Northern Baby Links
297 Park Avenue P7B 1C4 Thunder Bay, ON, Canada

The days are long, but the years a short

I’m so passionate about providing a counterbalance to the sleep training culture. But, when I write about this topic, boy is it controversial. People accuse ...me of "shaming" parents who sleep train. I hear throw away comments like "each to their own" as if that justifies doing something we know, deep down, isn't right. There's this assumption that if we are "pro-baby" we are "anti-parent". Bullshit. Babies don't need to suffer so that parents can rest. And parents don’t need to suffer in the way our modern society dictates. The sleep training industry needs to stop pretending that they're doing a great service by "teaching" babies to sleep. Because what they're really doing is using manipulative marketing tactics to convince parents to ignore their baby, when every fibre of their being is shouting, this doesn’t feel right. Imagine if sleep trainers were honest and said, "if you ignore your baby long enough, they'll stop crying for you, they'll give up, they'll learn nobody is coming and then you'll be able to sleep." Because that's what sleep trainers are really there for, right?! To help PARENTS sleep. Opposing sleep training isn't about shaming mothers. It's about normalizing normal. It's about undoing the mess our society has created over the last 150 years. It’s about questioning cultural values. It's about getting mothers the help they truly need - maternity leave, paternity leave, free access to lactation consultants, postpartum doulas, evidence-based safe cosleeping guidelines. A shoulder to cry on, the safety to be vulnerable - to say that, yes, we're beyond exhausted but we don't blame our baby. We don't need a scapegoat, we need empathy. We need a warm cup of coffee and a shower. We need to know that it will all be ok, that this too shall pass and before we know it we'll miss the wee small hours of the morning when it was just us and our baby, while the whole world slept. So, listen to your wise mama heart. And when it gets tough lean on this community. I’m creating a series of guides on the science of sleep - I can't wait to share them with you soon. In the meantime, sending you love and light #raisedgood See more

I’m so passionate about providing a counterbalance to the sleep training culture. But, when I write about this topic, boy is it controversial. People accuse ...me of "shaming" parents who sleep train. I hear throw away comments like "each to their own" as if that justifies doing something we know, deep down, isn't right. There's this assumption that if we are "pro-baby" we are "anti-parent". Bullshit. Babies don't need to suffer so that parents can rest. And parents don’t need to suffer in the way our modern society dictates. The sleep training industry needs to stop pretending that they're doing a great service by "teaching" babies to sleep. Because what they're really doing is using manipulative marketing tactics to convince parents to ignore their baby, when every fibre of their being is shouting, this doesn’t feel right. Imagine if sleep trainers were honest and said, "if you ignore your baby long enough, they'll stop crying for you, they'll give up, they'll learn nobody is coming and then you'll be able to sleep." Because that's what sleep trainers are really there for, right?! To help PARENTS sleep. Opposing sleep training isn't about shaming mothers. It's about normalizing normal. It's about undoing the mess our society has created over the last 150 years. It’s about questioning cultural values. It's about getting mothers the help they truly need - maternity leave, paternity leave, free access to lactation consultants, postpartum doulas, evidence-based safe cosleeping guidelines. A shoulder to cry on, the safety to be vulnerable - to say that, yes, we're beyond exhausted but we don't blame our baby. We don't need a scapegoat, we need empathy. We need a warm cup of coffee and a shower. We need to know that it will all be ok, that this too shall pass and before we know it we'll miss the wee small hours of the morning when it was just us and our baby, while the whole world slept. So, listen to your wise mama heart. And when it gets tough lean on this community. I’m creating a series of guides on the science of sleep - I can't wait to share them with you soon. In the meantime, sending you love and light #raisedgood See more

Prenatal connections are the stepping stones for attachment parenting. Take a peek at Doula D's amazing giveaway.