The Best Birth Podcast Episode 41 - Sleep & Self-Care with Registered Nurse Julia Jeffrey
INTERVIEW OVERVIEW
Julia Jeffrey, a doula and newborn care specialist, shares her journey into newborn care and the importance of sleep for babies. She emphasizes the need for creating a perfect sleep environment, establishing routines, and understanding wake windows. Julia also discusses the importance of trust in the parent-child relationship and the developmental milestones that babies go through. She advises against excessive screen time and encourages parents to set limits and create realistic expectations.
TAKEAWAYS
Creating a perfect sleep environment is crucial for babies to get quality sleep.
Establishing routines and understanding wake windows can help babies develop healthy sleep patterns.
Building trust in the parent-child relationship is important for a baby's psychosocial development.
Babies go through various developmental milestones, both physical and psychosocial, in their first year.
Excessive screen time should be avoided, and alternative hands-on distractions should be provided for babies.
Parents should set limits and create realistic expectations for their child's behavior and development.
WORDS OF WISDOM
I can do the nights. And that just, that was it. That was all it took to really spark my passion for postpartum doula work.
It's about planning. It's about creating an environment. It's about, you know, doing the things that get people ready for sleep.
If you're not understanding wake windows but your baby is getting really fussy at 7:45 and I've seen moms go, okay, I gotta put him back on or I gotta give him some more food. No, no, no, like let's stop. Let's look at what they're doing.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction to Julia Jeffrey
02:43 Passion for Postpartum Doula Work
03:12 Creating a Perfect Sleep Environment
11:46 Understanding Wake Windows
32:57 Feeding and Mixing Breast Milk and Formula
41:08 Limiting Screen Time and Setting Expectations
TALKING POINTS
newborn care, sleep, sleep environment, routines, wake windows, trust, developmental milestones, screen time, expectations
RESOURCES
AfterEase for postpartum cramps
BOOKS
The Fringe Hours by Jessica Turner
“Time is a gift, and how we choose to use it reflects what we value. Reclaim your fringe hours and fill them with what brings you joy and fulfillment.”
Julia Jeffery
Julia Jeffery is a seasoned postpartum doula with 12 years of experience and also a bereavement doula of 10 years. She is a trained birth doula and has been a newborn care specialist for a decade. Having been an educator of new parents for 5 years, Julia has guided numerous families through the early stages of parenthood. Currently in her final semester of a BSN program to become a registered nurse, she owns The Baby Hive, a postpartum, newborn, and nanny agency. A dedicated mother of four and wife of 30 years, Julia is also a passionate traveler--bringing a wealth of personal and professional experience to her work.
Take our Birth Education Courses so you too can create The Best Birth!