Hey there! My name is Mackenzie, and I am a Pediatric Sleep Coach.
I am a proud mother of two- Kayson who is a tractor-loving, Dino-obsessed three-year-old boy, and Paisley my loving, sassy one-and-a-half-year-old girl.
When I was pregnant with my first I had all the confidence in the world. Several of my friends already had babies that I spent much time around and I had a couple of nieces I learned from as well.
My husband would always say my confidence helped him become much less scared in becoming a first-time dad.
However, when my son was born… all that certainty went out the window. I couldn’t possibly understand how these nurses could send us home with this tiny being all on our own! It was scary.
Our nights were long. Days flew by. We were figuring out our new normal and adjusting to life with a baby. He was a particularly sleepy baby and in fact, by two months old started sleeping through the night on his own. I felt incredibly blessed and a little skeptical to be honest. I knew it was too good to be true, but I went with it!
Around 4.5 months it all changed. He stopped napping in his bassinet or swing and only wanted to be held. Nights became sporadic again and I was starting to feel completely drained. It was affecting my mental state and my marriage. I fell into this pit of feeling helpless and inadequate.
I started researching to find out why this was happening and began to learn A LOT about baby sleep and…. a 4-month sleep regression?? What even is a regression? I found some helpful Facebook support groups and a ton of information online, but it was all very overwhelming. I was able to successfully train my son but felt like there could have been a better way. A way that made me (and my son) feel less alone in the process.
Then I had my second baby a year and a half later. I thought, I for sure got this time. I did it once, I can without a doubt do it again. I was better prepared and could have a better understanding of what was coming. When it came time to sleep coach my daughter, however, I learned that what worked for my son most certainly did not work for her. I quickly realized that no two babies are alike. Those feelings of overwhelm flooded me. I remember sitting on the edge of my bed crying while my daughter was in her room screaming, feeling like this just isn’t right! But I didn’t know what else to do. I felt like the world's worst mother.
I am here to tell you that you are not alone. You don’t have to leave your child to cry alone while you have headphones in to block it out or feel like you have to leave the house because you can’t handle the crying. I wish more than anything I could go back in time with the knowledge I now know after qualifying as a Pediatric Sleep Coach.
After coaching my children and learning that there is indeed a much gentler approach, I learned I have a lot of passion surrounding sleep coaching. I feel incredibly blessed to be able to educate families on what’s ‘normal', what to expect at different ages, and how to coach their children in a much softer, responsive way. These techniques are evidence-based and proven to keep a secure attachment and bond between parent and child.
Sleep is something that people don’t really talk about when it comes to their children. There are a lot of stigmas that I believe keep people from talking about their situation because they don’t want to feel judge or like a failure.
If you want to continue safely bed-sharing?
Great! I can help manage that. You found yourself involuntarily bed-sharing and want to help transition your child into their own bed? I am more than happy to help with that as well.
Still breastfeeding?
No problem! You don't have to stop nursing your child to properly sleep coach them.
Sleep can feel complicated and lack of it can cause a lot of stress in families and relationships. Parenting is hard work and you don’t have to do it alone. After all, it takes a village and I am here to join your village and help you have a Rested Nest.
pediatric sleep coach