Possums Baby Sleep Stories Competition - Kiri's Story

Like many first-time mums, I had prepared for my baby’s arrival by reading many books about sleep routines. I thought I knew all that there was to know about sleep, and that I would nail it. Then my darling daughter Veronica arrived! 
Ronnie was a very unsettled newborn – she mostly cried non-stop for the first few months of her life and vomited in unbelievable amounts! She constantly wanted to be held and she would cry if I wasn’t holding her. I had read about sleep routines and had spent hours trying to get Ronnie to follow one, because I was convinced it would help with her crying. I had no success. Instead, I spent hours stuck at home, in a dark room in the middle of the day, trying to force a crying baby to sleep when she really did not want to. I was exhausted and I missed having a life.

By chance I found Dr Pam online and booked in to see her because I was desperate for help. It was a life-changing experience for us. Dr Pam told me that it was ok to feed my baby to sleep! It was ok to breastfeed on demand! It was ok to carry her around in my arms, as much as I wanted! It was ok to go out and live my life and have my baby join in, in lieu of a strict sleep schedule. In fact, it was important to give Ronnie rich, sensory nourishment from being in other environments, other than just being at home. She taught me that babies sleep when they need to and that they take the amount of sleep that they need. 

She also told me about the Possums Sleep Film and about her group consult sessions for parents. I watched the film and went to several sessions, because it was such an informative, comforting and safe environment. As a tired, overwhelmed and confused first-time mother, this support really got me through being a new mum. The other women there were all so lovely and understanding.

It was the most liberating thing to not feel like I was doing the ‘wrong thing’ for once. I’m so glad I listened. I started having wonderful experiences outside of the home with Ronnie and while she still grizzled, she eventually grew out of the newborn screaming and she slept when she was tired. I breastfed on demand and let her sleep on me when she wanted to and it help with the crying. I loved the snuggles.

Ronnie is now 14 months and so happy. Not following a sleep schedule didn’t ‘ruin her’. She started sleeping through the night on her own at 11 months, when she was ready. She still has bad nights with teething, but she is human! It’s normal! Adults have bad nights of sleep too! I’m so glad that I stopped wasting time with sleep routines and have been able to really enjoy my baby.  

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Please submit your stories (500 words max) to possumscomp@gmail.com. If you like, you can include an image to pair with your story. The winning story will receive a gorgeous Hug-A-Bub Organic Pocket Wrap Carrier worth $100.
Entries close at 5pm on Friday 31st July, 2020.

The Possums sleep program is now available inside Milk & Moon, our exciting new home for parents. Milk & Moon membership includes everything in the Possums Baby and Toddler Sleep Program, the Gestalt Breastfeeding Program, and the Parent Hub, plus many additional resources. We are no longer selling these products separately, but as an all-in-one plus much more membership through Milk & Moon.)