The Baby Sleep Connection Heather Boyd

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.

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

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

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

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

In this episode, Heather Boyd, mom of 3, sleep coach, and occupational therapist dives into how to trust your baby and trust the process.

As an exhausted and overwhelmed parent, you are likely all too aware of how hard this is. And yet, as a responsive parent looking for a better way to parent than conventional approaches, you've probably already had experiences that have required trusting the process.



Heather guides you to reflect on:
🦋 Appreciating that your baby is doing the best they can at this particular time.
🦋 An evolutionary perspective on what babies have needed (and what your baby needs) to sleep.

🦋 Why curiosity trumps cookie-cutter approaches to sleep coaching.

🦋 How holistic approaches look at your baby's needs but not at the expense of YOUR needs.

🦋 How you can shift from searching for a problem to solve, to trusting the process.

🦋 Difficult does not mean broken.



Looking for more?  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