Sweet Dreaming with The Cradle Coach

Sleep – the holy grail of parenting.

I never knew how much I would come to appreciate my pillow until my second son, Henry, was born. My first was a great sleeper, but Henry? He is playing in a whole different ball game. I had become quite proficient at scouring the Internet for sleep tips, but a few months ago, I came across a Facebook page that would be my saving grace. Enter Melissa Perry, a.k.a, The Cradle Coach. I had actually hired a sleep consultant before meeting Melissa but didn’t find the service any more helpful than the books I had memorized. When I learned about Melissa’s Cradle Express phone consultation – a 20-minute phone call that would only cost me $20, I thought, “what do I have to lose?” Melissa was as sweet as pie and gave me just the encouragement I needed to kick-start a sleep-training plan for Henry.

I think Melissa has a lot of great advice to offer tired parents, so I asked Molly if I could interview her for the blog.

 Jamie: Tell us a little about yourself. What did you do before founding The Cradle Coach?

Melissa: My name is Melissa and I am a mother of two little ones, Riley (3.5) and Hudson (2), and I am pregnant with my third. I married the man of my dreams who I met in college. He makes me become a better wife, mother, sister and friend every single day by pushing me to be greater. I love family and find it the heart and sole of why I am doing what I do. I am actually still doing what I was doing (only part time now) before I started The Cradle Coach. I work for the owners of a production company (Visual Creatives Inc.) handling all the talent and finances and coordinating their production shoots.

J: What inspired you to start your business?

M: I was sitting on my couch, feeding Riley who was 2 months old at the time, and scrolling through my phone searching for someone to talk to about training my very stubborn little girl. I was up all night, every night, for 2 months straight and was exhausted. I wasn’t myself and felt completely out of control. I was desperate! For years I was a nanny and dealt with many situations like this with infants, twins and toddlers, but when it was my own child with very real emotions to consider, I didn’t know where to begin. Nothing worked, and I couldn’t find a single person to talk to. Then and there was when I decided to start The Cradle Coach. I wanted to help other moms create a routine for their children during the day and a game plan for the wake-ups at night, while also giving them that emotional support along the way.

J: What do you enjoy most about your job?

M: I love connecting with these mothers. Immediately, they place their trust in me – someone they don’t know but believe in. Once they make that first step in calling, there is no way I am letting them down. Hearing their stories, listening to their hearts, we immediately connect and most turn out to be some of my good friends!

J: What is the most challenging aspect of being a sleep consultant?

The moments when I handle a telephone training and all I want to do is be at their home at that moment and help them get past the first night. Some of the hardest times are getting through that first night. And most of the hardship comes emotionally. That’s where I just want to give my client a hug and encourage them to continue on. To get to that goal because it’s rewarding and beneficial!

J: What does your average day look like?

M: I wake up between 6-6:30 and have a little quiet time with a nice cup of coffee (except these last few weeks as coffee is making me want to gag thanks to this pregnancy). Then I check some emails and wait for my kids to wake around 7. Then starts breakfast and getting ready for the day. We usually have a play date in the morning and then back at home for my Hudson’s two-hour nap and Riley’s quiet time. This is where I get a lot of my work done. After the nap-time, back to being a mom and enjoying whatever activity brings for the afternoon. Dinner. Bath. And the kids are off to bed between 6-6:30 p.m. Then I go for a run and spend some time with my husband. And as I end the night, I check more emails, handle any training calls or go to clients’ homes to train. Just depends on the day.

J: What one piece of advice would you offer an expectant mom (and dad!) when it comes to helping a baby sleep?

M: Routine, routine, routine! Children thrive on routine. They like knowing what’s expected of them and what’s next. Starting off with a little bedtime routine before you lay them to sleep helps them know it’s time to go to sleep. It slows them down. And second thing: enjoy the moments. Sometimes we are so exhausted that we can’t see the joy in the moment. Be open to those moments. Love on those moments. They go by so fast and before you know it.

J: What I found to be most interesting about your philosophy is that you don’t believe in a one-size- fits-all approach to sleep training. That said, how do you determine the best sleep method for your clients?

M: I believe it’s all about the child’s personality and the desire of the parents. If you place a full cry-it-out to a parent who is emotional and hasn’t slept in weeks, most of the time it fails. Find out what works for you as a parent. What can you handle? If you can handle a little crying, go for it. If you can’t handle any crying, you can do it! You are the mother and you make the call.

J: You’re pregnant with your third baby now. Have you learned anything since starting your business that you think you’ll be able to apply to your newest addition?

M: Yes!!! Not to rush those first few weeks. It’s hard for me to not want to start the routines and start the planning. But I know babies need to take time and adjust to their new environment. And so do I.

J: There are seemingly hundreds of sleep books and products that are “guaranteed” do get a baby to sleep. Do you have any favorite books or products?

M: There are so many different books out there that it can be quite overwhelming, but I really enjoy Happiest Baby on the Block. I think it really captures the idea of a new baby and how to start them with routine and good habits at a young age. And I have so many products I am obsessed with but my favorites are the Marpac Dohm sound machine and anything Aden and Anais.

 

If you’re interested in learning more about The Cradle Coach visit her website and Facebook page, and be sure to check out her FREE Q&A Wednesdays on Facebook. Mark your calendars! The next Q&A Wednesday will be August 20 at 9 p.m.