Sleep 101

Maybe you have muddled through the expected broken nights of the newborn fourth trimester and four-month developmental progression periods, and are wondering when they start sleeping better?!

Maybe the ways that were working for you to manage naps and nights are now feeling unsustainable, and you want something to change, but aren't sure how to do it?

As your baby gets older, the noise and pressure around how they are sleeping can really ramp up. Social media is a minefield, the sleep consultant industry is unregulated, and everyone has an opinion! It can make you feel that you must be doing something wrong, or if you do / don’t do certain things they will NEVER EVER sleep independently. However, a lot of the advice around is out-of-date and contradicts what we know from current research about normal infant sleep and brain development.

In this workshop we will guide you through how to work with your baby's biology to improve sleep by managing sleep pressure and nervous system regulation.

We will help you to understand what the research actually tells us about non-responsive sleep training (e.g. controlled crying), so that you can make an informed choice about whether this is something that feels ok for your family.

We hope you will feel empowered and confident to cut through the BS and navigate sleep in a way that works best for you and your baby, taking into account their individual temperament and your circumstances.

FAQs

When is it best to come?

This workshop is best suited to those of you with babies over 5 months old.

If your baby is younger we recommend attending our Sleeping like a Baby workshop.

You don't need to have previously attended "Sleeping like a Baby", but it is a helpful intro.

Who is the facilitator?

Kath, DBM's Infant Feeding & Sleep Counsellor (accredited OCN level 4 Advanced Infant Sleep Practitioner).

Where is it?

In the upstairs room at Didcot Library, opposite the registry office.

How much does it cost?

There is no charge, but we appreciate an optional donation suggested at £5.

Select a "ticket" to book your space (please register one space per adult attending) then in the optional "donation" box enter the amount of the donation you wish to make.

We aim to raise most of our funding from grants, but this is an ongoing challenge and your donations make a vital contribution to us being able to run the workshop as open to all.

Note that a donation alone is not a ticket, you must register to attend with a ticket too.

Capacity is limited. If fully booked please join the waitlist and we will release a space for you to book if one becomes available.

PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO ATTEND AS SESSIONS ARE USUALLY FULLY BOOKED WITH A WAITLIST.

Can I bring my baby?

Of course! Feeding, changing, settling during the session is all fine.

Can my partner come?

Yes, but please register an additional space for them.

How often do you run this workshop?

About once a month.

Drop-in sleep support is also available at our weekly groups on Mondays at the GWP Southern Community Centre:

11:45am-1:15pm Cuddlers - pre-crawling babies

10:00am-11:30am Crawlers - pre-walking babies

Just tick the "I would like support" box when you sign in.

(More info here: https://www.didcotbabymonday.co.uk/)

There is also lots of evidence-based information in our recommended resources Padlet www.padlet.com/didcotbabymonday/DBM and we have some great books available to borrow in our library.

PLEASE NOTE: Didcot Baby Monday is a small charity and our remit is for families in Didcot and surrounding villages (Sutton Courtney, Chilton, Harwell, Steventon, Milton, Culham, Blewbury, N/S Hagbourne, N/S Moreton, Upton, Appleford, Long Wittenham). We would love to accommodate families from a further afield but unfortunately we do not always have capacity. Please answer the questions when you book - in order to manage demand and meet our grant funding conditions your booking may not be accepted if you do not have a postcode in the area above.