Where It All Began

With the birth of my first daughter in 2018, I will admit that I knew very little about parenting. I think many of us feel that way whether we want to admit it or not. Up until then, I had never even heard of the term sleep training, so it’s no surprise that when I did attempt to sleep train her, it was a nightmare! She was strong-willed, hated naps, would only sleep when nursing or being held, and would constantly try to climb out of her crib. After many sleepless months filled with both of us crying, I finally cracked and ended up co-sleeping. This worked for a while, because at least we started getting some sleep, but let’s face it, small humans have a way of taking up big beds!

Then, in 2020, I gave birth to my second daughter. She was full term, and my pregnancy had been pretty straight forward. However, when she was born nothing went the way I had anticipated. She ended up in the NICU due to an unexplained low birth weight, and from that day on life changed forever. The first year of her life we spent in and out of doctor’s offices with different specialists trying to figure out what had caused her low birth weight and her developmental delays. When she was 1 1/2, we finally got the answer: she had contracted a virus in utero called CMV (cytomegalovirus), which caused her developmental delays and severe/profound hearing loss. At age 2 she ended up getting cochlear implants, and we have spent the last two years doing regular speech, occupational, and physical therapy. The crazy part though, is that this virus is the leading cause of deafness in babies, and most of us have never even heard of it!

Whenever I tried to sleep train her, she would not stop crying. I had no idea what to do, since I did not want her to be afraid in the dark, and any kind of light seemed to keep her awake. Sad, scared, and confused I quickly gave up trying to sleep train her and just decided to co-sleep. Even then though, she would wake up every night at 1am, 3am, and 5am for no reason at all. This lasted 3 years and was exhausting to say the least. In that first year, I ended up being diagnosed with post-partum depression and post-partum OCD, and with no sleep, motherhood was overwhelming. I did so much research into sleep training a special needs child. I also asked her pediatrician if he had any pointers, but none of the answers I got seemed to solve our problems.

After six years of sleepless nights with both of my kids, I decided that I’d had enough! I enrolled and certified with the Institute of Pediatric Sleep and Parenting and became a certified sleep consultant. I work with newborns, babies, toddlers, and special needs kids. I am obviously very passionate about what I do, because let’s face it, I’ve been there myself! The truth is, with the proper knowledge about pediatric sleep, following an individually tailored sleep plan, and receiving ongoing support, sleeping well again is more than possible! I can’t wait to hear from you and find out how I can help, and please always remember, you’ve got this! If you would like to learn more about CMV and how you can help protect future moms and babies, please visit the national CMV foundation online. Thank you for reading about our journey!

xoxo Brittany