The Responsive Family Sleep Podcast

Sharing nighttime parenting sounds like a great way to approach caring for your little one, and yet it often doesn’t end up working in practice for many families. There are so many reasons why the nighttime parenting might fall on one parent more than the other. However, just because it isn’t happening organically, doesn’t mean you can’t gently work towards both parents being involved in nighttime parenting. In this episode, I’m discussing tips for sharing nighttime parenting. I share some different options to get your little one more comfortable with the idea and some ideas around when to try first.Resources related to this episodeCheck out my related blog post on supporting a nursing parent with nighttime parenting: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/blog/2021/7/9/how-to-support-a-nursing-parent-with-nighttime-parentingConnect with KimGrab a free sleep myth busting guide and learn more about working with Kim:https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/Instagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dcFacebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdc

Parenting is full of hard things and hard conversations. Between the lack of sleep, shifting identities, and new dynamics, it’s natural to struggle with some hard conversations and disagreements. In this episode, I’m joined by Megan Walsh, an attachment-based therapist with a specialty in building skills and confidence around hard conversations. Megan shares tips for how to have hard conversations in a way that brings you closer together on the other side. We talk about the needs and feelings that often underly hard conversations and disagreements, and how to validate, understand, and come together for a solution that both parents feel good about.About MeganMegan is a psychotherapist and mentor who supports individuals to release people-pleasing, embrace imperfection, calm their bodies, say hard things & build thriving relationships.Connect with MeganWebsite: https://connect-with-megan.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connectwithmegan/Resources Related to this EpisodeCheck out this blog about how to manage conversations when you and your partner don’t agree about supporting baby sleep: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/blog/2022/10/22/my-partner-and-i-dont-agree-about-sleepConnect with KimGrab a free sleep myth busting guide and learn more about working with Kim:https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/Instagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dcFacebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdcLearn more about working with Kim: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/

Touch is a powerful need and support of healthy development. In this episode, I’m joined by Helen Thompson, a qualified baby massage instructor. We chat about the benefits of massage, ways massage can support sleep, tips for making massage more playful and multi-sensory, and a lot about attunement, reading your babies cues, and communication. I hope this episode gives you some simple ideas you can start right away or gets you excited to take an infant massage class to learn more.About HelenHelen has spent more than three decades working with babies and toddlers and currently lives on the beautiful North West coast of Tasmania, in Australia.She qualified in the United Kingdom as a nursery nurse/childcare educator and has worked in centres in the UK and numerous states of Australia.Helen has always been a huge fan of holistic remedies and how they can help all ages and has spent time over the years training in areas including kinesiologyand brain gym. In 2010, Helen heard about baby/infant massage for the first time and decided to train to become an instructor after seeing how it helps build a magical bond between baby and parent whilst helping babies with conditions such as colic and constipation. Helen enjoys teaching mums via her online Zoom workshops.Helen commenced her First Time Mum's Chat podcast in early 2021 and enjoys providing mums with tips to help them in their new parenting journey. She regularly interviews mums who share their journeys and challenges as well as experts in related areas that can help.In her spare time Helen enjoys reading and the great outdoors via cycling and walking. She also enjoys getting away from technology and exploring the manydelights of Tasmania.Connect with HelenWebsite: https://www.mybabymassage.net/Sleep resource: https://www.mybabymassage.net/responsivesleepInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/firsttimemumschat/.Connect with KimInstagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dcFacebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdcLearn more about working with Kim: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/

In this episode, I’m talking about reflecting on your baby sleep story. Baby sleep stories are the ideas, expectations, and preconceptions we have about what baby sleep should look like. They are influenced by many factors and inform our parenting and sleep experience. Reflecting on your narrative or sleep story can allow you to set aside the expectations and pressures that don’t meet your family’s sleep needs.Resources related to this episodeDevelopmentally informed sleep expectations by age:https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/blog/2018/7/6/developmentally-appropriate-sleep-expectations-birth-to-age-5Connect with KimInstagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dcFacebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdcLearn more about working with Kim: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/

Sleep is complex and influenced by many factors. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Karen Molano, a psychologist specializing in infant, family, and early childhood development. Our conversation touches on her 8 pillars to support optimal wellness and then we dive into the specifics around gut health, digestion, and sleep. We touch on the importance of a healthy gut, the brain gut connection, promoting calm and relaxed meals, and even some foods that can help support sleep. I hope you find at least one helpful new perspective or idea in this conversation to take away into your parenting experience.About Dr. KarenDr. Karen Molano, an esteemed psychologist with two decades of expertise, specializes in infant, family, and early childhood development. As the founder and CEO of LumiTot, she focuses on the crucial period of pregnancy and the first five years. Her innovative LumiTot Method merges neuroscience with eastern wisdom, redefining parenting. This holistic approach promotes cognitive, emotional, spiritual, and physical development.  Dr. Molano's approach offers a distinct roadmap for raising kids that unlocks the potential of children and families, simplifying the parenting journey, and nurturing generational excellence. Dr. Molano has been seen on Parents, Bold Journey, and featured on several podcasts. Connect with Dr. Karen MolanoMultidimensional Parenting: 8 Keys to Unlock Your Child's Potential: https://gift.lumitot.com/Website: www.lumitot.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lumitot/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LumiTot/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lumitot?_t=8koXfFrdbm2&_r=1Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-karen-molano-239b07b/Connect with KimInstagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dcFacebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdcLearn more about working with Kim: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/

In this episode, I’m unpacking the ways in which sleep and lactation are interconnected. So many parents hear conflicting information about nursing and sleep, and there is a lot of sleep advice that can negatively impact a parents nursing relationship. This is a big topic, and I’m highlighting 4 factors that are important to consider: the need for nighttime milk removal to maintain supply; baby’s need for night feeds; lactation hormones supporting sleep and supply; and the fact that we need the whole picture of a baby’s feeding pattern to put night feeds in context.Resources related to this episodeNursing to sleep podcast episode: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/podcast/2023/9/19/is-nursing-to-sleep-a-bad-habitReverse cycling blog post: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/blog/2023/6/27/reverse-cycling-why-your-baby-is-suddenly-feeding-more-at-nightMagic number: https://www.nancymohrbacher.com/articles/2010/8/13/the-magic-number-and-long-term-milk-production-part-1.htmlConnect with KimInstagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dcFacebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdcLearn more about working with Kim: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/

Nikko Kennedy, a perinatal quantum biology practitioner and certified doula, shares valuable insights about supporting a healthy circadian rhythm for families. She explains how circadian rhythms influence health and development, especially during pregnancy and infancy. Nikko discusses the role of maternal melatonin, the importance of evening lighting habits, and practical tips for incorporating morning light exposure. Tune in for a checklist of circadian-supporting habits and fascinating research linking seasonal timing to health outcomes!

In this episode, I’m sharing 5 basic concepts that can guide the ways you understand and support your littles sleep. These are concepts I’m often talking about with the parents I support – curiosity, context, connection, coregulation, and consistency balanced with flexibility. I hope they give you some new insight or perspective the next time you are stressing over what’s happening with sleep or how to respond.Connect with KimInstagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dcFacebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdcLearn more about working with Kim: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/

Bedsharing is a wonderful parenting tool, but also one that comes with so many questions, decisions, and challenges in modern western culture. In this episode I’m joined by Tiffany from Cosleepy to talk about bedsharing tips and tricks. Our conversation ranges from worries and anxiety over choosing to bedshare to tips around comfort while bedsharing. Plus, we talk about some of the grey areas and tricky choices that come with the messiness of day to day bedsharing. We could have kept this conversation going for ever, and I hope you enjoy the tips and insights we discuss.About TiffanyTiffany Belanger attended UCLA and adventured in the film and television industry prior to parenthood. In 2020 she founded Cosleepy, a cosleeping one-stop shop to help modern parents keep their babies safe and close at night. Tiffany has completed training on normal infant sleep through Durham University and keeps up-to-date on emerging research. She's a frequent guest on podcasts and blogs, and she was interviewed in New York Magazine's viral article Are We All Secretly Co-sleeping? She lives (and cosleeps) with her husband and two little boys in northern California.Connect with Tiffanyhttps://cosleepy.comhttps://instagram.com/cosleepyResources Related to this EpisodeMy safe bedsharing episode:https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/podcast/2023/10/6/how-to-bedshare-safelyMy bedsharing safety and FAQ blog post:https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/blog/2022/1/6/bedsharing-guide-benefits-safety-and-faqs-for-cosleeping-and-bedsharing-familiesConnect with KimInstagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dcFacebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdcLearn more about working with Kim: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/

Gentle is such a buzz word in the sleep world. What does gentle even mean when it comes to sleep support, gentle sleep strategies, or gentle sleep training? In this episode, I’m exploring thoughts around what gentle is and what it is not. I’m talking about my own personal ideas  around gentle and encouraging you to think about your own definition.Resources Related to this EpisodeCheck out my older, related blog post on gentle sleep:https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/blog/2020/12/5/what-does-gentle-meanConnect with KimInstagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dcFacebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdcLearn more about working with Kim: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/