When we did a vote on the biggest challenge for new mums, sleeplessness figured large! To a parent with a one month old, it seems merely a fantasy to ever be able to sleep through until 5am let alone 7am! Have faith, those days will come, though for some people, that day takes longer to arrive than for others!
Once a baby has settled into a feeding routine, finding a more regular sleeping pattern can make a big difference to a new mum's recovery from the birth, and to the energy both parents can bring to raising their new child.
There are plenty of books arguing the case for controlled crying and other forms of sleep training, but Naturally Nurturing believe their more organic way of getting your child into good habits, is easier on both parents and baby.
Their ideas for getting your child happily off to sleep are rooted in the theory that we need to spend more time comforting our babies rather than getting them to fit into our own schedules. Their programme has been developed by Chireal Shallow, a psychologist and sleep expert, who has four children herself, and who has written on the subject.
They offer consultations by telephone or in person, as well as email support. They also do education workshops and CDs for parents and health professionals.
For more about what they do, check out www.naturallynurturing.co.uk.
For more ThinkBaby advice about getting your newborn to get enough sleep, click here.
