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35-minute naps, feeding to sleep, co-sleeping, contact naps and the dreaded “you're making a rod for your own back” 🙄

If you've ever found yourself Googling wake windows at 2am or wondering whether cuddling your baby to sleep is somehow ruining their future sleep habits, this one's for you.

This week I'm joined by Lexi, founder of Sleepy Bears and the lovely lady who's been helping me navigate Gracie's sleep.

We get into ALL of it. The pressure to have a baby who sleeps through the night, why those 35-minute naps happen (honestly, where are these babies having two-hour naps?!), and whether we really need to be worrying about all these so-called bad habits.

We also chat about safe co-sleeping, responsive sleep support, the difference between being overtired and dysregulated, and why you absolutely don't need to follow every bit of parenting advice thrown your way.

I also open up about my own experience with severe sleep deprivation after having Gracie and just how much it affected my mental health.

Plus, Lexi answers your questions from the Kin Club, including sibling bedtimes, dropping naps and what to do when both toddlers want mum at the same time.

Basically, a good old natter about baby sleep, without the judgement or another impossible routine to follow.

Because if it's safe, it's working for your family and everyone's happy, do we really need to change it?

A huge thank you to Sublime Nursing for helping with Gracie whilst we recorded. A little bit of childcare meant I could actually sit down and finish a conversation for once!

Find Lexi & Sleepy Bears 💤

📲 Follow Lexi on Instagram:
@sleepy.bearsco

💤 Want a little help with your baby's sleep? Book a FREE sleep discovery call with Lexi:
https://www.sleepybearsco.com/booking-calendar/free-sleep-discovery-call

Free Baby Sleep Guides 📖

Because we could all do with a little less Googling at 2am!

⏰ Free Wake Window Guide

Confused about how long your baby should be awake between naps? Lexi's free guide is a great place to start.

https://sleepybears.myflodesk.com/wakewindows

🌅 Free Early Waking Guide

For anyone whose baby has decided 5am is a perfectly reasonable time to start the day. 😂

https://sleepybears.myflodesk.com/earlywaking

Safer Sleep Resources 🛏️

For evidence-based safer sleep guidance, including information about co-sleeping, visit The Lullaby Trust:

https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/

Lots of love,

Millie x

Support the show

Website: https://nextofkin.ae
Instagram: @nextofkin.ae
Millie's Personal Instagram: @millie_french_
Millie's TikTok: @millie_french_
Emma's Instagram: @emmacoulter_
Email: podcast@nextofkin.ae

Join The Kin Club Whatsapp group! Be part of the conversation...

https://chat.whatsapp.com/CisHo03m0h80AS7WY6tqu0?s=cl&p=i&ilr=4

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Ok… I admit it. I need a nanny 😂

In this episode, I’m joined by Milda, founder of WeNanny, to talk all about finding, hiring and building a good relationship with a nanny here in the UAE.

We chat about where to even start, what to look for, the importance of finding someone who is willing to learn, cultural differences, communication, trust, training and why we can’t expect someone to walk into our home and automatically know exactly how we want our children to be cared for.

We also talk about positive parenting, encouraging independence as our children grow, giving feedback and the slightly scary realisation that when you hire a nanny, you also become somebody’s employer and manager.

And in true mum-life fashion, Gracie joins us for parts of the episode, so expect a few snuffles, cries and interruptions along the way 😂

If you’re looking for a nanny, thinking about hiring one or already have one and want to build a stronger relationship, this episode is for you.

Milda just released an E-book called "Complete UAE Nanny Hiring Guide"! You can ping we_nanny on instagram and she will send you a copy!

Find WeNanny:

Insta: We_nanny
https://www.wenanny.ae/

Support the show

Website: https://nextofkin.ae
Instagram: @nextofkin.ae
Millie's Personal Instagram: @millie_french_
Millie's TikTok: @millie_french_
Emma's Instagram: @emmacoulter_
Email: podcast@nextofkin.ae

Join The Kin Club Whatsapp group! Be part of the conversation...

https://chat.whatsapp.com/CisHo03m0h80AS7WY6tqu0?s=cl&p=i&ilr=4

Send us Fan Mail

How to Not Hate Your Husband After Having a Baby with Dr Ola Pykhtina

We love our husbands… obviously 😂 But becoming parents can completely change the dynamic of a relationship.

This week I’m joined by psychologist Dr Ola Pykhtina from The Wellness Hub in Dubai to talk about the side of postpartum relationships that we probably don’t speak about enough.

We chat about the mental load of motherhood, resentment, postpartum rage, communication after having a baby, intimacy, why “just tell me what you need” isn’t always helpful, and how dads can be involved right from the beginning.

Dr Ola also shares practical tools from the Gottman Method and tells us more about the Bringing Baby Home programme for couples navigating the transition into parenthood.

Links mentioned:

Dr Ola / The Wellness Hub
https://wellnesshub.ae/

Bringing Baby Home
https://wellnesshub.ae/couple-therapy-parenting/#bbh

The men’s brains vs women’s brains video I mention in the episode 😂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XjUFYxSxDk

Dr Ola's Instagram: @drolapykhtina

Wellness Hub Instagram: @wellnesshub.ae

Dr Ola's Podcast: Wellness Hub Feminine Power

Support the show

Website: https://nextofkin.ae
Instagram: @nextofkin.ae
Millie's Personal Instagram: @millie_french_
Millie's TikTok: @millie_french_
Emma's Instagram: @emmacoulter_
Email: podcast@nextofkin.ae

Join The Kin Club Whatsapp group! Be part of the conversation...

https://chat.whatsapp.com/CisHo03m0h80AS7WY6tqu0?s=cl&p=i&ilr=4