I would love to share about the approach we will use to understand and support your child's sleep which can be found here:

• Certified Holistic Sleep Coach (OCN Level 6) through the Holistic Sleep Coaching Program (see details below)

• Adult Educator (Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training)

• Basic Skills in Perinatal Mental Health through the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE)

• Completed Introductory Workshops (Possums NDC Australia)

• Trauma-Informed Coach Certificate for Coaches

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Current studies:

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• Allergies, Colic and Reflux

• The Thompson Method Breastfeeding

The Holistic Sleep Coaching Program

The original Holistic Sleep Coaching Program is the most comprehensive, evidence based and robust responsive sleep coach educational program in the world and provides me the certification as a Holistic Sleep Coach.

This program was launched in 2019 and has been developed by co-founder and clinical director Dr Lyndsey Hookway and co-founder Emma Dewey (see below)

Unlike many other training programs it not only provides graduates with a certification but also accreditation by the open college network. This adds a layer of external validity and rigour so families know they are choosing to work with highly trained professionals who have undergone a substantial training program which is externally moderated and verified.

Through this program Holistic Sleep Coaches move through intensive learning with a multidisciplinary faculty so they can serve you with a deep and broad understanding of the multiple factors that influence sleep.

Holistic Sleep Coaches also have unique ongoing mentorship and support with weekly coaching for discussions on new research, to discuss sleep topics and continued professional development opportunities based on an ongoing commitment to learning.

Dr Lyndsey Hookway is an experienced pediatric nurse, specialist community public health nurse (health visitor), International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, researcher and holds multiple additional credentials from birth trauma, non-directive counselling, Brazelton newborn behaviour observation, Solihull and numerous sleep organisations. Lyndsey is the published author of 6 books and numerous published academic articles and regularly speaks internationally.

Emma Dewey is the director of the childcare training agency Babyem specialising in offering accredited childcare and postnatal maternity nurse training courses in the UK, internationally and also online. In addition to running Babyem, Emma works with organisations internationally, supporting them to develop their training, policies and procedures. With a background in Children Services, Emma speaks frequently at conferences and has written a number of best practice guidance documents for Local Authorities and Associations.

Holistic Sleep Coaches from this program are provided the highest level of education and support to provide you and your family the best in evidence-based, responsive sleep support

The services are based on the level of support you wish to have and with respect to varying budgets rather than the age and stage of your child.

1:1 Support:

The Sleep Connect service is focused on the consultation with some light email support for clarification questions. This is for less complex, less overwhelming situations as you then take the knowledge and make changes without close support, review and guidance.

The Sleep Nurture enables us to walk the journey together providing you close guidance and support. This service enables breaking down the recommendations into phases of changes and to take things at a pace that is suited to your situation and your child. We review and adapt along the way on the Biological & Emotional Pathway and, as relevant or appropriate, the Behavioural Pathway.

Sleep Nurture is focused both on understanding and supporting your child's sleep as well as supporting your journey through this as a parent.

Signature program:

The Nurture & Thrive Program is the first of it's kind in Australia and is for you if you like to go deep to understand and support your child's sleep both now and until your child is 2 years. This is for families who want the ultimate support through the ever-changing journey of sleep and who value the total peace of mind of knowing they never have to walk alone. You are given unlimited 1:1 support in weekly group coaching sessions while you're also provided with an online self-paced course and a community for encouragement and connection as well as unlimited support from me Monday to Friday.

My focus is on empowering parents to have clarity, calm and confidence in understanding and supporting the sleep needs of their children. This is done through video consultations, phone calls and text support.

I highly value building warm connections with the families I work with in this way as that rapport is something I value. Whether it’s releasing some tears, sharing a laugh, gaining insight, busting myths, having challenging conversations about struggles……the focus is on understanding you through these video consultations and ensuring you feel comfortable and confident in the process. Parents often provide feedback about the warmth of our connections which is lovely!

There are times where a few simple changes will have a profound and fast impact. There are other times when the changes will take time to show impacts. And working with integrity as an evidence-based sleep coach with a deep knowledge of sleep science is that I do not offer guarantees with sleep outcomes. You might expect me as a Sleep Coach to say that I can help you achieve anything with sleep but if I said that I would be dishonest and would not be evidence-based. I encourage parents to have a cautiously considered approach to anyone guaranteeing results with infant/child sleep and/or advising that any sleep issues can be fixed or offering specific results in a specific time-frame.

The most honest view is that not every sleep challenge will have an immediate solution. The Nurture & Thrive Sleep approach isn't about providing you with a step-by-step workflow on how to 'fix' sleep, rather it's a transformational approach to ensure you have the clarity and confidence about all the things you are doing to support your child's sleep while also having the calm as you walk alongside your child through the ups and downs that can happen in the sleep journey.

This question is typically involved with ideas around changing the way your child falls asleep. This may not be a part of what we do initially or even at all.

If we do make changes to how your child is falling asleep or other behavioural changes then it will always be done in a way to minimise, and in some situations even avoid, crying.

If we are changing how your child gets to sleep we recognise that sometimes children will cry when they do not get the same sleep strategy they are accustomed to. However, this will never be on their own and never a recommendation in isolation of all the other ways to optimise sleep. The way each of us as parents respond to crying is also so individual. Some parents will want an approach with zero crying. Others are okay to support their child adjusting to something being a bit different with a bit of upset while being responsive, hands on or in arms or lying with a child.

The approach and methods will always place your child's well-being and your family at the centre. Critically important is your presence near your baby/child to support them with warmth, compassion and empathy.

To ensure absolute clarity, I do not support Cry It Out or any methods with periods of crying that feel inappropriate or disrespectful to a child or parent or where a child is left alone in distress.

What is important is that we find an approach that suits your parenting style, is biologically and developmentally appropriate and takes into account your child’s unique needs and temperament among many other factors.

This is not a cookie-cutter approach to sleep. I don't offer one method with sleep rather each service is tailored to the child and family. I offer a toolbox approach to supporting sleep using the appropriate methods and ideas on a case-by-case basis and in collaboration with you. I also support many ways parents wish to support sleep whether that’s feeding to sleep, bedsharing, cuddling to sleep or a child getting to sleep in their own sleep space. Lots of different ways we can support sleep!

On this basis, the services are suitable for all children from newborn to 6 years.

Given the consultations are online this means I provide our services to anyone across Australia, New Zealand and anywhere across the globe where we can accommodate time zones. I also am part of a global network of Holistic Sleep Coaches so can connect you to someone in your timezone if our timings don't align.

Whether you're pregnant, have a newborn or have a child up to 6 years of age, I can support you and if your child is healthy then the answer is any time is a great time for support. However there are some considerations:

1. If you’re about to travel it may be harder to manage making some of the changes but this also depends on your travel plans. It may also help you have better clarity and some ways to support sleep in better ways while you’re away. This also depends on the types of changes we are going to make.

2. If you’re about to go through a major life change for your little one then you may want to press pause on anything with sleep but again, sometimes just working on some basics can make things easier too

One aspect of timing that is important is also how you are feeling right now? Sometimes when we are really exhausted it can feel like a catch 22 whereby we want to get support and make some changes but we are frankly so tired it can feel overwhelming to even think about making changes. If this is you, then I encourage parents to get in touch before things become a total sleep crisis where things feel acutely desperate which can make it so much harder. Please know we can layer changes, we can break things down and we can also create strategies to help protect your sleep and mental health too.