Fun, Quick, Easy, And Low Cost Arts And Crafts For Young Children

baby's hand painting on paper

Arts and crafts. They are so much more than a way to entertain and have fun with your little ones. They help your child develop critical thinking and creative expression skills at a much faster rate and can even help them academically and intellectually. There really is only one downside to doing arts and crafts … Read more

Spring Forward And Your Child’s Sleep. What You Can Do To Help.

baby sleeping next to clock

Spring Forward. If you’re a rabbit and you hear those words, then you are probably just going to think, “yeah, i do that all the time.” However, if you’re a person and you hear those words, you’ll probably think “oh no, not THAT again!” Unfortunately for just about everyone reading these words, we are negatively … Read more

What Is A Postpartum Doula?

Katie Bishop Pediatric Sleep Consultant

With pregnancy comes many challenges and with birth and caring for a newborn come many more. Some people opt to hire a birth doula to help guide them through the time just before and during childbirth. The doula will help you with many of the questions you may have before the birth and will be … Read more

How Many Hours Per Day Should Your Child Sleep?

Baby sleeping in crib

As adults, we need at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night in order to feel rested and be able to take on the day. But, what about children? Do infants and newborns need more or less sleep than toddlers and young children? The truth is that there is definitely a difference in … Read more

Co-Sleeping: Transitioning A Toddler To Their Own Bed

toddler sleep in bed

So you want your bed back? It’s perfectly normal. Your bed was once a place where you could get a full night’s rest without fear of being kicked in the face by a toddler or having your pillow and blanket stolen by the same. Co-sleeping is a joy, don’t get the wrong idea, but there … Read more

New Year’s Sleep Resolution Guide For New Parents

three babies with party hats on

Sleep. One of the most valuable resources the world over, yet so scarce for new parents and parents of young children. If there was only a magic button we could press that would make us feel rested! Until that day comes, we are on our own to get the rest we need as parents and … Read more

Christmas Tree Decorating, Toddler Edition

toddler decorating christmas tree

The holidays are such a fun time of year, especially if you have a toddler or two at home. In most homes, decorating the Christmas tree is a much looked forward to annual event and may involve multiple Christmas festivities including music, a big dinner, and lots of eggnog!   Although fun and family inclusive, … Read more

Night Terrors Vs Nightmares In Your Young Child

baby crying in mom's arms

As a parent, there is almost no faster way to feel instantly terrified and sad than when your child wakes up screaming in the middle of the night from a bad dream. For many children, they may just be experiencing a simple nightmare, but for others, it may be a true night terror and it … Read more

Is your Child Overtired? How to Know if Your Child is Overtired & Preventing Overtiredness in Your Child

crying baby near toys

This time of year it’s easy to miss a few hours of sleep here and there, especially when wrangling the holidays, the in-laws, and especially the little ones. When mom or dad miss a few good nights of sleep, we can be a little cranky or drowsy, but coffee can help with that, yet when … Read more

Why An Earache Can Derail Your Child’s Sleep

Mom holding baby while Doctor inspects ear

Ear infections are no fun for both parent and child. They are unfortunately rather common as nearly five out of every six children will have one before the age of three in the U.S. according to the NIH. An earache can have many causes, which include cold and flu viruses, and bacterial infections among others. … Read more

Tips For Surviving Thanksgiving With A Newborn

baby asleep in tub holiday decorations around

Even at the best of times, Thanksgiving is an overwhelming and stressful time. These days, it can be even more so, especially with a newborn infant in tow. Luckily, we have come up with a few time honored expert tips and strategies that you can use to help you and your partner navigate this holiday … Read more

All About Tummy Time For You And Your Newborn

Baby In Tummy Time Crawling

Tummy time is an important activity for you and your baby and can lead to many health benefits like developing early motor skills, muscle strength and endurance, and so much more. It is a great time to both bond with your little one and to help them experience something slightly different albeit challenging in their … Read more

The Benefits Of Hiring Household Employees

household employee holding infant

A household employee like a nanny, gardener, or newborn care specialist can make life so much easier in today’s busy world. They can make a huge impact on the quality of our lives and the lives of our children by allowing us to provide the close hands on care for them while being able to … Read more

Swaddling In The Early Days & Weeks

A few days ago, I received a call from a new dad. It was late at night and he and his wife were struggling with their 5 day old baby. Neither of them were getting more than 20-30 minutes of sleep at a time and neither was their newborn baby. “We don’t know if he’s … Read more

The Truth About Reflux

  Reflux in infancy is all too common these days. Roughly 50% of the babies we have the pleasure of working with, have some degree of reflux ranging from mild to severe.   What Causes Reflux? There are a number of reasons that contribute to a baby having reflux. Common triggers can be: Food sensitivities … Read more

Forcing Naps Or Assisting Baby To Sleep

Sleeping baby in carrier

Today, I wanted to post briefly about the importance of daytime sleep and why it’s helpful to help facilitate, by “forcing a nap” when needed. Daytime sleep for babies (and toddlers) is incredibly important. Without proper sleep many things happen: Short naps of 30-45 minutes Lack of REM sleep Baby doesn’t feed well because they … Read more

Baby’s first bath

When is it safe to give my baby a bath?

  If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a new or expectant new parent and have questions about giving your baby their first bath. You may wonder:  When is it safe to give my baby a bath? How old should my baby be for their first bath? Can I bathe with my newborn? Can I … Read more

Best Gifts for New Parents 

christmas baby as gift with santa hat

The holidays are upon us and most would agree; this year has been quite the rollercoaster ride! We thought we would help take some of the stress and pressure off of your shoulders and put together this gift guide for all of those new parents on your shopping list. After all, gift giving should be … Read more

Top 4 Tips for New Grandparents

Grandparents with newborn

    If You’re reading this, you’re likely an Expecting New Grandparent and congratulations are in order! Congratulations on your new little grandbaby!  The beauty of being a grandparent is that you can be as involved as much or as little as you want in your grand child’s life. If your relationship is solid with … Read more

14 Signs Baby Has A Tongue Tie

Baby tongue tie

I am so happy to have the opportunity to do this guest post from Melanie Henstrom IBCLC, BS. I have known Melanie for several years now and have learned a tremendous amount from her about tongue and lip ties. I see tongue and lip ties in a VERY HIGH percentage of my sleep and consulting … Read more

Pets & Your Baby’s Sleep

two kittens in baby bassinet catnapping

Last week I was doing an in-home meeting with my clients expecting their first baby mid-August. As we walked into the parents bedroom, mom was showing me the Nuna bassinet for the baby.  While approaching the bassinet, I saw their sweet fur child (kitty), snuggled up in a ball, soaking up the sun, cozy as … Read more

Is White Noise Safe?

newborn baby sleeping on back without swaddle

The topic of whether or not white noise is safe has come up regularly. Most often it is new parents inquiring, as they have read, or heard from a friend or family member that it’s important to use for babies. In today’s post, I will answer the question of whether or not it is safe … Read more

Sleep Coaching GIVEAWAY!

Katie Bishop The Early Weeks Giveaway Alert

❗❗ GIVEAWAY ❗❗ 1-Hour Free Phone Consultation the_early_weeks ???? Are you a new parent? ???? Are you sleep deprived? ❓Do you have questions? ????????Are you currently expecting? ???? does your baby have colic or reflux? It’s your lucky day! I am giving away a 1-Hour free phone ☎️ consultation!! Now is your opportunity to have … Read more

Top 3 Reasons to Swaddle Your Baby

5 newborn babies sleeping in swaddle me swaddles

Swaddling is like a universal truth here in the United States. If you’re a new or expectant parent, chances are you have read or been told by a trusted friend or family member that you need to swaddle your new bundle of joy. If you’ve attended a new parent or birth education class, it’s surely … Read more

Is Belly Sleeping Safe?

newborn baby bell sleeping

My most recent sleep training client was at the perfect age for a lot of things. At 5 months old and over the course of two weeks, we worked through a lot! Teething, the introduction of solids, a mysterious cheek rash, consolidated and longer naps, sleeping through the night, a leap, and you guessed it, … Read more

Do you need a Nanny, Night Nanny, Sleep Consultant or Newborn Care Specialist?

mom holding baby talking with sleep consultant

For any new or expectant parent, determining what provider may be the most helpful for your particular situation may seem challenging. This is primarily because you are likely sleep deprived and operating at less than optimal capacity and because the use of some professionals isn’t common knowledge in all areas of the country. This causes … Read more

Rock N Play Recall

newborn baby rock n play

Rock N Play Recall It’s a hot and debated topic right now. As of Tuesday April 9th, 2019, The American Academy of Pediatrics has formally stated that they are pushing for the recall of Fisher Price Rock N Plays. The push for recall comes over several years of so called infant deaths caused by the … Read more

Long Distance Postpartum Support

new parents holding newborn baby

For local friends and family, supporting new parents after the birth of a baby is a little easier. You may offer to drop off dinner, take an older sibling out for a play date or pick up a few items at the grocery store. But friends and family out of state don’t have this luxury. … Read more

Sleep Deprivation

parents trying to sleep and awake baby

Client Testimonial “I just can’t believe what a difference this had made! Doctors should really refer mom’s who are struggling to you! The impact that her sleeping has had on my mental health is so amazing”. -Kjirsten, Eagle, ID 5 month old sleeping 12 hours per night beginning night 4.   Sound Familiar? You are … Read more

Sleep Training – 5 month old

a well rested mom holding baby

The following is an e-mail I received at 2 am a few weeks ago: “In need of Sleep” “We have a beautiful, baby girl that just turned 5 months old. She is not sleeping much at all, whether it be at night or during the day. We have kept her schedule pretty consistent and it … Read more

Why nightlights are ruining your child’s sleep

white night light

Light Matters Newborn, toddler or adult, exposure to light before we go to sleep matters. It can affect the way that we fall asleep as well as the quality and duration. Below is a nice summary of why light affects our sleep as well as the worst types. Many parents around the world are making … Read more