Carrie Johnson is the proud mother of three children, three-year-old Wilfred, two-year-old Romy, and six-month-old, Frank. On Thursday, she shared an adorable photo alongside her youngest, who was sleeping.
The mother-son duo looked so sweet in the candid snap, snuggled into each other whilst little Frank snoozed. Alongside the photo were the words: "The nights are long, but I sure will miss these cuddles."
The heartfelt image came just hours after Carrie issued a heartfelt plea to fans for help regarding baby Frank's current sleep schedule. She revealed she is struggling to get much sleep as the infant likes to fall asleep on her, and she can't face going through the "heartbreaking" 'crying out' method.
She wrote: "Frankie is over six months now and still sleeping in our room, waking up every couple of hours for a feed. He's obviously still very little but it would be nice to get a tiny bit more sleep soon.
"At the moment, I usually get him to sleep by feeding him and him falling asleep on me, rather than him being able to settle in his cot. Has anyone got any advice that doesn't involve the 'crying out' method? It just breaks my heart too much…"
Getting your little one in a good sleeping pattern is a challenge for any parents, so HELLO! caught up with Jay W Founder of Sleep Like a Baby certified infant & child sleep expert, who weighed in on what Carrie could do in this situation. She explained: " It is common for babies to wake up frequently throughout the night, especially if they have been helped to sleep through feeding or rocking.
The way they fall asleep initially is usually how they prefer to go back to sleep after completing sleep cycles. It is important to ensure that the amount of sleep in 24 hours is sufficient for your baby, which depends on their age and temperament.
"Every family is different, so there is no one-size-fits-all approach to sleep, but there are gentle methods available to improve sleep and resolve challenges. It is crucial to consider both how they fall asleep and the amount of sleep they are getting in order to address wake-ups at night and short naps."
We also called on baby sleep consultant Rachael Finlay, founder of Little Baby Sleep Co, who explained: "There will be hundreds of parents who can relate to Carrie’s experience because it’s frustrating common for babies this age to struggle with frequent night waking especially if they are fully assisted to sleep at bedtime.
" The good news is you absolutely don’t need to leave your baby to 'cry it out' to achieve that. There are so many gentle settling techniques that mean you can stay right next to the cot, giving your baby the physical and emotional support they need while they master this important skill.
"Top tip: make sure you choose a technique that is aligned with your parenting values as well as your baby’s personality. Do your homework so you know exactly how to use it and always try to stay calm when you’re in the room with your baby as they will pick up on your emotions."
Following her message, Carrie shared some gushing words after hundreds of fellow mums and fans reached out to her. "Just a quick note to say hundreds of you have replied with SUCH kindness and thoughtful messages of advice and solidarity. It's very comforting to know I'm not alone and that lots of you are, or have been, in exactly the same boat. So appreciate all your messages - thank you [red love heart emoji]."
Before the update, Carrie revealed that her daughter Romy has gone through a big change at home and has moved into her brother's old bedroom, complete with a brand new personalised blanket.
© InstagramThe cherry red blanket covered the little one's bed and was adorned with her full name, Romy Iris Charlotte Johnson, as well as several white love hearts.
"Quite jealous of my daughter's beautiful new wool blanket from @graces_blankets," Carrie penned.
Other details in the plush room feature a large baby blue R on Romy's bedside table, as well as two Babar pictures and a sweet poster of a polar bear. Carrie has previously revealed how much her brood love animals, so it comes as no surprise that they are heavily featured in Romy's new bedroom.
