The structures in which we in the West currently raise children (nuclear families and single parents, working parents, social supports stripped back) are culturally and historically specific. This is not normal for our species. We did not evolve to raise our babies alone.
So much of what our culture believes to be true about babies' sleep (they should be able to fall sleep independently, they should be sleeping through after 3/6/9/12 months, etc, etc) is based on the need to get parents functional and back to work in a society which does not adequately support them.
These beliefs are a profound misunderstanding of the normal, functional, developmentally-appropriate realities of actual baby sleep. They mislead and confuse so many parents, and put so much unnecessary pressure on them and their babies.
(Side note for history nerds, most of the beliefs of sleep training culture emerged in America, where most women are currently lucky to have six WEEKS maternity leave.)
Throw in the backdrop of a global pandemic that has further diminished the social support that was available to us and it is not hard to see why so many of us are finding this baby sleep business very, very hard right now.
You are not meant to do this alone.
I am so excited that today marks the first meeting of my Gentle Sleep peer support group. A free, informal opportunity to meet with me and other local parents who are navigating their baby's sleep in these strange circumstances.
Today's group is fully booked, but we will be meeting monthly and you are warmly welcome to join us in the future. Whether you are expecting a baby and want to know how to prepare... or have a dreamy new born... or a wakeful 8 month old... or a 5 year old who sleeps through the night but you remember how hard the early years were... We all have something to contribute and the knowledge that we are not doing this alone makes such a huge difference.
Join us. You don't have to do this alone ❤
