Hi, I'm Gillian.
IBCLC, sleep coach and mom of two.
I'm a dual-certified IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) and Holistic Sleep Coach (OCN Level 6), and a mom to two boys, Charlie and Hugo. I've been supporting families for over 17 years, first in San Francisco and now in West Cork, Ireland, where I'm also co-founder of TogetherNest in Bantry.
Why I do this differently
Most sleep advice gets a few big things wrong.
It's generic. It ignores your child's individual temperament, as if every baby were the same baby. It assumes the problem is overtiredness, when in my experience most little ones are actually getting too much sleep, not too little. And it treats sleep and breastfeeding as separate problems, or worse, tells you breastfeeding is the problem.
I don't do any of that. Breastfeeding and sleep are deeply connected, and I never separate them, unless you want to. I look at your little one's sleep across the full 24 hours: their whole sleep tank, not just the night in isolation. And I build every plan around your child's temperament and your family's values.
My approach is evidence based and focused on your attachment with your little one. I'm a strong believer in doing what your baby needs in that moment, whether that's holding, nursing, co-sleeping, rocking, feeding to sleep or contact naps. It's about nurturing your baby's need for closeness as they grow and develop.
Every baby has their own unique needs and temperament. I take this into account and work with parents to parent the child they have in front of them, not the one they thought they would get. I also help set realistic expectations around normal infant sleep and breastfeeding.
What I will never ask you to do
No cry-it-out
No unresponsive sleep training. Full stop.
No pressure to wean
You do not have to wean if you don't want to. I protect the breastfeeding relationship.
Co-sleeping is fine
You can continue to co-sleep if that's what works for your family.
Your instincts come first
You never have to do anything that goes against your instincts. The plan works around your values, not against them.
What working with me looks like
By the time most families find me, they're at the point of exhaustion, severely sleep-deprived and second-guessing everything. What they need isn't another app or another opinion. They need someone to actually look at their child.
I'm non-judgemental about how you feed, settle or sleep your little one. You only have to change whatever isn't working for you.
Success, to me, means you understand your little one's individual sleep needs, you're more rested, you're no longer anxious about sleep, and your breastfeeding goals were protected the whole way through.
IBCLC certified (IBLCE) · Holistic Sleep Coach, OCN Level 6 · Professional member, Holistic Sleep Coaching Program