Client Love

Very Happy Mum, Karen Fraser

I just wanted to share with those reading about Vicki, how she helped me and my daughter Ella. Ella is now 16 weeks old, and we called Vicki over the New Year break. Ella had stopped sleeping during the day, and was often screaming at night. We went to the A&E at one stage, and were told she had some colic/reflux symptoms.

I didn't know what to do, I am a first time mum and my solution during the day was to have her sleep on me, in a pram - anywhere she would sleep and not cry - which meant not in her bed. At night she slept ok because of pure exhaustion.

We called Vicki in desperation when Ella had forgotten how to sleep in bed, and I didn't know what to do with her.

Vicki came to visit us and spent the day listening, watching and re-training Ella, and teaching me at the same time. Her approach is very gentle on the baby, and the mums too. Within two weeks Ella had really learnt how to stay in bed during the day and sleep and then play/chat if she woke up. She can re-settle herself, and often smiles when I put her in bed.

Vicki also helped me look into the reflux issue, and then once we were on medication by the GP - things got even better. During that challenging period, I was in a real panic so would forget or doubt what needed to be done. Vicki would talk me through things - repeatedly if needed, and was very understanding of where I was at as a mum.

Vicki has helped us ongoing since her visit and I can still call her to check in, and she still calls me to do the same. There was so much I learnt from Vicki - the most valuable things included:

A structure to Ella's day that I could follow including when to feed her, how long for sleeps, what to do if she wakes early.
Advice on everything I didn't understand e.g. how to help her feel secure, how to help her burp more easily, how to settle her etc.
What to expect from a baby, and myself - and how to be both realistic and kind to us both, treating Ella as an individual and not as a robot who fits "what the books say"
Knowing I had someone I could call anytime who could help re-direct me when I got lost, or Ella did something different.

I honestly don't know how I would have coped had Vicki not come along. It was honestly the best money I have spent on our baby and would recommend Vicki to any mums and dads out there who are feeling lost or confused. Thanks Vicki!! Lots of love from Ella and Karen

Not so tired Mum, Kate Hancock

My first baby was an amazing sleeper, therefore it was with great shock that second time around I found myself with an eight month old (Lottie) that napped at most for ten minutes a day and was up hourly overnight. I just couldn’t figure out what we were doing wrong.

The sleep deprivation was horrendous but more than anything I hated spending what felt like my whole day and night trying to get her to sleep. I would walk with her in the pram for 2 hours straight then hold my breath as I peered in and feel absolute despondency when two bright little eyes would be staring back at me.

I would breastfeed her then precariously lean over the side of the cot lowering her in whilst still feeding her. As soon as she touched the bed she would be awake. I felt angry and resentful that I never had any space or free time to myself, it felt relentless and I was struggling to stay positive. I felt as though I would crack. It was with some skepticism that I contacted Vicki. I questioned what could she possibly do to help us as I was pretty sure we were in the too hard basket.

When Vicki said that we would work towards being able to put Lottie in her cot say goodnight and she would go to sleep herself I laughed. What made it even more laughable was that we would be able to do it with no 'crying it out' and would always look after her emotional well being. I believed it as much as if she had said she would have her speaking two languages fluently by the morning.

We finished working with Vicki over a month ago. Lottie goes down for two good naps a day and settles without a fuss at night, she has a breastfeed, into her sleep sack, cuddle, bed, sleep. I still cant quite believe it. No jiggling, no feeding to sleep, no stealthy escaping the room James bond style not daring to breath for fear of waking her. I felt so desperate I would have paid thousands to get this result but I didn’t have to.

Vicki was just so kind and gentle and supportive, she made me feel like we were the only family she was working with. She seemed to have so much time for us and was just so authentic in the care she gave us. She made everything feel ok. She gave me back the confidence I had lost, she helped me to realise that somedays wouldn’t be perfect and that was ok but now we had the tools to get back on track. It has totally changed our family’s life.

My eldest child is enjoying a much more patient and present mum, I am getting some time to myself and my husband and I have our evenings back. But most of all we have a happy baby. I look back on photos and realise that a lot of the time Lottie is staring blankly, spaced out with tiredness and that makes me feel sad that we didn’t get Vicki’s help sooner. Now she is getting the sleep she needs she is eating better, and has taken off in all areas of development. Her cheeky little personality is shining through so much brighter and I am loving being her mum.

I feel blessed that we found out about Vicki and am so very thankful to her for helping us to reach a much happier and peaceful place than we were a month ago.

Flourishing Mum, Trista

I had debated getting Vicki on board with helping us establish good sleep habits a few weeks prior…. But ended up contacting her out of desperation when my baby was 6 weeks old. We’d been rocking her to sleep during the day as it seemed the only way we could get her to nap… and she was sleeping so well at night that I just wanted to do whatever it took to give her good naps during the day.

She reached 6 weeks old and it was like at night time she went ‘Um… no mum – you’ve been rocking me to sleep and I don’t go to sleep unless you rock and hold me’. After two nights of no more than 2 ½ hours of sleep myself I was desperate.

Vicki was AMAZING. She coached me through breaking the habits we’d created…. Her approach with my baby was very gentle, and I was impressed with the questions Vicki asked as she was obviously taking a very holistic approach to our situation and wanting to rule out any possible health issues.

Vicki was so patient with me and really walked me through the process. To be honest I had about two really hard days with baby helping her to learn to self settle… but it was worth it. She now sleeps in her bassinet and is almost sleeping through the night at 9 weeks old. I have four other kids who really missed my attention and now while baby is sleeping I can play with them!

I actually get to hold a conversation with my husband at night while baby is asleep. And when baby is awake all I want to do is cuddle and hold her… whereas before when she was awake I was always putting her into the bouncy chair as it was the only time she’d allow me to put her down!

If you are thinking about whether or not to hire Vicki, I have two words for you “DO IT!”. If we get into a bind again I won’t hesitate to hire Vicki again!

No longer worn out Mum, Bex McQueen

I contacted Vicki when my daughter was 4 months old for help getting her to sleep in her cot, because she would only nap on me.

I was physically and mentally worn down from this. I read through the testimonials on this site and hoped that they would be true and that I would be able to find help and change our situation.

All the testimonials are true - Vicki helped us immensely and my only regret is that I didn't seek help sooner.
Vicki was soothing, supportive and encouraging - exactly what an exhausted first time Mum needed. Within a couple of days we had a much improved sleeping situation in our house - and a much, much happier Mama.

Vicki's gentle approach completely aligned with my wishes, and after her in home consult my confidence grew and grew.

I cannot recommend Vicki enough.

No more Grizzles for Felicity & Damon Hunt

Vicki was a lifesaver for our family and totally helped us turn things around with our little boy. After a pretty wonderful start with a nice daily rhythm of feeds and naps, after he got bad gastro and ended up in hospital at 4 weeks old all our rhythms of sleeping and feeds were completely messed up. Once we got home again he was unsettled, grizzly, had to be carried all day long, would only sleep on a person for short stints and woke constantly through the night. My 5 year old was also needing time with her mama and it broke my heart that I was unable to spend quality time with her and was feeling so broken every day.

Vicki was so gentle, supportive and kind to my husband and I which is such a blessing when you are sleep deprived and anxious. The first time we worked with her she supported us in helping him to settle in his cot for a nap and from that first time he only got better and better at napping in his cot and getting back to sleep with our help resettling him. As we became more confident in supporting him with sleep we realised that prior to working with Vicki he was actually really overtired with no rhythm to his sleeps and feeds. We cannot thank Vicki enough for her loving support of our family. She gave us such a gift and what she taught us has given us a wonderful framework for our son to thrive and in turn give us some much needed rest ourselves. If you are struggling with finding a rhythm for your baby and family Vicki is a game changer.

She has the biggest heart, deeply loves and cares for all the families she works with and is like a warm hug over the phone when you are falling apart and think it’s all going badly. Her encouragement is what got me through some dark days.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts Vicki ❤️

All our love, Larissa, Eduardo and Benjamin

Vicki helped my son and me tremendously. Prior to working with Vicki, my son would only sleep after rocking him for 30 minutes, and then he would only sleep on contact naps.

Thanks to Vicki's guidance and support, we were able to teach Benjamin how to sleep independently. Her approach was caring and lovely, and she was in constant communication with us throughout the process. I truly feel lucky to have found her.

As a result of Vicki's expertise, my son can now sleep on his own without needing to be rocked or held, which has been a game-changer for our family. Moreover, I now have more time for myself, which is crucial for any new parent's wellbeing.

Throughout the entire process Vicki was caring, loving and made us feel we were ready to help our son. On top of that, having Vicki's words of affection at that moment was very important. And I also have to mention how caring Vicki is and how genuinely concerned about not only the baby, but the well being of the parents, we felt welcomed and protected at all times.

I highly recommend Vicki's services to any parent struggling with their child's sleep routine. She's knowledgeable, caring, and goes above and beyond to help parents and babies sleep better.

Thank you, Vicki, for all your help (I will never have enough words to thank you)

Best Sleeps Possible Now, for Ashna & Elissa

Hi, I'm Ashna and I wanted to share my experience with Vicki as a sleep consultant for my baby girl Elisa. I contacted Vicki when Elisa was just two weeks old and struggling to sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time.

I was hesitant to contact a sleep consultant because I didn't want to leave my baby crying for hours on end, but Vicki's gentle approach to sleep training was exactly what I was looking for. From the moment I spoke with Vicki, I felt at ease and she assured me that she would help my baby have the best sleeps possible.

Now, at four months old, Elisa sleeps between 15 to 16 hours per day and falls asleep in her cot within minutes of being put down. Vicki's thorough consultation process and introduction to other resources beyond just being healthy were immensely helpful. I'm so grateful for Vicki's help and couldn't recommend her enough.

If you're on the fence about it, just give Vicki a call and you will see the difference.

Brooke, Tom and Jagger

It is hard to put into words just how much Vicki has helped our little family.

We contacted Vicki in desperation when our son was 10 weeks old. Our previously settled baby had been diagnosed with silent reflux. He cried constantly, was awake all day and we were unable to settle him to sleep. We were beyond exhausted and had no idea where to turn next.
Right from the first phone call Vicki made us feel like we were the most important part of her day. She prioritized our needs and came to our house within a day. That afternoon our baby was happy and asleep in his bassinet for three hours. From then on things continued to improve rapidly.
We felt like we had won the lottery. No longer emotionally drained and exhausted, we were able to have confidence in our decision making as parents. Our baby boy was transformed back into his happy, contented and settled self within days.
Vicki's gentle and nurturing approach is second to none. We cannot recommend her highly enough. Nor can we accurately express our gratitude for her support with words. Our outlook as parents will forever be changed by her genuine kindness and guidance.
Thank-you for being amazing Vicki. You are truly one in a million.

From Janine

"I cannot recommend Vicki Kirkland enough! I am telling everyone about her because of how she has rescued me twice now. With my first born, who had reflux, colic and a dairy intolerance, who didn't sleep more than 45 minutes, day and night, Vicki armed me with the tools and supported me to get him into a solid sleep routine day and night. He slept through the night at 5 and a half months with Vickis help. When my second born started to go through a sleep regression at 4 months, I didn't hesitate and called Vicki straight away. Vicki helped me through, propping me up with a plan during the day and again coaching me before I faced night time wakings. 45 min day sleeps stretched to an hour and a half, two hours and night time sleeps stretched out as well. What a relief to have a sleep expert there, reassuring, holding your hand, giving you support through such a sleep deprived and tough time. Vicki focuses on ensuring Mum and baby are happy, and my babies were never distressed during the process which was a big relief."

From Andrew & Emma Ward

"We called in Vicki's help when our son was 8 weeks old. We were spending hours each day trying to get Seb to sleep then trying to resettle him when he woke after 30 minutes. I would highly recommend Vicki to anyone who is at the end of their tether trying to get their baby to sleep.
Vicki has a very kind, helpful nature and a high degree of professionalism. Her support is fantastic and her help and advice will exceed your expectations.

Once you have worked with Vicki you will wonder why you didn't call her sooner!"

From Rebecca JH Mackenzie

I first met Vicki by telephone, a warm bright voice answered and willingly answered my many questions. Our first conversation was somewhat of an interrogation and Vicki to her credit did not flinch. She answered every question in full and each one with a confidence I had not heard before. At the time I had a 5.5 month old little boy, who had not slept during the day since he was 9 weeks old. I had comforted myself with the fact that he slept an entire 12hours at night. But as I explained to Vicki, recently he had started waking during the night, I was getting very concerned. A friend had heard Vicki speak at a SPACE meeting and thought she might be able to help me.

I am a well-educated person, I have a Masters in Finance, a First class honours degree in Finance and Economics. Prior to having our first child I had enjoyed a very successful career in Corporate Banking spanning almost 10 years. I have negotiated incredibly difficult and complex transactions in Energy & Infrastructure, worked long hours for months on end and faced very stressful restructures (during the 2008 financial crisis). Personally I have successfully faced many resilience requiring events. I have a wonderful loving and supportive husband and financially we are able to provide for our family. However, I can honestly say, nothing had prepared me for the challenges that occur when motherhood arrives at your door.

I could not crack this 'challenge of sleep'. I could make our wee boy smile and giggle, but sleep - forget about it. I read books, searched the internet, asked other mothers and tried to replicate what they were doing. Nothing helped. I spent hours trying to fix the problem and ended up with a crying unhappy baby, I decided if he didn't want to sleep he didn't have to. But what happens if they start waking in the night too - the only part of the day where there is peace. Needlesss to say, I was extremely sceptical that Vicki could help after all I had tried everything. I gave her a serious grilling yet she sounded genuine - that perhaps she had a way I hadn't tried, so finally I asked her "you aren't going to come in to my home waving crystals or some other strange crap are you?". She laughed and assured me she had no strange beliefs or powers. She was hired.

Vicki arrived the next morning. She taught me so much in two hours. Within 24 hours our wee boy was having day time sleeps day and back to sleeping through the night. It took a few more weeks of phone calls before I had "Vicki's rules of thumb sorted" and she was always there answering her phone when I needed advice. She often asked me, "what do you think needs to happen". It was not Vicki telling me what to do, it was Vicki coaching me. She said "I want you to be a confident mother, I want you to know what to do". It was frustrating at times because I just wanted someone to solve my problem and tell me what to do. But I am so glad she does not work that way, because I needed to learn and be independent. I had lost so much confidence and Vicki helped me get it back, she also gave me that tools to be successful. I learnt some valuable lessons and equally important we had a happy family again. Everyone is much happier with sleep, mothers, baby's and the daddy too!

Of course baby's are continually changing, we hit a bumpy road when Daniel was 12 months so I called Vicki again. The response was the same. Yes we can sort that. And she did. At 18 months when I was struggling to keep Daniel in a day sleep, she sorted us/him again. Thanks to Vicki he is an amazing sleeper, what gift to have a child that sleeps happily is bliss. With so much research pointing to the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation in children - leading to behavioural issues - it really is critical that baby's sleep - happily. I continue to use many of her tools and he is almost 3 years old. I currently have a newborn baby girl, Hannah is 9 weeks old. She is a delight. I called Vicki when we were pregnant. She met with me the week before Hannah was due. She has supported me since the birth and again I have learnt so much. Second time around does not necessarily make a wiser mother. I was very concerned about making the same mistakes again, while I was sure I knew what not to do, I had no idea what I should do! Vicki has been amazing. Hannah is a wonderful baby and I am a much happier mother. Our home is happier, expectations are realistic and we are not as worried when the inevitable bumps occur along the road.

What makes Vicki so successful? Perhaps it is that she doesn't treat babies or mothers like textbooks. She gets to know you. She gets to know your baby. She doesn't need long because she has an incredible natural affinity with people. She listens and makes recommendations based on your individual situation - always working alongside you making sure you are comfortable with every suggestion. She is encouraging and patient and she knows how to coach tired, exhausted, emotionally weak mothers. It is a rare person who can understand and help a mother in need by tailoring the advice to the mothers emotional state/capacity and then coaching her in to a healthy confident place. Vicki has this ability. She is a wonderful person indeed. I am so pleased to have met her because with her help I have been able to enjoy motherhood and benefit from happy well rested children.

I highly recommend Vicki to all mothers, first time or not, you will benefit from wonderful advice that will help you with all aspects of having a baby. She is incredible with advice from newborn to toddlers. She is a genuine sleep expert who knows babies and children. I am one of the most skeptical people, but if you are willing to learn she will teach you the keys to a happy, sleeping baby… and family! I am happy to provide further verbal recommendation should you require any further assistance in your search for a "Baby Whisperer".

From a Thankful Mum

We hired Vicki when our baby Chloe was 12months old, I had recently been diagnosed with Post Natal depression and had a rough winter with my little girl not sleeping catnapping during the day and waking 4-5plus times overnight we were shattered on top of dealing with Chloe constantly being ill and frequent visits to hospital with bronciolitis and respiratory issues.

When I first spoke to Vicki over the phone I was greeted with a calm, supporting and caring voice, finally I had foundsomeone who cared and genuinely understood what we were going through and was going to help us. A few days later Vicki visited us in our home and warmly helped give us the confidence and assurance that everything was going to be ok and it was going to get better. Vicki saw that Chloe was not a well wee girl and immediately referred us to asthma NZ, where we were seen by a nurse and urgently referred to a hospital paediatrician, Vicki remained by our side supporting us through as we got help for our wee girl, she even accompanied me to her specialist appointment where she was finally given a diagnosis of asthma and put on the correct medications to manage it the best we could. At the time we were going through so much as a family emotionally with my mother in law having major life saving surgery, and the death of my grandmother. Vicki helped us remain strong she genuinely cared about us as a family and I knew we were important to her she called us frequently and answered my calls to make sure we were ok and supported us through this hard time.
Once we had Chloe's medical diagnosis sorted we worked alongside Vicki as she gently helped us with Chloe's sleep patterns. Vicki knows how to work alongside tired and struggling mothers, gently and reassuringly. The plan she put in place for us she made sure we were definitely comfortable with and didn't pressure us into anything. This was followed by daily phone calls of support until we had the sleep sorted,She answered every question with confidence and made sure we were all ok.

If I had any questions or concerns she would always greatfullyand willingly answer them. We hired Vicki also to help us with my at the time 6 year old boy who has bedwetting problems and was starting to find it tough himself and getting frustrated that he couldn't help himself stay dry, was waking extremely early (pre 5am most mornings) and assisted us in setting out a after school routine so home work would not be a constant battle. Vicki understood, she gave the perfect gentle words and reminders to make him feel safe and stay a confident young boy, helped us set out a routine that was individually suited to our family and that we were happy with contributing to an overall calmer household.

I will forever be greatful for Vicki being there for us over the last year and half, she has helped make me a more confident, and happy mother, her patience, kind, gentle and caring naturehas helped get me through some very hard times. The reassuring phone calls if Chloe was in hospital with asthma just making sure we were ok and organising meals for us for when we got home, always being there on the other end of the phone answering any question I had. Chloe now loves her sleep, has great daytime sleeps and sleeps through the night.

Vicki on behalf of our family, words cannot thank you andexpress our gratitude enough, we are ever so blessed to have you in our life and we love you as if you were part of our family. You give the most amazing relaxation massages and always take the time to chat and have a coffee after wards, you really know how to pamper a mummy and make her feel safe and special and relaxed.

From Graham, Rachel, and Baby Samuel

"Thank you so much for your support and wisdom, you have been the best investment we have made in our new baby. You made it all make sense and not so much of a guessing game, thanks again. "

Thanks from Michelle

Thank you so much Vicki for all your advice and on going support. I was struggling to get my little girl into a routine and you steered me in the right direction, gave me great advice and tips. Spending the day at Haven House was wonderful, not only getting baby advice but the special treats like my hair done, a relaxing bath and time out for a coffee in town. You are a genuine, caring and kind person who is lovely to deal with, I recommend you to anyone who needs help with their baby.

From Matt, Lee, and Zac

Our day with Vicki was one filled with time for relaxation, education and affirmation that we had made a good start on the exciting journey as parents.

From the moment we contacted Vicki and told her about our beautiful wee boy who was struggling with reflux and that as a new mum I didn’t know what else I could do, we felt our little family was important to her and that no matter what, she would do all that she could to help us set up some routines and give us some practical advice in order for us to have a better understanding of how to cope with Zac’s feeding and sleeping which had been affected by him having reflux. On arrival at Haven House we were greeted by a very friendly Vicki whose warm manner made us feel at ease from the moment we arrived.

During the day, Vicki provided us with the practical support and advice that we needed so that we felt more comfortable with reading Zac’s tired signs and understanding his feeding needs. We also loved being able to question Vicki or discuss situations that we had faced or thought we might face and no matter what we talked to Vicki about or asked her, we were never made to feel as though what we had done or thought until that day was wrong.

We were constantly praised for what we were doing but given great suggestions as to what else we could do.
Vicki also went out of her way to help us sort out the right dose of medication for Zac to be on by making contact with our GP and discussing what we had talked about with her. This is one of many things from this day at Haven House that we feel has helped Zac become a much happier and more settled baby.
Aside from the need to learn about coping with a newborn baby, getting out of the house for a day to be waited on with yummy food and drinks and be pampered by having my hair done was a treat in itself!
At the end of what had been a very worthwhile day, we left Vicki feeling excited, refreshed and more confident about our new role as parents.

But, our time with Vicki didn’t stop when we drove out that day…..
The follow up support we have received from Vicki is outstanding….
whether it be us calling her when we have been unsure what to do or Vicki ringing us just to see how things are going we know that should we need her, Vicki is there to guide us and celebrate with us on our new journey in parenting.

We would highly recommend Vicki to anyone who feels they could do with some ‘support’, ‘affirmation’, ‘education’ and ‘relaxation’ to kick start a positive parenting experience.

From Crystal

"Vicki's advise solved our baby's sleeping issues. We were having great difficulty getting our little bundle to sleep during the day as she had gotten used to being rocked to sleep. Her being awake all day, and consequently extremely grumpy, was putting pressure on our entire lives. I got Vicki's number from a friend who said that she worked wonders for her baby. Vicki came to our house only three days after I called her and had very practical and helpful advise when she arrived. After our consultation, Vicki called every day for a week to make sure that Claire was on track and had advise for all of her individual hiccups. When Claire's sleeping problems hadn't been resolved in the usual week that Vicki corresponds with her clients, she was more than willing to advise me for the extra days that it took to get Claire sorted out. Vicki gave me the confidence that I needed to be firm with Claire and follow through with our routine and assured me that it was in Claire's best interest. Before Vicki, Claire was sleeping 45 minutes during the day. Now she sleeps approximately two hours twice a day. Claire is a much happier baby and I am a much happier Mommy."

Kind Regards from Penny Isbister

Please accept this written testimonial in support of the development of the Hush Baby Sleep Unit. I have had the pleasure of working with Vicki for the past two and a half months in which her post natal support has been invaluable in the preservation of the mental and physical well being of myself and my beautiful four month old baby.

A friend in Hawkes Bay (who had worked successfully with Vicki three years ago when she was having problems with her babies sleep patterns) recommended Vicki to me to resolve sleep issues with my six week old baby. Vicki was able to identify circumstances contributing to my baby’s sleep difficulties and I truly believed she was the baby whisperer when on the second night she was working with us she said to me “you will see Penny, tonight he will sleep until 1am”, and sure enough at 1.02am he awoke after sleeping for five hours straight something he had never done before.

Her daily support (often twice daily or more) via phone has been exceptional and her knowledge of sleep and a baby’s general well being is extensive. Her recommendations and advice have surpassed that of my paediatrician and her emotional support to me as a mother has enabled me to get through the last few months, often when no one else seemed to be listening to my concerns.

Vicki continues to work with us, and has vowed to support us until my baby’s reflux is under control and he is sleeping like a contented little baby. I have no doubt that had I the opportunity to spend time in a sleep unit run by Vicki our issues would have been resolved some months ago. There is an immense benefit to having a unit where a mother and baby can continue to bond and promote healthy sleep and growth while receiving the appropriate support and oversight.

I would happily support the Hush Baby Sleep Unit in future should the need arise and I sincerely hope that one day the concept will reach Hawkes Bay and other areas of New Zealand. I would also not hesitate to refer other mothers and fathers to the unit and Vicki. The concept is an exciting venture for those of us who will have the opportunity to use it under Vicki’s expertise.

Thanks so much from Michelle, Jason, & Nate Liefting

Thanks so much for all your help, Vicki!! We will certainly be recommending you to anyone struggling with a new baby. Our only wish was that we’d called you sooner! Our nine month old son, Nate, has gone from being sleep-deprived, using every prop under the sun (dummy, music, etc.) and requiring comfort feeds throughout the night, to happily crawling around his cot and falling asleep within five to ten minutes. With your caring support and once I followed your advice, he transformed to sleeping right through the night within 48 hours. It has lifted a huge weight from my shoulders and we now have a much, much happier home. Thanks again!

Thank you from Katy Smith

Look at this happy little man – thanks so much Vicki for helping him (and us) finally get some sleep! Having always rocked him to sleep with a dummy in his mouth we can now put him down in his cot without a dummy. Usually he goes to sleep with no crying. He is our third child, and all of our kids have been very attached to their dummies – I never thought it possible to put a child to sleep without a dummy and not have them cry! Getting rid of the dummy was the best piece of advice you gave us thanks Vicki.

BEST MOVE EVER! From Lee Powell

After our wee man caught a bug his sleep was all over the place and we were all worn out- I called Vicki as she had been refered to me from a friend. BEST MOVE EVER! Our wee mans sleep improved within a day and even with teething was sleeping through for the first time ever after two weeks (would’ve been quicker without those pesky teeth!) The support Vicki gave us was amazing and the advice was always personalised to our boy and what had been happening that day. Vickis methods are always about nurturing your baby- so the techniques werent as hard or emotionally draining as some other techniques we had tried. I cannot recommend Vicki enough! Thanks Vicki xxx

Truth be told! From Stef Crowley

My Daughter (now 4 1/2 months old ) hadn’t been sleeping for longer than 30-45 min since birth. In just 5 days she has gone from being exhausted all day to an energetic, fun-loving child! All thanks to Vicki and her caring/peaceful techniques. I had my reservations at first, but TRUTH BE TOLD, I am extremely happy now that my little girl is sleeping and more buoyant because of it. “Many heartfelt thanks Vicki!”

One very happy and relaxed mum and bubs

My husband and I decided to use Vicki K postnatal when our son Vincent was about 6 weeks old. Vincent was very unsettled, crying a lot and up for long periods of time day and night. Our midwife recommended Vicki and after one quick phone call I knew Vicki was right for us.

Vicki came into our home and spent about 3 hours with us literally going over everything that was happening with Vincent and myself. Being a new mum I really had absolutely no idea what to do with a baby and Vicki made me feel completely comfortable and didn’t belittle any of my concerns or more importantly make me feel stupid when I asked an ‘obvious’ question.

After a week of keeping in close contact with each other we came to the conclusion that a lot of Vincents troubles were reflux based. Vicki helped us with different remedies to make absolutely sure we were dealing with reflux rather than rushing us off to a doctor for needless medication. We really appreciated the way she handled this situation as we couldn’t think of anything worse than giving Vincent meds he had no need for. Vicki was in constant contact with me during those tough times as well as before and after all our doctors visits.

Unfortunately for Vincent it wasn’t as simple as getting him on the right medications. Shortly after receiving medication he settled for a short few days and then the reflux kicked up another gear and along came the projectile vomiting. Once again Vicki was there to support me throughout all of this and was not only there to help but was an ear for one very stressed out and tired mummy. During our stay in Waikato Hospital she went above and beyond and was a constant contact.

In those early days not only did Vicki spot Vincents reflux problems she helped me to understand the fundamentals of getting him to sleep better, feed better and settle better which led to one very happy and relaxed mum and bubs. She was a constant support for me and I never once felt that I couldn’t call her and ask her another one of my ‘obvious’ questions. She gave me the ability to be the mum that I am today and to have faith in myself and my decisions. Never in all my travels have I met a person as genuinely caring and giving as Vicki Kirkland. I would highly recommend her to anyone and would not hesitate to talk to anyone thinking of using her.

It has been a long road getting Vincent to be the happy, well rounded and GOOD sleeper that he is today but I have no doubt in my mind that this has all been from the tireless support and ‘training’ Vicki gave me and my husband. There have been a lot of great times along this long road and I know that if I had not had Vickis help I would have struggled to enjoy the fun times.

Chrystal

Baby Olive's Story

My daughter, Olive is my first baby. We had a very quick and straight forward labour and were able to breastfeed within the first hour of her arrival.

I asked my midwife to check Olive for a tongue and lip tie and she said she looked fine. My midwife helped me latch and she breastfed on one side for over an hour. However after that initial feed, I struggled to get her to latch.

We were staying at a birthing centre and every time I needed to feed her I would call in a midwife to help but it was still so difficult. We ended up feeding her colostrum with a syringe.

When we went home, my sister suggested we try a nipple shield. This helped some times but not all the time and I ended up having to give her the bottle with expressed breastmilk a few times. The first two weeks were so tough. I remember feeling so upset because I didn’t realise how hard breastfeeding would be and I just felt so disappointed and like there was something wrong with me. I felt like I wasn’t a good mum. I found it hard to connect with Olive because the feeding was so hard and consuming my every thought.

My partner didn’t really understand how I was feeling and just wanted Olive to be fed, whether that was formula or breastmilk. I thought I could express and feed her with a bottle full time but have heard that is really hard on the mum and the thought of not getting to breastfeed her was causing me a lot of sadness!

I raised our issues with my midwife and by the end of the second week, I saw a LC. She showed me a few things which helped me latch without the shield and I didn’t have to use the shield again. However it was always painful for me when she fed.

The LC kept saying to try get a deep latch but no matter what I tried (I watched sooo many YouTube videos for help), I couldn’t get her to have a deep latch. I felt like her mouth was just soo small. I was reassured that it will get easier and by the time she is 6 weeks old we won’t have any issues. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. We had a range of different things pop up; poor suction (milk splattering out the sides of her mouth), cracked sore red nipples, an oversupply/very fast letdown which caused Olive to cough and splutter, she was fussy at the breast, Olive had a lip blister, two toned lips, neck creases, she also struggled with taking a dummy or a bottle and would just gag, sometimes she even gagged while breastfeeding, the list goes on… I kept in contact with the LC for all these issues but she just kept sending me unhelpful articles.

I googled all the symptoms/issues and it always pointed towards tongue and lip ties. When I raised this with the LC she said she didn’t think Olive had a tongue tie and that if she did have a lip tie, it’s not recommended to release a lip tie.. I then raised our issues with our Pepe Ora nurse and she referred me to another LC.

We had a few meetings over Skype and she showed me some positions to try, which also didn’t help. I then saw a Dr about the issues and she advised that Olive has a high palate and a lip tie and there was not much we could do. My own Dr also saw Olive and said the same thing. So in total we had 5 professionals check Olive for tongue and lip ties. It wasn’t until we saw Vicki K for Olives sleep when she was about 7 months old that things changed.

Vicki asked about our history and straight away said that there is possibly something going on in Olives mouth and provided me with contact details of Wendy Pennell (an LC that is very good at picking up oral ties). I told Vicki that I always thought there was something but was told by 5 professionals otherwise so I just had to leave it be. Anyway, we saw Wendy the next week and she advised Olive had both a tongue and lip tie and to get a second opinion / get them released at Changing Faces dental clinic in Hamilton.

We went to see them and had Olives oral ties released! Unfortunately as Olive was already 7 months old, it will take time for her to change the way she feeds, so in the meantime it does still hurt me a bit but I am so relieved to have it sorted as it will help when her teeth come in and with her speech.

Please always trust your mother instinct and intuition, mothers always know best! I know for next time, I will be contacting Wendy straight away. I am so grateful to Vicki for listening and caring so much, we would not have had this sorted without her.

Brooke & Reid

WOW, I really don’t know where to start… I contacted Vicki because I was getting pretty desperate when it came to Reid’s sleep, we were co - sleeping and he was waking almost every hour, I was EXHAUSTED. When I first messaged Vicki I was pretty hesitant because we had already work with another sleep consultant and it didn’t really work so my expectations were quite low.

I tell you she blew me away.

Vicki didn’t just help us with sleep she was an amazing listening ear while it was rough, and she also helped us with food and his oral ties. Reid had a tongue and lip tie, w head got the tongue tie released when he was 6 weeks old but it and reattached. Vicki encouraged us to get a second opinion from a clinic who experiences in them.

He ended up needed both his tongue and lip ties released. (He was 7 months at this point)
His drinking from his sippy cup at daycare and his bf intake improved enormously!!!

We then had a rough month with daycare bugs which I though oh no everything is ruined now, but when he was well again we used our techniques Vicki taught us and wow, Reid has just responded amazing again.
I could not thank Vicki enough, I was honestly thinking that that was just how it was going to be for us with sleep.
I also want to mention, vicki is so gentle she puts yours and babies emotional well-being first when it comes to helping with baby sleep better and she goes at your pace.

I am truly grateful to have had the help from Vicki and would recommend her to anyone!

Testimonial - Rose & Rory

I will never forget Vicki’s incredible kindness and unwavering support during an extremely difficult time for our family.

Vicki is so much more than a sleep consultant - she is truly an expert in mothering and caring for a young family, and I will carry her pearls of wisdom with me throughout the rest of my parenting journey.

I contacted Vicki after my youngest had spent a week in hospital at 5 months and ultimately diagnosed with failure to thrive, and placed on a nasogastric tube. Subsequently he was diagnosed with a syndrome (which went some way to explaining his feeding difficulties). We were on a three hourly feeding regime which involved breastfeeding, feeding via nasogastric tube, then pumping - this was 24/7 and I was utterly physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted.

We were sent home with the tube, and the next several months were a haze of medical appointments with various specialists, pumping around the clock, constant weight checks and tweaks to the feeding regime, the early introduction of solids to try to get more weight on, recurring mastitis (a total of five times!) and so much worry about our darling boy.

I felt so overwhelmed and so, so tired - not helped much by the fact that our boy’s naps and night sleep felt like it was in chaos with him not wanting to go into his cot or sleep for longer than one to two hours at a time at night. I couldn’t fathom how to even start getting any type of routine in place or how to tackle the sleep issues.

I kept thinking I needed someone to help me figure out the logistics - not just of sleep but feeding, how to have a routine of sorts which accommodated medical appointments, how to fit naps into the feeding regime, etc. But how to find someone like that?! I really think the universe was looking after me when I came across Vicki’s website.

Reading her testimonials, I had a gut feeling that she was the right person to help our family and would help me figure things out. Fortunately, I was right.

Vicki understood immediately that Rory had been through so much with all the tests in hospital, as well as the unpleasantness of having the tube reinserted as he pulls it out regularly, and having blistered, sore skin on his face from the tape. She assured me we could make changes in a loving, gentle way which would not cause him any more stress. I was sceptical but it was true - in a matter of days, Vicki had turned things around for us in terms of sleep.

Rory would happily settle in his cot for naps and at bedtime, including for my husband - something that had never happened before. Throughout it all Vicki was tireless in providing constant support and encouragement.

Even once things had gotten better with sleep, Vicki continued to offer her kindness, advice and wisdom - including how to advocate for our boy with the medical team. Without fail I felt that Vicki was in our corner and I will never be able to thank her enough for this.

Vicki was so incredibly generous with her time and her knowledge. I don’t think I would have survived that period of our lives without her kindness.

I would highly recommend Vicki to anyone wanting help with their baby’s sleep, and/or their wellbeing generally.

Thank you Vicki, with all my heart.

Rose

Testimonial - Paige

Our babe was six months old and would not sleep in her cot during the day and barely at night- would sleep on me or in her pram. She could only be fed to sleep by me and would not go down at night time until quite late then wake half an hour to an hour later. Everyone was tired and the days were full on, I had gone back and forth on wanting to do “sleep training” but always decided against it as it felt unnatural to me and I could never leave my baby to cry.

That’s when another mum friend recommended Vicki to me- hearing her voice throughout the consult I knew we would be looked after as she explained how she could help our family. Vicki is nurturing and there with you (via my earpod) every step of the way to support you and your baby. It definitely wasn’t the traditional “sleep training” and we never left bub to cry- Vicki’s techniques and guidance are so gentle and caring which really suited our parenting style.

Vicki helped us to get our girl sleeping in her cot during the day and night with no fuss, goes down like a breeze around 7pm, she can be put to sleep by her dad and we now have minimal night wakes too which is a bonus. She has a very holistic approach as we looked at everything from sleeping to feeding and solids- everything to cater to our happy girl. I feel so much more educated.

I can’t thank her enough for what she has done for our family and these are tools we will have for life and for our next baby (if we are lucky enough). It’s also great to know I can call or text Vicki and she would be right there for us to answer any queries I have or may have in the future. A genuine kind woman who will support your family, you won’t regret working with her!!

Testimonial - Jodi & Holton

I called Vicki when my son was 3 months old because I was struggling with his 30 min cat naps.

During our first conversation she asked so many questions and i was a little confused as to why these questions were relevant as they weren't about his sleep ( come to realise they absolutely were).

Then she started to ask about my sons birth,weight,feeding etc.

When she heard he was a small baby and on the 9th centile, she immediately dived into his feeding.

Even though the 9th centile wasn't to be of major concern she put a plan in place to make sure he was eating enough because that also contributes to sleep.

We were on a feeding plan that felt really intense and constant but I knew that getting his weight up was the goal. I was feeding every 3 hours with a top up 1 hour post feed.

We worked together on his sleeping and he started sleeping AMAZING i was able to get rest or just do something for myself while he was napping. We went to our Plunket check and I was very curious to see how much weight he had gained and if it was worth the constant feeding. And it absolutely was.

At 3 months he was 5 kgs and on the 9th centile. He is 5 months now at 8.5 kgs and on the 75th centile !!!! Plunket were absolutely shocked the nurse said she expected him to gain 1.5 kgs not 3.5 kg. So apart from helping me with his sleep she helped me get my son to a nice weight and that is most important for my son.

Thank you Vicki, you are such a sweet , kind non judgmental soul and I will always sing your praises to every parent.

Jodie and Holton

Another Very Happy Mum

Vicki has absolutely changed our lives for the better! When I started working with Vicki, it was taking me 3 hours to get my daughter to sleep at night or 25-40 minutes to sleep during the day! The day we started working with her, that all changed. She now goes to bed for the night within five minutes. Vicki was so lovely and supportive and helped me to re-gain my confidence as a mother. I recommend her to anyone that’s struggling.
Once upon struggling Mum NZ

Vicki-K saved my sanity. I rung her when my 2nd daughter was 10 months old. She had always been an unsettled baby due to silent reflux and food intolerances. When she got to 6 months and I introduced food and she started crawling her reflux spiralled out of control. Instead of sleeping she screamed and cried. She woke 3-5 times every single night (and when you’re a dairy farmer getting up at 5am to feed calves it doesn’t work). I was so sleep deprived and with that I was no longer myself. I was jumpy, anxious it was a horrible feeling.

I had tried other sleep consultants who pretty much told me the reflux wasn’t true she was just over tired and to let her have a good scream. Dam right she was overtired but it took a very long time to get the meds right and working before I could begin to work on her sleep. When I rung Vicki I burst into tears. She has the most calming, caring, sympathetic, listening and honest nature. She asked me what was going on, she listened to me. I felt like I had finally met someone who could help me.

The first week with Vicki we got little miss from waking multiple times to waking once a night for a feed which is a heck of a lot more manageable. Then when she turned 12 months we got her sleeping through. It only took a couple of nights and both my daughter and I never became stressed about the situation. I would (and have) recommend Vicki to anyone with sleep issues. I honestly believe without her I would not be in the happy place I am these days.

I Cannot Recommend Vicki Kirkland Enough!

We hired Vicki when our baby Chloe was 12months old, I had recently been diagnosed with Post Natal depression and had a rough winter with my little girl not sleeping catnapping during the day and waking 4-5plus times overnight we were shattered on top of dealing with Chloe constantly being ill and frequent visits to hospital with bronciolitis and respiratory issues.

When I first spoke to Vicki over the phone I was greeted with a calm, supporting and caring voice, finally I had found someone who cared and genuinely understood what we were going through and was going to help us. A few days later Vicki visited us in our home and warmly helped give us the confidence and assurance that everything was going to be ok and it was going to get better.

Vicki saw that Chloe was not a well wee girl and immediately referred us to asthma NZ, where we were seen by a nurse and urgently referred to a hospital paediatrician, Vicki remained by our side supporting us through as we got help for our wee girl, she even accompanied me to her specialist appointment where she was finally given a diagnosis of asthma and put on the correct medications to manage it the best we could. At the time we were going through so much as a family emotionally with my mother in law having major life saving surgery, and the death of my grandmother. Vicki helped us remain strong she genuinely cared about us as a family and I knew we were important to her she called us frequently and answered my calls to make sure we were ok and supported us through this hard time.

Once we had Chloe’s medical diagnosis sorted we worked alongside Vicki as she gently helped us with Chloe’s sleep patterns. Vicki knows how to work alongside tired and struggling mothers, gently and reassuringly. The plan she put in place for us she made sure we were definitely comfortable with and didn’t pressure us into anything. This was followed by daily phone calls of support until we had the sleep sorted, She answered every question with confidence and made sure we were all ok.

If I had any questions or concerns she would always gratefully and willingly answer them.
We hired Vicki also to help us with my at the time 6 year old boy who has bed-wetting problems and was starting to find it tough himself and getting frustrated that he couldn’t help himself stay dry, was waking extremely early (pre 5am most mornings) and assisted us in setting out a after school routine so home work would not be a constant battle. Vicki understood, she gave the perfect gentle words and reminders to make him feel safe and stay a confident young boy, helped us set out a routine that was individually suited to our family and that we were happy with contributing to an overall calmer household.
I will forever be great ful for Vicki being there for us over the last year and half, she has helped make me a more confident, and happy mother, her patience, kind, gentle and caring nature has helped get me through some very hard times. The reassuring phone calls if Chloe was in hospital with asthma just making sure we were ok and organising meals for us for when we got home, always being there on the other end of the phone answering any question I had. Chloe now loves her sleep, has great daytime sleeps and sleeps through the night.

Vicki on behalf of our family, words cannot thank you and express our gratitude enough, we are ever so blessed to have you in our life and we love you as if you were part of our family. You give the most amazing relaxation massages and always take the time to chat and have a coffee after wards, you really know how to pamper a mummy and make her feel safe and special and relaxed.

Vicki-K saved my sanity. I rung her when my 2nd daughter was 10 months old. She had always been an unsettled baby due to silent reflux and food intolerances. When she got to 6 months and I introduced food and she started crawling her reflux spiraled out of control. Instead of sleeping she screamed and cried. She woke 3-5 times every single night (and when you’re a dairy farmer getting up at 5am to feed calves it doesn’t work). I was so sleep deprived and with that I was no longer myself. I was jumpy, anxious it was a horrible feeling.

I had tried other sleep consultants who pretty much told me the reflux wasn’t true she was just over tired and to let her have a good scream. Dam right she was overtired but it took a very long time to get the meds right and working before I could begin to work on her sleep. When I rung Vicki I burst into tears. She has the most calming, caring, sympathetic, listening and honest nature. She asked me what was going on, she listened to me. I felt like I had finally met someone who could help me.

The first week with Vicki we got little miss from waking multiple times to waking once a night for a feed which is a heck of a lot more manageable. Then when she turned 12 months we got her sleeping through. It only took a couple of nights and both my daughter and I never became stressed about the situation. I would (and have) recommend Vicki to anyone with sleep issues. I honestly believe without her I would not be in the happy place I am these days.

I cannot recommend Vicki Kirkland enough! I am telling everyone about her because of how she has rescued me twice now. With my first born, who had reflux, colic and a dairy intolerance, who didn't sleep more than 45 minutes, day and night, Vicki armed me with the tools and supported me to get him into a solid sleep routine day and night. He slept through the night at 5 and a half months with Vickis help. When my second born started to go through a sleep regression at 4 months, I didn't hesitate and called Vicki straight away. Vicki helped me through, propping me up with a plan during the day and again coaching me before I faced night time wakings. 45 min day sleeps stretched to an hour and a half, two hours and night time sleeps stretched out as well. What a relief to have a sleep expert there, reassuring, holding your hand, giving you support through such a sleep deprived and tough time. Vicki focuses on ensuring Mum and baby are happy, and my babies were never distressed during the process which was a big relief.

XO

Janine

One Very Happy Mum

I contemplated emailing Vicki about her packages for about a week then finally bit the bullet. Within 10 minutes of emailing, Vicki phoned me and upon hearing her friendly introduction I knew I’d made the right decision.

My husband and I have 27 month old twin boys and for the past year they had been waking around 5am each morning. A year of 5am starts had done its dash with me and when we had a 4.45am wake up call I decided enough was enough.
Vicki was very thorough in her questions before getting started on a plan and I immediately felt things were going to work. She gave me a list of what to get and what to do, then reassured me things will only get better. They did! Vicki rang me every day and went beyond what I imagined – we had a few rough months with moving house and a death in the family and Vicki helped us through it all.

Most importantly Vicki made me feel confident – something I hadn’t felt in a long time. I would lay awake just waiting for my boys to peep out wide awake and therefore my sleep suffered and I felt panicked as soon as I heard anything. Now our boys sleep until 6am (which we are more than happy with) and we have a routine if they wake earlier.

I cannot recommend Vicki enough and am glad to say she is very experienced with twins, which is not the case for a lot of sleep consultants.

Thank you Vicki – we owe you!