The transition to parenthood can be incredibly rewarding, but Anna Bracher understands how confusing and difficult it can be too – not helped by sleep deprivation and the resulting exhaustion. On top of this, you will find all sorts of conflicting information and advice that goes against your natural parenting instincts. As a qualified health professional specialising in sleep support, Anna will empower you to get more rest through responsive methods – without leaving your little ones to cry alone. She is here to provide evidence-based sleep support and guidance that will empower you to trust your instincts, so that you can continue to nurture and bond with your baby. Here she talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the passion behind her business.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
In my work as a health visitor, I noticed increasing numbers of new mothers becoming more and more anxious about their babies’ sleep, while feeling under increasing pressure to sleep-train them. I’ve even had families worried that they might encourage ‘bad habits’ by cuddling their babies too much. Other mothers felt that they should leave their babies to cry during the night otherwise their development would be harmed.
I am on a mission to support families with gentle techniques that empower mothers to trust their natural parenting instincts. I want to use my business to reassure families that cuddling babies and supporting them to sleep is not only normal parenting but actually good for their babies’ development and supportive of their bond.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
In the beginning, I started online by supporting families one to one. This helped me reach out to more families as I wasn’t confined by geography.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
My outreach has multiplied now that I also work providing online courses for groups of families together. The courses about gentle sleep techniques help me to reach far more families. At the same time, I offer my ongoing support during the course because there is no generic one-size-fits-all solution. Every baby and every family is different and, because of that, what works for one family won’t necessarily work for another. You might ask – if that is the case, why bother with group courses? The group sessions, with shared experiences, are really important not only because some families only need a little bit of guidance but also because it is tremendously important for new parents to realise that they are not alone struggling through sleep.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
I have a newborn baby, so balancing work and family is certainly a challenge! However, I am incredibly lucky. I work from home, which makes it much less difficult, and I have a very supportive husband. Both of us understand how important nurturing our baby is at this important time. At the moment, our baby definitely takes priority!
