University Infancy and Sleep Centre to talk about how our cultural expectations shape parenting decisions and ultimately how we feel about ourselves as mothers.For more information about Lenka you can follow her on Instagram: the English speaking account is @sleepanthropologist or she has her Czech account @prosimspinkejhttps://prosimspinkej.cz/And for more info about Durham University and BASIS (Baby Sleep Info Service) see: www.basisonline.org.uk===============================For more information about the Little Nest Sleep guides and webinars, go to https://littlenest.podia.com/

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.

Are you holding yourself to the highest standards as a mum? Have you noticed a cycle of self-criticism creeping in?What happens when perfectionists and people pleasers have babies? This week's guest, Catherine Counihan, is an Integrative Psychotherapist working in private practice in London. Cath specialises in complex trauma, perfectionism, nervous system healing, shifting dysfunctional patterns in our families and reparenting. One of her areas of expertise is how our own childhoods impact our parenting journey. Her passion is to shift shame and help each client gain an embodied sense of being good enough. Our shame voices do not speak the truth! Cath had done a lot of personal trauma therapy prior to kids and, despite this, was set back to emotional ground zero by motherhood. Cath hosts a weekly podcast 'Grow Yourself Up' focused on how we can learn to tend to ourselves in adulthood when we have not had our needs met as children, and the challenges of doing this as we parent. She also writes, has taught at the Bowlby Centre in London and will begin teaching for the International Attachment Network in Sept 2023. She is accredited by the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and has nearly 12 years of clinical experience. Cath had a previous career in financial services and is the mother of 7 year old twin girls. Insta: @cathcounihanFB: Cath Counihan - Psychotherapy MumLinkedin: Catherine Counihancatherinecounihan.co.uk

Just fill their tummies and they'll sleep all night, right? Is food under one just for fun? And what about adding rice or cereal to a bottle at 4m... where do these ideas come from?My guest today, Stacey Zimmels is a Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist as well as a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She offers feeding therapy plus breastfeeding and lactation support online, in the home or at a London clinic. Feed Eat Speak has a range of brilliant online resources as well - including courses and webinars about introducing solids, breastfeeding, bottle feeding and eating behaviours in older children. For more information about Feed Eat Speak see www.feedeatspeak.co.ukOne of the blogs that Stacey mentions in our chat is linked here (responsive spoon-feeding for babies): https://www.feedeatspeak.co.uk/blog/2018/9/25/top-tips-for-responsive-spoon-feeding