Declan was always a happy little guy, except when he was tired! He was a good night sleeper, but I really had no idea how to get him down for naps. I knew they were so important for his development and overall happiness! The only way we could really get him to nap in the morning was by feeding and rocking him, which I really didn’t want to rely on. The afternoon nap was non existent, and he would just sleep on and off in the stroller throughout the afternoon. Getting him ready for bed was a mad dash, as I knew we were usually on the verge of an overtired baby breakdown, which I couldn’t avoid most of the time. I just felt so badly as I knew Declan was overtired, but I didn’t have the knowledge (or confidence) of how to fix it. All the different strategies were overwhelming.
We called Jillian when Declan was just about 6 months and right before he started daycare. Jilllian was so, so lovely, and just really supportive of what we were doing well, and helpful in giving us strategies of how to fix where we were lacking. She was incredibly kind and accessible throughout the process, and gave us a great base schedule to work with Declan on. I even sent her a video of Declan one night when we were sleep training, and asked her if we had done the right thing in how we responded! He has done so well, and having a consistent schedule has really helped Declan with transitions and expectations. Jillian gave us tools and ideas that we can use anywhere, and my anxiety around his sleep has diminished. She really gave me confidence to trust myself in knowing Declan’s cues too.
Declan is still a happy little man, but even happier now! His naps are consistent and at night he seems to want us to put him in his crib and leave him alone! I really am so grateful for Jillian’s guidance and support.
