Eddy's testimonial Finding The Beyond Sleep Training Project was a huge relief, here was validation of what my instincts were telling me – my baby just needed to be held and fed more, and carried and sleep touching me. We started feeding on demand and co-sleeping, and it was like night and day. My baby started gaining decent amounts of weight, he stopped crying all the time, and I got to sleep again. Expand "I found this group after struggling for a few weeks with a very unsettled newborn who wouldn't have a bar of "feed play sleep" or feeding intervals recommended by the hospital or "drowsy but awake" or sleeping in a bassinet. After having an awful birth experience where they did a c-section in the middle of the night for no good reason and generally treated me like a piece of meat, I was determined to breastfeed but I felt like it was getting away on me. I'd had no sleep for weeks and my partner was trying to help but if the baby was crying anywhere else in the house I still wasn't sleeping. Our home visit nurse reinforced old fashioned advice that would have ended up with us formula feeding and sleep training at only weeks old. Finding The Beyond Sleep Training Project was a huge relief, here was validation of what my instincts were telling me – my baby just needed to be held and fed more, and carried and sleep touching me. We started feeding on demand and co-sleeping, and it was like night and day. My baby started gaining decent amounts of weight, he stopped crying all the time, and I got to sleep again. I just can't believe how regressive and unhelpful so much of the advice I received around baby care was - I'm surprised it is still given out at all because I can't imagine it working well for anyone!" – Eddy Walker Image credit: Vida Images
Melanie's testimonial "It’s this critical thinking and reflection that is so important for breaking generations of parenting advice that is counter to what children and babies really need. I’m so thankful this group exists, there are really no other ones that are this organized, welcoming, and gentle. I also love how we include non-sleep related questions and advice amongst parents who all share similar views." Expand "One of the hardest parts about being a mother has been doubting myself every step of the way. I knew what instinctually felt right and I was actually enjoying breastfeeding and sleeping with my baby but everyone around me made me feel like I was in crazy town. This group reassured me that my feelings and experience were valid and I didn’t need to explain or defend myself. It also brought to light how much culture bears on how we raise our babies and our perceptions of the “right” and “wrong” ways. I’ve had to battle against messages that I’m creating bad habits, preventing my son from learning how to sleep, creating a clingy and overly dependent child, etc. This group gave me the courage to think critically about those ideas and really investigate whether they made sense from a biological or evolutionary perspective (they didn’t) and also to reflect on my own morals and values as a mother, as opposed to the values of everyone around me. It’s this critical thinking and reflection that is so important for breaking generations of parenting advice that is counter to what children and babies really need. I’m so thankful this group exists, there are really no other ones that are this organized, welcoming, and gentle. I also love how we include non-sleep related questions and advice amongst parents who all share similar views." – Melanie Werthmuller Image credit: Sarah Conlan Photography