ABOUT KIN POSTPARTUM
Welcome you beautiful,
tired parents.
I’m Hannah, a mum of two and certified Sleep Specialist living in lutruwita/Tasmania.
I started Kin Postpartum because I’ve been where you are. My firstborn spent the first twelve months of his life pretty much waking hourly. Yes, hourly.
Nearly. Every. Single. Night.
Looking down the barrel of a return to work and feeling like I was at breaking point, I booked a consult with a sleep consultant who I knew was an advocate for sleep training but who had beautiful words like ‘gentle’, ‘soothing’, and ‘respectful of co-sleeping’ on her website and socials.
Turns out spaced soothing is controlled crying, and it was not gentle or responsive. It was just distressing.
I knew there was a reason my baby wasn’t sleeping.
I knew there was a reason my baby wasn’t sleeping.
Leaving him to sit with his distress and limiting how & when I could respond went against every instinct I had as a mother, and it went against everything I knew I wanted to be as a mother – an intentional, responsive parent who treated my baby as the wonderfully unique little human that he is.
So, I threw ‘conventional wisdom’ out the window and went to work on the research.
I clocked countless hours studying attachment, brain development, lactation, feeding support, sleep science and infant development, and I found a support person who helped me to work through it all and understand what normal infant sleeps looks like (we weren’t too far off the mark!), and gain a better understanding of temperament and how this translates to the need for proximity. I then went on to uncover the last little piece as to why my baby was having trouble sleeping.
He had restricted oral function and this was getting in the way of him sleeping at his biological best.
If we had stayed with the conventional pathway of ‘sleep training’, we never would have uncovered the underlying factors that were affecting our baby. Instead, we would have papered over his distress by teaching him not to cry, his only way of communicating with us that there was a problem.
The whole experience lit a fire within me!
I trained as a Baby Led Sleep & Wellbeing Specialist with Isla Grace, and I have made it my mission to empower parents like you to trust your instincts and parent like the (responsive) boss that you are.
Looking for a truly honest and gentle approach with no sleep training in sight?
Want to support your little one to sleep as well as is developmentally appropriate for their age and stage?
Need someone in your corner who will be your personal cheer squad?
Feel it is important to respect your child’s temperament and development in order to foster their mental health…?
Then, you are in the right place.
I love that you’ve found your Responsive Parenting flex, and are looking for ways to support your small person’s sleep that go against the grain but align with your intuition.
Hi! I’m Michelle, a passionate sleep coach on a mission to normalize infant sleep and empower parents to find what works best for their family. Originally from Costa Rica, I’ve called Australia home since 2015.
With a Bachelor’s Degree in English Teaching and a Master’s Degree in Multilingual Communication, I expanded my expertise by becoming a certified Baby-Led Sleep and Well-Being Specialist in 2021. Since then, I’ve been dedicated to helping parents of babies, toddlers, and young children in getting more and better sleep without resorting to sleep training.
As a loving mother of two incredible daughters, I intimately understand both the joys and challenges that accompany parenting, especially when navigating the elusive world of baby sleep.
Guiding you towards personalized solutions that promote healthy sleep for everyone.
My coaching approach is grounded in principles of attachment and evidence-based research. I believe in equipping parents with knowledge about normal infant sleep patterns while identifying any potential red flags that may be disrupting your little one’s rest. Rather than imposing rigid routines, I advocate for understanding your family’s unique circumstances and goals, guiding you towards personalized solutions that promote healthy sleep for everyone.
Beyond my professional endeavors, two random facts about me: music and dancing are my emotional playground—my mood instantly improves with the sound of a good song to move my body with. And, I’m a proud enthusiast for coffee, chocolate, and sparkling water; they bring joy to my life.
ETHOS + APPROACH
My Approach is Honest Supportive Responsive Intuitive Unconventional
Using principles based on developmental psychology, attachment theory and neuroscience, I work with the family unit to get to the root of sleep behaviours without the use of any separation-based behaviour modification techniques, because here’s the truth:
You can’t train out a baby’s biological needs.
If you’re here, it’s because your maternal wisdom tells you that your newborn isn’t misbehaving or a bad sleeper like the picture the mainstream sleep paradigm likes to paint, but that all behaviour is communication.
There are no guarantees or hiding in the pantry to ‘drown out the cries here’.
Instead, I work with you to uncover and remove the underlying barriers that are impacting your babe’s sleep.
No timed check in’s or drowsy but awake – just a big dose of honest support to help you relax and enjoy your baby.
You can’t train good sleep, but you can work with your baby to remove any barriers and get them sleeping at their biological best.
You can start with my free e-book on Wake Windows, Sleep Cues and Following Your Child’s Lead, or jump over to my Instagram where I run challenges, regular Q&A’s and talk openly about motherhood and normalising infant sleep.
But what I’d really love is to work with you 1:1 – take a look at the consults page and see which one may be the best fit for you.
If you are in need of some sleep support for your little one(s), I can highly, highly recommend Hannah. We engaged Hannah’s advice via her Insta chat option and it was well worth it! We’ve been following the plan Hannah developed with me for less than a week and we have already seen vast improvement!
– Crystal-Leigh
I would highly recommend working with Hannah at Kin Postpartum and the Insta chat option. It was so easy to just chat through DM’s rather than trying to be on a phone call. Hannah was so helpful, she reassured me I was on the right track and had many helpful ideas. I won’t hesitate to reach out again as my little guy’s sleep changes in the future and I need support.
– Abby
If you are in need of some sleep support for your little one(s), I can highly, highly recommend Hannah. We engaged Hannah’s advice via her Insta chat option and it was well worth it! We’ve been following the plan Hannah developed with me for less than a week and we have already seen vast improvement!
– Crystal-Leigh
Working with Hannah was full of encouragement and affirmation that I was doing the right thing and that I was an amazing mother for caring for my child, doing contact naps, etc. Hannah was always affirming, a great listener and responded to all of my questions and concerns.
– April
Guide to Wake Windows
Research based knowledge to help you recognise your babe’s individual sleep cues & empower you to follow their lead.