The quest for a good night’s sleep with a newborn can feel like chasing a mythical creature—elusive and mysterious. Every parent has been there, scouring for that secret recipe that will coax their baby into a peaceful slumber. As a seasoned childbirth educator, I’ve navigated this journey with many parents, offering insights into two popular methods: sleep training and sleep shaping.
Hello, I’m Katherine Princic, pelvic physical therapist and owner of Embody Physical Therapy. I serve women in pregnancy and postpartum for all of their pelvic health needs and to assist with healing and recovery.
As an expectant mother, you might have a lot of anxiety weighing on you. So, here’s the first tip. Take a breath. It’s good to be prepared for the birth of your child and everything that comes afterwards, but not to the detriment of your mental health.
There is nothing easy about putting a baby to bed when they are new – but it’s not because this is a bad thing! It’s because you’re also new to parenting. We’re constantly bombarded with these weird societal expectations that the moment a baby is born, we’re supposed to know exactly how to settle them and make them sleep independently. Newsflash, Mama: babies do not listen to books and instructions. They are little people and they will eat, sleep, cry, and poop on their schedule.
Baby wearing can be the game changer all parents are looking for! Baby wearing is the act of carrying your child around or on you. Baby wearing very practical and a wonderful way to solidify the bond between yourself and your child. It also allows you to multi-task: taking care of your child’s needs while getting items done while you are carrying them.
Being a single parent can be one of the most challenging and wonderful things you could ever do by yourself. Most people plan to go into parenthood as a team, very few imagine they’ll ever have to do it by themselves.