Baby Sleep School

[DarlingClem]

I don't know if we've reached this point yet but we've had a horrible few weeks and I just curious if there are any baby sleep schools in London? Whenever I google I just get sites that do telephone consultations, are there any actual units you go and stay in, that preferably practice gentle techniques? Australia has a few well known ones but I can't seem to find anything similar here when I search.

DS is six months and part of me feels like he's just waking from hunger and once solids are established it will get better but another part of me fears I'm being naive and these wakings are here to stay.

I don't know about sleep schools but 6 months is very young for something like that IMHO.

We're currently waking 5 times a night to eat (solely breastfed), right now I have a 'ride it out' and 'go with the flow' attitude because I genuinely feel he's hungry and I'm hoping once solids are established it will get better, I also don't want to practice any type of crying it out or controlled crying. That said, I have anxiety and PND and sleep deprivation is a major playing factor in how well I'm able to cope with it all. I'm just curious as to what my options are if I feel I need to go that route. Australia has two well-know sleep schools that I know of that are very gentle in their approach, you go stay there for 5 nights and they support you and help teach you and baby how to sleep better. They are usually part of a mother baby unit in a hospital and funded by your health insurance and Medicare because it's considered treatment for the mother's mental health. I am just wondering if there is anything in London like that.

Bump

Hi,

Sorry you are having a rough time. I used a lovely lady called Sian at www.sleepbabies.co.uk . She is based in London and does home visits.
Really helped me with my 8 month old.
£250 but best money I spent.
Good Luck

Thanks for that Serendipity! I'll check it out the link. Was she gentle (ie doesn't practice crying)? I see the GP tomorrow so I'll ask her if there are any mother baby sleep school units around.

I've never heard of anytging like that in the uk. I'd be sceptical that 5 days in a completely different environment could be helpful.

I found the no cry sleep solution and jay gordon helpful.

The no cry sleep solution emphasises normal development but gives advice if you do want to intervene.

have you tried co sleeping etc? Resting in the day... husband taking baby for a few hours in the day so you can get a chunk of sleep.

I remember the desperation well... you will get through this.

I've had quite a few friends and families I've worked for (I'm a nanny and doula) use the sleep schools in Australia (we've only just moved to the UK after 7 years in OZ) and they've worked wonders for them. It's a really supportive environment giving the mom some rest, support, counseling, etc. while helping teach the baby to sleep longer stretches. There are some that are 'harder' than others but you can also tell the nurses you have no interest in leaving your baby to cry and they accommodate and support you.

I do have the no-cry sleep solution but haven't had too much luck yet. I'll look into Jay Gordon.

I actually have a lot of experience with settling and getting babies to sleep so I'm not going in totally blind but the difference is that now it's mine, I'm breastfeeding, sleep deprived, totally in love with my baby, etc. which makes anything I know really hard to implement. That's why I feel I need the support of somebody guiding me in person.

I'm not opposed to co-sleeping but try to avoid it. It normally ends up happening around 4am when he gets restless and having my arm draped on him helps keep him in a deep sleep. He outgrew the Bednest which I really miss! I sleep on our guest bed in his room to help make settling and feeding easier. My husband helps when he can but he works long hours so pretty much only sees DS on the weekends. We've only been here less than a year so have no close friends or family to help out.

m.essentialbaby.com.au/baby/baby-sleep/what-really-goes-on-at-sleep-school-20110627-1gn15.html

Is this the kind of thing? We don't do anytging like that. Looking at the review at the end only one family it "worked" for and one said they had to rebuild the relationship after all the crying. Another that after a week of endless controlled crying they gave up. Im not sure I'd be happy to go to a new place and not comfort my child for a whole first night in a strange area. I can't see how that is right.

However what I could see as really beneficial im the article is the bonding with other mums in the same position. (I guess a support thread on mn can do this)

Also - the week of not having to cook and having help during the day with a child and nothing to do other than feed/play DOES sound good . A bit like a babymoon... is there anyway you can replicate this? A relative stay? (No chamce with my family!) A week/end away with husband with no agenda to explore or sightsee, just to relax, not cook etc?

Or a day nanny. Or more to my budget buying some decent ready meals (cook is good) for a week in advance, cancelling all appointments and holing up at home with a box set?

Ah cross post - will go read yours!

Thanks rainbow--see my post above yours.

I kinda do all of that already since I'm on my own so much and haven't really met anyone.

**pretty much do all of that meaning, the COOK meals, netflix, etc.

Oh bless you. We moved just before my first was born and it is 1000 times worse doing it without support/friends isnt it.

Ive moved again with my second but am in an area where everyone has Friends and family that help out and I can so see the difference it makes to mothers sanity and ability to cope!

My husband used to work long hours too and looking back I think the mixture of sleep deprivation and no meaningful adult contact was a recipe for disaster first time around.

Oh bless you - I now how hard it can be.

That's exactly my situation, moved here while pregnant, pretty much on my own all of the time. We do have some Australian friends here but they all work so nobody to catch up with during the week. I've joined some classes but they don't start until September and there's no mum and bub coffee type catch up in our new area (there was where we were first living). All the new mums in our new area seem to already have their new mum friends (NCT group I suppose) so there hasn't really been an opportunity to strike up a chat with anyone at the park or out walking because they're already chatting with somebody. How awkward would that be if I just joined in!

Hi, yes she was gentle, she does not advocate CIO or CC. She did not warn me that the baby will protest because we are changing the routine I.e I was always breast feeding to sleep and explained that my little one would wake up dis-orientated and need the breast again to sleep. She asked me after the last breast feed before bed to look at a book straight after so would go down awake in the cot. I would then sit next to the cot until in a deep sleep. When awoke in the night, offer the breast but reduce the amount each night until at two weeks stopped the milk- just comfort. It took about 3 weeks to work and we normally have 7-7 sleep apart from odd teething night.
On her website is a case study which helps if you want to do it alone. Www.sleepbabies.co.uk