Advertise on podcast: The 10 Minute Newborn | Quick Tips for Newborn Parents

A couple of months ago, I did something I don't think I've ever done before. I told a returning client not to hire me. At least, not yet. In this episode, I tell you exactly why I said that, and what happened afterward. Chelsea is a mom I've worked with twice, on her second and third babies. She joins me to walk through the whole journey, from our first time working together to the moment her third baby's sleep started to slip and I suggested something other than a call. In this episode: What working together looked like the first time around, and the bedtime lesson that stuck with her going into baby number threeWhy feeling confident going into a third baby doesn't mean your baby won't throw you a curveballWhat her baby's nights actually looked like when she reached out for help againWhat I suggested instead of booking a call, and how she reactedHow fast things changed, and what surprised her mostWhat she'd tell another mom who's on the fence about asking for helpTry the Snooze Clues Companion free: https://app.snoozeclues.co/?enter=1 If this helped, send it to another tired parent in your life. That's exactly how this show finds the people who need it. Kristen Jacob is a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, Certified Lactation Counselor, and Newborn Care Specialist who has worked with more than 500 families.

You drop them off with a folder full of notes. Their schedule, their wake windows, exactly how they like to fall asleep. You feel organized, in control. Then pickup comes, and they napped for 22 minutes total, all day. If daycare and what it might do to your kid's sleep has had you dreading drop-off, you're not wrong to feel that way. Let's actually talk about what you can do about it, and more importantly, what you can't. In this episode: Why daycare is almost never an ideal sleep environment, and why trying to control it directly is the first mistake most parents makeThe handful of things actually worth trying with your daycare providersWhy kids are better at holding two different sets of expectations than you'd think, and what that means for how strict you need to be about consistencyWhat to actually do when daycare sleep starts bleeding into home sleep, and why the fix is usually smaller than you'd expectWhy it tends to get better, and the real reason behind it You can't control daycare. You can control home. Let's talk about how. Try the Snooze Clues Companion free: https://app.snoozeclues.co/companion Kristen Jacob is a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, Certified Lactation Counselor, and Newborn Care Specialist who has worked with more than 500 families.

It's 11:47pm. Your baby's been crying for six minutes. You're standing outside the door with your hand on the knob, and every cell in your body is telling you to go in. How long do you actually let them cry? I wish I had a clean number for you. I don't. But there's a real way to think through that hand-on-the-door moment, and by the end of this episode you'll know how to work through it yourself. In this episode: Why crying is one of the only forms of communication your baby has, and why that means not every cry is a call for helpThe difference between a baby who feels abandoned and a baby who's frustrated while they learn something newWhy stepping in every single time can work against them, and what to do insteadWhether there's an actual time limit, and why the answer depends on the situation more than the clockThe different types of cries most parents learn to recognize once they understand their baby's routine You have permission to let them cry. Let's talk about why. Try the Snooze Clues Companion free: https://app.snoozeclues.co/companion Kristen Jacob is a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, Certified Lactation Counselor, and Newborn Care Specialist who has worked with more than 500 families.

I get asked this constantly, and my answer is always yes. Swaddling is one of the very few things in newborn sleep I'm genuinely not willing to budge on. I know that might ruffle some feathers, so today I'm walking through why I feel this strongly, what the actual research says, and the one legitimate concern that's out there, because there is one. It's just not the one most people think. In this episode: Why the Moro (startle) reflex is the real enemy of newborn sleep, and what the research in Pediatrics actually found about swaddling and sleep qualityThe difference between "my baby doesn't like the swaddle" and "my baby doesn't like being swaddled," and why that distinction mattersWhat the research really says about swaddling and hip development (it's not what you've heard)How to swaddle correctly so the actual risk doesn't apply to youWhy safe, correct swaddling is also tied to safer sleep Try the Snooze Clues Companion free: https://app.snoozeclues.co/companion Kristen Jacob is a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, Certified Lactation Counselor, and Newborn Care Specialist who has worked with more than 500 families. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 My honest answer, right up front1:14 The Moro reflex and why it disrupts sleep2:30 What the research in Pediatrics actually found3:09 The womb-recreation piece3:48 "My baby doesn't like the swaddle" vs. "doesn't like being swaddled"4:44 Judge it by five minutes later, not the first 30 seconds5:57 The real research on hips and development7:33 How to swaddle correctly8:22 Swaddling, safe sleep, and the AAP9:15 When it's time to transition out (a preview)10:05 Where to get the right answer for your baby10:37 Your one takeaway

No sleep, no schedules this week. Just an honest conversation. Somebody asked me in my weekly Q&A how I knew we were done after two kids, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I didn't answer it in the Q&A, and it wasn't because I don't have an answer. It's because I've always been the person who stops scrolling on every "how I knew our family was complete" post. For a really long time, I didn't know. In this episode: Why I would have told you with total certainty that we were having a third, and what changedThe two lines everybody hands you when you're deciding, and why neither one is big enough for an actual decisionThe kitchen table trap: why a pretty picture of a full table leaves out everything that mattersBeing the default parent, and why that mattered to my decision more than I expectedWhy there was never one definitive moment, and why I'm at peace anywayThis one is for the people in limbo. The ones who wake up sure they're making the wrong decision and wake up the next day just as sure it's the right one. Try the Snooze Clues Companion free: https://app.snoozeclues.co/companion Kristen Jacob is a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, Certified Lactation Counselor, and Newborn Care Specialist, and a mom of two.

What Should My Baby's Schedule Look Like? (The Wrong Question) I get asked this constantly, and I always answer it with a question: what do YOU want it to look like? Because there's what a schedule should look like on paper, there's what your baby is actually capable of, and there's what your family's life will genuinely allow. The right schedule lives somewhere in the middle of all three. Most people are only looking at the first one. In this episode: The biggest mistake I see: living and dying by the time on the clock, when your baby has no idea what time it isWhy the order of the steps matters more than when they happen, and how a routine sets an expectation for a baby who can't understand a single word yetThe bedtime example that makes it click: why 7:00 vs 7:15 vs 7:30 doesn't matter, but bottle-and-bed one night and the full bath-lotion-book-song the next absolutely doesWhy I ask what you want your schedule to look like, and what baby schedules have in common with eating clean and going to the gymThe wake window trap, and why a downloadable graphic is a guide and nothing moreStop chasing perfect. Chase the happy medium you'll actually keep. Try the Snooze Clues Companion free: https://app.snoozeclues.co/companion Kristen Jacob is a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, Certified Lactation Counselor, and Newborn Care Specialist who has worked with more than 500 families.

Everywhere I go, someone finds out I'm a sleep consultant and asks the same thing: what am I doing wrong, and what's your one tip to get my baby sleeping better? I never answer that straight. I ask a question back. Because when you say your baby wakes up, I need to know what that actually looks like. Not all night wakings are created equal, and until I know which kind we're dealing with, any tip I give you is just a guess. In this episode: Why "sleeping through the night" has no real definition, and how two moms can say the exact same sentence and mean completely different thingsThe three kinds of night wakings: biologically normal, habit-based, and true hungerThe one I see constantly after the four month regression, where a habit waking gets answered with a feed and quietly turns into real overnight hungerWhy "just offer a feed" can accidentally build the exact problem you were trying to solveWhat actually fixes it: break the habit, move the calories back to the day, or bothStop asking what you're doing wrong. Start asking what kind of waking this is. Try the Snooze Clues Companion free: https://app.snoozeclues.co/companion Kristen Jacob is a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, Certified Lactation Counselor, and Newborn Care Specialist who has worked with more than 500 families.

Every week I get the same message from a different parent: "My baby was doing so well, and now it feels like everything's falling apart. I don't know what I did." Here's the thing. You didn't do anything. Nothing broke. What actually happened is your baby hit a week that was always coming, but it wasn't marked on your calendar. So in this episode I'm putting it on your calendar. I walk through the four developmental shifts I see in every single baby I work with, what's really happening in each one, and why knowing they're coming is the difference between a bump in the road and a five-car pileup. What we cover: Weeks 2 to 3, the growth spurt. Why your baby suddenly wants to eat nonstop, what cluster feeding actually is, and why it does not mean your milk dried up or your supply was never enough.Weeks 3 to 4, the four-week wake-up. Why the dreamy two-hour naps disappear and the 45-minute nap shows up, and why short naps at this age are development, not damage.Week 6, peak fussiness. The loudest week of the newborn period, the developmental leap hiding underneath it, and why so many parents give up on their foundation the week right before it starts working.Around 4 months, the "regression" that isn't one. Why the 4-month sleep regression is really a permanent progression, and why it's the one that throws you for longer than the rest.The information about these weeks isn't rare. The problem is you usually get it after the hard week has already flattened you. Getting it before is the only kind that actually protects you. Start your free trial of the Snooze Clues Companion: https://app.snoozeclues.co/companion Personalized, week-by-week feeding and sleep guidance built on The Newborn Blueprint Framework. It knows exactly how old your baby is, tells you what's happening this week and what's coming next week before it gets here, and answers your questions in my voice whenever you need it. Prenatal through age three. Kristen Jacob is a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, Certified Lactation Counselor, and Newborn Care Specialist who has worked with more than 500 families. The 10 Minute Newborn delivers one real newborn answer in about ten minutes. New episodes weekly. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 The message I get every single week0:47 Why "I don't know what I did" is the wrong question1:27 The panic scramble, not the fussiness, is the real problem3:30 Weeks 2 to 3: the growth spurt and cluster feeding4:38 Week 4: the four-week wake-up and short naps5:42 Week 6: peak fussiness and the developmental leap7:05 Around 4 months: a progression, not a regression8:06 Why the timing of information is everything8:59 The one thing I built to help

I did something the other day that I'm always telling parents not to do: I asked ChatGPT a normal newborn question. Specifically, why a newborn will only sleep when she's held, and wakes up the second you put her down in the bassinet. The answer it gave me was so overwhelming that I felt lost. And I'm a Certified Lactation Counselor, Newborn Care Specialist, and Pediatric Sleep Consultant who does this for a living. If it buried me, I genuinely can't imagine being a brand-new parent on no sleep trying to make sense of it. So this episode is about something nobody really tells new parents: where you get your answers matters more than almost anything. The internet gives you everything. A friend gives you their baby's answer. A professional gives you yours. I get into why that is, and I use that exact bassinet question to show you the difference, why the same problem gets you a wall of twelve things to try online, versus one clear answer from someone who actually knows your baby. We also get into why your newborn only sleeps when held in the first place, and how to start helping them sleep in the bassinet without it turning into a battle. If you've ever closed your phone feeling more stressed than when you opened it, this one's for you. 👉 Want a real answer at 2am instead of a rabbit hole? Start your free trial of the Snooze Clues Companion — personalized newborn feeding and sleep support, any hour: https://app.snoozeclues.co/companion

My second daughter barely made a sound when she was born. After the first night my husband and I genuinely thought we'd hit the jackpot. And then night two happened. Nonstop crying. Nonstop feeding. A complete one-eighty. What I was witnessing had a name, a biological reason, and a predictable timeline. Nobody told me any of it. This episode prepares you for that. In this episode: Why babies sleep beautifully on night one and fall apart on night twoWhat cluster feeding is actually doing for your milk supplyWhy night two is not a preview of the baby you haveHow long it actually lastsThe hard nights don't disappear when you're prepared. They just stop feeling like failure. Ready to walk into the newborn stage with a plan? The Newborn Blueprint Method is the program that gives you the roadmap AND me there with you every week. Join us now: https://snoozeclues.co/newborn-foundation-protocol Hit subscribe so you never go into one of these moments without knowing what's coming.

A few months ago I sat in a parking lot for a full hour, sobbing, completely unable to make myself drive home to my kids and my responsibilities. I wasn't hurt. I was completely burnt out. This episode is a personal one. It's the story of what happens when you convince yourself that doing it all is just what your life looks like now (and how long you can carry that before something breaks). It's also the follow-up to last week's episode, where I shared the four things every expecting mom needs to know before her baby arrives. The last one was ask for help. I meant it then. I really mean it now. In this episode: What "doing it all" actually looked like in my life (and why I thought it was normal)The Saturday morning everything brokeThe one text I sent my husband from a parking lotWhat my friend said that finally made me zoom outThe guilt I sat with for weeks before I could accept the helpWhy the present, patient version of you is still there, she just needs roomIf you're in a season right now where you're trying to carry everything, this one is for you. And if you're expecting and you're determined to figure the newborn stage out on your own, this one is especially for you. The help you accept before you're in it changes everything. That's exactly what the Newborn Blueprint Method is — me, there with you every week, building your baby's feeding and sleep foundation before you need it. https://snoozeclues.co/newborn-foundation-protocol Haven't heard last week's episode yet? Start there first: 4 Things Every Expecting Mom Needs To Know Before She Brings Her Baby Home. https://podcasts.apple.com/zm/podcast/nobody-is-going-to-give-you-this-permission-so-i-will/id1877941571?i=1000770177742 Hit subscribe so you never miss an episode. And if this one moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

You've read all the books. You've built the registry. You've Googled things at 2am you're not going to tell anyone you Googled (I promise, almost everyone poops during labor). But you still have that quiet feeling in the back of your mind that you're not quite ready. In this episode, I'm sharing the four things I wish someone had told every family I've worked with before their baby arrived. Not a checklist. Not curated tips. Just the truth about what those first weeks actually look like and the permission nobody is going to give you before you're already in it. So I'm doing it now. In this episode: Why you are in charge (even when everyone around you is acting like they are)How to say no without guilt when your baby's rhythm needs protectingWhy feeling unprepared doesn't mean you're failingHow to ask for help in a way that actually helpsFor the expecting mom who's done everything right and still wonders if she's ready, this one's for you. Ready to build your baby's sleep and feeding foundation before she even arrives? The Newborn Blueprint Method is a 12-week personalized program where I work with your family every step of the way, so that by week 12, your baby is predictable and you feel like yourself again. Join me here: https://snoozeclues.co/newborn-foundation-protocol

If the SNOO is on your registry — or you're trying to decide whether it should be — this episode is for you. The SNOO bassinet is one of the most talked-about baby products on the market, and honestly, for good reason. It works. But as a Certified Lactation Counselor, Newborn Care Specialist, and Pediatric Sleep Consultant, there's a part of this conversation the marketing consistently leaves out — and it's the part that shows up in my coaching room at three, four, and five months postpartum, when families are more exhausted than they were in the newborn stage and trying to undo something they never saw coming. So before you decide if the SNOO is worth it, this is the episode I'd want you to hear. I break down exactly what the SNOO is actually doing, why it's so effective, and the one question every family should ask before they buy — because it's not the question most people are asking. If you want to make this decision intentionally before your baby arrives, rather than reactively at the four-month mark, this one's worth ten minutes. In this episode: What the SNOO actually does, and why it's so effectiveThe dependency pattern that forms quietly over the first few weeksWhy so many SNOO families hit a wall at the transition to the crib — and what's really driving itThe one question to ask yourself before your baby arrives 👉 Want the full roadmap before your baby comes home? The Newborn Blueprint Method is a week-by-week feeding and sleep framework designed to be completed before your baby is even born: https://snoozeclues.co/newborn-foundation-protocol

Most new moms are told to watch for hunger cues, dirty diapers, and wake windows. Nobody tells you to watch for this. Mouth breathing in newborns is one of the most commonly overlooked red flags in the newborn stage and it's almost always a sign that something else is going on underneath the surface. In this episode, Kristen breaks down why newborns are designed to breathe through their nose, what's typically behind mouth breathing when it shows up, and why it tends to get mislabeled as colic, reflux, or just a difficult baby before anyone connects the dots. If you're expecting and want to know what to watch for from day one — this one is for you. In this episode: Why newborns shouldn't breathe through their mouthThe most common causes of mouth breathing in newbornsHow it connects to feeding issues, fussiness, and restless sleepThe one thing to watch for from the moment you come home

Keeping your baby up later to get a longer stretch at night feels completely logical. It's also one of the most common mistakes I see newborn moms make. It almost never works. In this episode I'm sharing the story of a newborn mom I'm currently working with. It's her third baby, she knows my methods (we worked together on her second baby too!), but she is still stuck in the same pattern. Her 8 week old was going to bed between 9:30 and 10:30pm every night and waking at 1am, then 3am, sometimes more. And for three consecutive weeks she told me the same thing: I know what you're going to say Kristen. I'm just not ready. I'll explain exactly what's happening in your baby's biology at 7 to 8 weeks that makes the earlier bedtime work and I'll read you the DM she sent me the morning after she finally made the move. It's that good. If your baby is 7 to 9 weeks old and bedtime feels like a battle every single night, this one's for you. Ready to stop guessing and start building a real plan? Join me inside the Newborn Foundation Protocol: https://snoozeclues.co/newborn-foundation-protocol-postpartum