Our Sleep Training Journey

Sleep training can feel overwhelming for new parents, and finding the right approach for your family is essential. My wife and I embarked on our sleep training journey starting with our daughter, learning and adapting along the way. While we're aware that every family has unique circumstances, we're sharing our experience — including the tools and resources we used — to help guide others considering sleep training.

Why we chose to sleep train

Sleep is crucial for a baby's development, and as parents, getting some rest ourselves was just as essential. We wanted a system that could bring some predictability to the chaotic early months of parenting. After a lot of research, we decided to follow the structured schedule outlined in Mom's on Call: 0–6 Months — a book focused on helping parents establish routines with their babies.

The Mom's on Call method provided us with a consistent routine that helped us predict our baby's needs, making it easier to know if they were crying for food, their diaper was soiled, or they were simply tired. By following the schedule, we found our babies were more content, and as parents, we had a greater sense of control over our days and nights.

Our experience and unique circumstances

Our sleep training experience was influenced by several factors unique to our family, and acknowledging these elements is essential — no two sleep training journeys look exactly the same.

Bottle feeding and nighttime duties. My wife pumped because our kids weren't able to latch for breastfeeding. This arrangement allowed me, as the dad, to take on the nighttime routine of feeding and focus on the sleep training when it was time. Each parent is going to handle the sleep training a little differently. I would determine which of the parents will adhere more strictly to following the training method and not "give in" to some of the challenges you'll run into during sleep training. For us, that was dad.

A dedicated bedroom with an adult bed. We were fortunate to have a separate room for each baby, complete with an adult bed. This arrangement allowed me to sleep in the room with our daughter, helping her with nighttime feedings and providing comfort during the early sleep training stages. Don't get me wrong — the sleep training was hard and meant I would lose sleep in the process. But I knew that the hard work during this time would pay off in a solid 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep after a few weeks of training.

A predictable schedule. Mom's on Call helped us establish a predictable schedule that our babies quickly adapted to. This made it easier to read their needs — whether they were crying due to hunger, a diaper change, or tiredness. Having this routine added consistency to our daily life, which we found helpful in adjusting to this new chapter.

How we implemented the schedule

The Mom's on Call routine is centered around feeding, napping, and bedtime at set intervals. It doesn't just guide feeding times but also includes wake times, playtime, and a calming bedtime routine — all designed to help babies differentiate between day and night.

We stuck to a simple, calming bedtime routine that involved dim lighting, a lullaby, and a cozy swaddle. This helped our babies associate the routine with winding down and prepared them for sleep. Following the book's advice, we would do a final feeding at a specific time each night. I would feed and soothe our daughter, and eventually she became used to the routine, which allowed her to sleep longer stretches between feedings.

Consistency was our biggest takeaway. The book recommends keeping as close to the schedule as possible each day, which helped our babies develop their own internal rhythm. Over time, they began to sleep longer at night and required fewer nighttime feedings.

What worked and what didn't

While Mom's on Call was immensely helpful for us, we found that flexibility was also necessary. Babies go through growth spurts and developmental changes that sometimes disrupted their sleep. During these times, we allowed for extra feedings or comfort when needed. The schedule provided structure, but we adjusted as necessary to meet our babies' needs.

Like any routine, it took a few weeks before we saw consistent results. Having the patience to keep following the schedule — even when it was difficult — was key to our success.

Tools that helped

Besides the Mom's on Call routine, we also used a few other tools that supported our sleep training journey. A white noise machine (we went with the Hatch and have been very happy with it) helped create a soothing environment and muffle household sounds that might wake them. For swaddling, the Ollie was by far our favorite — our babies felt secure in it, and as they grew, we transitioned to sleep sacks for continued comfort with more movement. Since we bottle-fed, we chose bottles with vent systems to reduce air intake and minimize gassiness. The traditional Gerber First Essentials ended up working best for our kids, and we adjusted the nipples as needed based on their age.

Do what works for your family

While sleep training was the right choice for our family, we recognize that it may not work for everyone. Each baby is unique, and parents must consider their family's specific circumstances, needs, and preferences. Flexibility, patience, and consistency are critical — but ultimately, each family has to find what brings them the most peace and rest.

If you're considering sleep training, I recommend giving the Mom's on Call method a try. It gave us the tools we needed to establish a routine, and I was grateful for the opportunity to play an active role in my children's nighttime care. We hope that by sharing our journey, we can offer a bit of encouragement to others navigating the wonderful — albeit challenging — path of parenting.