The Connected Cub

06/07/2024

I am starting something new!

I have been a nurse for over 10 years now. I have worked in a few different areas such as mental health, employee health, a surgical unit, and most recently, on a mother baby unit for the past 5 years.

Although I enjoyed all of these experiences, I was always drawn to the idea of working within the surgical team at the hospital. Well friends, that time has come! I will be working full time doing classes, clinicals, and orientation before becoming an operating room nurse. This is such an exciting and motivating opportunity that I feel so grateful to have!

My time helping families post partum at the hospital was such an honour and a wonderful experience. I am a better lactation consultant, prenatal teacher and sleep supporter because of those families. My clients that I have either spoken to or been to your home, THANK YOU. Without you, I wouldn't have gained such valuable knowledge about how I can best support families with different challenges, needs, and goals. I can't wait to start seeing families again in the new year! In the meantime, tell your story, it will inspire others 💚

09/26/2023

Healthy Newborn Feeding Guidelines

*Please note that these guidelines are for healthy term babies that do not require supplementation and are body feeding. These guidelines are for educational purposes and should not replace the advice of your healthcare provider.

Should you wake a sleeping baby to feed? Short answer - yes!

Ideally, your baby latches as soon as possible after birth and has a few feeds at the chest while they are still "awake" or eager to feed. From there, many babies tend to get quite sleepy - birth is tough for them, too!

In general, you want to try to wake your baby every 2-3 hours to eat. If they are very sleepy and won't wake, you can give them a little more time (ideally not over 4 hours). If they aren't already, put them skin to skin with the feeding caregiver and see what happens. Perhaps give them a finger to suck on or express some colostrum onto their lips. This may wake them enough that they will be willing to latch and feed effectively.

Baby still sleepy? Read the latest blog post for more information on sleepy babies and ways to help make sure your baby is getting what they need in the first couple of days 😍

09/26/2023

Sleepy Little Babies As mentioned in the Instagram post (if you read it), many babies get quite sleepy in the first 24 hours after birth. When you are being told by the hospital staff or your midwife to feed every 2-3 hours but your baby won't wake up, what do you do?! Lets start at the beginning. Birth is HARD, not for everyone, but for most....

Sleepy Little Babies As mentioned in the Instagram post (if you read it), many babies get quite sleepy in the first 24 hours after birth. When you are being told by the hospital staff or your midwi…

09/06/2023

4 Month Sleep Progression Written by Danielle Behr IBCLC, RPN & Baby Led Sleep and Wellbeing Specialist What are sleep progressions? What used to be known as sleep regressions are now referred to as sleep PROgressions, in the holistic sleep world. We see these progressions as not a bad thing, although, yes, quite challenging at times, it’s a good thing! It means that your infant or toddler is in the midst or the beginning of a big development....

4 Month Sleep Progression Written by Danielle Behr IBCLC, RPN & Baby Led Sleep and Wellbeing Specialist What are sleep progressions? What used to be known as sleep regressions are now referred …

07/16/2023

Tired Cues Lets get to it! You will begin to notice as a newborn, your baby will exhibit certain tired cues. Similarly to adults, children and babies show signs that they are getting tired. Some of these signs are similar to adult tired cues such as yawning, eye rubbing and trouble concentrating. Other signs are observed more often in the infant population....

  Tired Cues Lets get to it! You will begin to notice as a newborn, your baby will exhibit certain tired cues. Similarly to adults, children and babies show signs that they are getting tired. …

06/19/2023

Split Nights

Split nights are when your infant wakes in the middle of the night and can't fall back to sleep, usually for an hour or more. Eventually, they become tired enough again to fall back to sleep with your support.

While split nights can happen anytime in the first couple of years of your child's life, they tend to happen between 6-18 months.

Developmental milestones will heavily impact your child's sleep. You will likely experience some inconsistent split nights that are definitely tiring but usually self resolving and short lived.

True spilt nights that may need some parent led help to shift are usually defined as your baby waking for at least an hour, many nights of the week for at least two weeks.

It is most often caused by an imbalance of daytime and nighttime sleep.

To read more and to see how we can help, head to our link in bio to read our latest blog post about split nights!

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06/19/2023

Split nights are downright exhausting. When my children had gone through some split night challenges, they were definitely my least favourite to navigate. My first daughter struggled more with split nights around 8 months old. I believe it was because she mostly night weaned herself and started sleeping through the night around 6 months (which I did nothing to cause that to happen) AND she was an early 3-2 nap transition....

Split nights are downright exhausting. When my children had gone through some split night challenges, they were definitely my least favourite to navigate. My first daughter struggled more with spli…

06/12/2023

Tips for latching a newborn!

It can be incredibly challenging to get breastfeeding off to a great start depending on who is supporting you in your birth and immediatepost partum space. You may not get the help you deserve in the hospital or even at home. It is highly recommended to take a breastfeeding class or set up a prenatal consult with an IBCLC prior to having your baby.

Being equipped with the basics of feeding and what to expect can be the most helpful thing you do! Of course, if you run into challenges or just don't feel right about something that is being recommended, reach out to a lactation consultant near you, we're here to help! 🩶

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05/31/2023

Wake Windows ☀️

Swipe through to read about wake windows ➡️

This is something I was definitely hyperfocused on with my first baby. It took me months to get to know her uniqueness and her rhythm. I would say this is typical for your first baby. With my second now over a year, however, it has been much easier to go with the flow and learn what works best for her and our family.

Start with a guide for a typical wake window for your baby or toddlers' age, then adjust from there. If they are taking longer than half an hour to settle and fall asleep once in their sleep space, their wake window may be too short. If they are showing signs of overtired frequently and are really struggling to settle, their window may be too long. Babies and young toddlers can't communicate through spoken words, and therefore, it is up to us to determine what works for them based on intuition and your child's temperament.

Ultimately, I encourage you to try to really tune in and get to know your child 🩶

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05/30/2023

Hello beautiful families! This is an introductory post to introduce myself and my services on this platform!

My name is Danielle Behr, and I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Baby-Led Sleep and Wellbeing Specialist and Post Partum Nurse. With all of that said, I LOVE working with families. Whether it is breastfeeding support, bottle or formula questions, help with your baby's sleep or preparing for your home or hospital birth, I love it all!

I am currently providing feeding and sleep support for families as well as prenatal consults for birth preparation as well as feeding preparation and sleep education.

If you or someone you know is pregnant or recently had a baby and wants more information or is in need of some support, I would be honored to help.

Please feel free to email hello@theconnectedcub.ca with questions or to set up an appointment. Due to rotating shifts working at the hospital, I do not currently have set business hours or days. I will however, usually be able to book someone in for a consult within 48 hours or less as many challenges are time sensitive.

I am currently able to provide home services in the Haldimand, Hamilton, Ancaster, Dundas, Waterdown, Burlington and Stoney Creek areas. Sleep support is provided through online video appointments.

I thank anyone in advance that feels called to share my page or my name with those who may want more information. I know it isn't easy to ask for help, but you CAN reach your goals with the right people in your corner. 🤍

Yours truly,
Danielle