SDBFC Presents: Sleep Basics for Birth Workers – The 1st Year of Sleep

$35 per person/couple

This is going to be a virtual class.

All proceeds from this workshop will be donated to the SDBFC Foundation

 Jen Varela, Certified Gentle Sleep Coach, and Sugar Night Night owner, will talk about what sleep looks like in the first year of life. Many variables impact sleep, especially in the first six months of a baby’s life.  Due to the fluctuations in sleep, parents often feel overwhelmed because they don’t know what it means to “sleep like a baby.” Learn how you can support families who are struggling with sleep.

Jen will provide information on:

·       Realistic expectations for you to share with your clients on what a baby is capable of with sleep within the first year of life

·       How a parent can gently shape their newborn’s sleep habits

·       When is it appropriate to consider sleep training: Coaching a baby to learn the skills of self-soothing

·       Why sleep training works and what sleep training methods are most successful

 Jen works diligently to provide solutions that bring hope. We will discuss solutions that address the parents’ goals, parenting style, child’s temperament, and sleeping arrangements – including co-sleeping/bed-sharing, room sharing, and separate rooms.  It is essential to use science-based sleep training methods to support a mother’s intuition. Jen’s approach is to keep tears at a minimum for both mom and baby while helping the family get sleep.

Register Here

The mission of San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation (SDBFCF) is to reduce socioeconomic and racial disparities in breastfeeding support by increasing access to qualified lactation consultants for marginalized groups, such as people of color and low-income families.  The San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that relies heavily on donations from our friends, clients, and local community members.

Encouraging Words

“As a pediatrician, I often spend time counseling families about good sleep habits and sleep training.  But sometimes, despite our best efforts, things aren’t easy.  Sometimes it is due to setbacks from illnesses, hospitalizations, etc, and sometimes is it just a child with a strong temperament!  When my usual sleep advice isn’t enough, and families aren’t sleeping despite doing what we all think is best, I refer to Jen.  Her gentle individualized approach and consistent follow up has helped many families finally get the rest that they all desperately need.  And, very important to me, she encourages safe sleep practices.  I’m really glad she’s here to help our community of parents!” 

Dr. Lori Taylor – Pediatrician at Coast Pediatrics Del Mar & Carmel Valley

“We have a nearly 7-month-old who was waking up 4-6 times a night, slept for no more than 3 hours, needed to be bounced to sleep and took 30-minute naps. I was crying nearly every day, eating terribly, developing shoulder pain from all the bouncing and swaying, and inching ever closer to the cry it out method (which I fundamentally don’t believe in).

After your workshop, my husband and I pieced together all the pertinent information (it was a LOT to take in and even harder without much sleep) made a sleep plan, set goals and started to gently coach him according to your advice. There were a few tears, but very much short lived.

Fast-forward two weeks…

   Last night, my son slept for 6.5 HOURS (hasn’t happened in 3 months)

   We no longer bounce him

   30-minute wakeups have disappeared

   He wakes up ONCE a night (hasn’t happened in forever)

   He puts himself back to sleep after that wake up (NEVER happened)

   He has fallen asleep on his own for 3 naps in the past two days (NEVER happened)

As I write this, he is taking his morning nap, which he did on his own.

I can’t begin to thank you enough for the help you provided us. I was struggling so much and now I’m not. It’s hard to put my gratitude into words but I hope I have conveyed my deepest gratitude to you. Thank you so very much 🙂