BabieswithClaire

11/11/2025

03/01/2025

Was browsing in my local Oxfam bookshop this afternoon; so many books on children's sleep have been donated looking barely read. Says it all really! From my own bookshelves above I've only kept Lyndsey Hookway's holistic sleep coaching. Effective long term sleep improvement needs to be bespoke - helping a baby or toddler sleep is no different than helping an adult. An NHS clinic would never ask an adult to not meet their needs when anxious or hungry in the night, nor would they have a loved one gradually move further across the room in increasing distances whilst you struggle to fall asleep! Sleep consulting work is the same; it's based on the whole person, their emotional landscape, sensory needs, environment as well as sleep neurotransmitters and hormones. Diet, the birth, and reflexes can have an impact too. And whilst I love a book as it can help you feel less alone with the situation they can't compete with real time work with a professional sleep consultant

20/09/2022

Thank you! Flowers from a grateful family who are now getting a lot more sleep. I haven't posted in ages and these flowers have prompted me to. There's a delicate balance as a practitioner and parent muse in being so busy supporting sleep deprived parents that I don't have time to post yet I know from your feedback that you do find the posts very useful so apologies everyone- I'll make the time to do it more often!

16/04/2022

As a sleep consultant I often support parents whose babies or children have extra challenges as it can impact upon their sleep. My favourite journal arrived yesterday and I've not stopped reading it - insightful research & analysis on children & babies with autism, visual impairment, Down syndrome, deafness and best practices on supporting them. We need to understand challenges fully and parents lived experience before we support them effectively. A must read for all practitioners

01/04/2022

We've had snow & hail then bright sunshine all within an hour in London today making it really difficult us to know what to dress our babies in. Little ones can't regulate their temperature as well as adults; they've a different volume to surface area ratio, less subcutaneous fat and can't move or shiver as well all of which makes them more vulnerable to temperature change.s. We all know the dangers of overheating or being too cold, read so want to get it right. I've made a top tip factsheet for spring weather. Please message or email me if you'd like a copy.

26/03/2022

Clocks go forward tonight!!

10/03/2022

One of my favourite books for sleep! I’ve read many publications about sleep as part of my training and this is one-off my favourites, it’s full of useful insights into different personalities . It’s not a sleep book really nor is a parenting # one but my goodness it is fantastic in helping you understand your baby or child and gives you insight how to create an environment suitable for their temperament which can enhance sleep. The first chapters a bit slow so if you are a busy parent skip it and get stuck in! I now know why my kids love a window seat and dens and have adjusted their bedrooms accordingly

09/03/2022

I saw this today in Chiswick and it made me wince, yet years ago I would have thought it hilarious. I know the shop was probably just trying to make us smile but I do think we have moved on from the days about joking about men. It’s hard for this generation of partners what ever gender they identify with as most haven’t had a role model to help them- their fathers tended not to be very hands on with chores, nappy changing and sharing the mental load of parenting, it was a different time and roles were very defined. Thankfully it is much more equal for this recent generation of parents with shared parental leave, with partners co-parenting in an active and prescient way. But do cut them some slack if they struggle as its hard when you haven’t had a role model. I’ll try to resources below for partners there aren’t many as I find the tone often a bit too flippant. Please add your own too!

05/03/2022

All carrot purées are not the same! It’s a good idea to move up to a more challenging consistency every few weeks once your baby is over six months of age and has got on well so far with a smooth wet consistency. Continue to keep it wet as you blend less with your baby’s milk or the cooking water- the wet texture reduces the chances of gagging or choking ( which are very different from each other). This is a lovely way to move things on gradually if you are using purées and of course you can do it with any variety of food! Happy weaning !

04/03/2022

I came across this today and it will resonate with many of you. Protecting important relationships is hard work when you become a parent. There are lots of ways of getting support with out the £££ relationship coaching is one of them. Come to the live on Monday or watch the recording afterwards. Just half an hour of listening/watching might make all the difference!