Teresa Stewart: Family Solutions

02/27/2026

On March 8th, it's Spring DST and we move the clocks FORWARD by an hour. I love this time change and can't wait for more light during the evenings. However, the spring time change does cause sleep disruption for a lot of babies and children. It initially leads to an hour loss of sleep, and if families aren't prepared and don't know what to do, this time of year can quickly lead to bedtime battles, wakes over night, and morning tiredness.

If you're interested in getting more support in a group setting, please check out this information:

On Sunday, March 8, 2026, we will change our clocks at 2am. In the spring, we change the clocks FORWARD, so at 2am, the time will become 3am. This means (sorry to say!) that everyone will lose an hour of sleep this coming Saturday into Sunday night! If you’re a parent and already struggling with h...

03/12/2023

TONIGHT, at 2am! ⬇️

2am will become 3am.

Yes, this means we will lose an hour of sleep 😴.

If you have been dealing with your child waking earlier than you want them to, this time change can help shift waketime an hour later. (example, if they were waking at 6am, 6am becomes 7am tomorrow. Stay consistent with wake and light exposure at 7am going forward.)

The biggest challenge families face with the time change is around bedtime. If you have not been preparing your children for this, the next week may be harder with bedtime resistance. If your children go to bed, at let’s say 8pm, and tomorrow night you put them down at 8pm, that is going to feel like 7pm to their bodies. That will likely cause resistance and/or them taking a longer time to fall asleep. So in this case, tomorrow night do bedtime at 9pm. Then, depending on how sensitive your child is to change, shift bedtime earlier by 10-15 minutes every 1-3 nights.

Good luck to everyone. I am oversimplifying how this can go; but for some children it will be this easy to gradually shift. For others, we may need to look at a more comprehensive schedule change. Or, if preexisting sleep challenges were already ongoing, then we may need to look at schedule and other factors.

If you need help, contact me here, or send me an email: [email protected].

03/14/2021

Don’t forget! Tonight at 2am clocks change. In the spring, we change the clocks FORWARD, so at 2am, the time will become 3am. This means (sorry to say!) that everyone will lose an hour of sleep. If you’re a parent and already struggling with helping your child's sleep, this is not good news.

I can help you understand what biologically happens during the time-change and how you can help your child (and entire family!) achieve optimal sleep as quickly as possible.

There are many articles published on how to do the time change the week leading up to it. But if you haven’t been shifting all week, don’t worry. You can work on this this week. There are two options on how to make the transition to the Spring DST the week after we change clocks.

In summary, my guide will provide options for you to help your child adjust to the time change. It is designed for babies who are at least 5 months old (adjusted) through children age 8 years old.

The guide is $10 and can be purchased. If you would like more help, I am also offering the guide with the service of having me review your child's schedule for $45.00. For this option, you will utilize an assessment graph I will send you, track your child's sleep for at least ten days, and then return it to me. I will then analyze your child's schedule and send you tailored recommendations for improving sleep initiation, consolidation, and/or a more consistent schedule (depending on your goals) through sleep timing adjustments.

If you're interested in one of these options, please review this form for all the details. Complete the registration and send payment.

On Sunday, March 14, 2021, we will change our clocks at 2am. In the spring, we change the clocks FORWARD, so at 2am, the time will become 3am. This means (sorry to say!) that everyone will lose an hour of sleep this coming Saturday into Sunday night! If you’re a parent and already struggling with ...

03/10/2021

I was interviewed for this in 2019. It was published today, ironically during a migraine episode for me that is going on hour 24 and not showing signs of letting up.

Unfortunately the medication I mentioned in this interview as working, isn’t as effective anymore. But, this past year has been extremely hard for me (as I know it has been for most of us).

Stress is absolutely a trigger to my migraines, fibromyalgia, and autoimmune illnesses. I share because I know I am not alone on this journey of chronic pain and illness. This experience is hard, it’s complex to be on while also parenting, and it’s been even more intense this last year to be navigating chronic health issues and while parenting during a pandemic.

Little did I know she had migraine, too.

03/08/2021

On Sunday, March 14, 2021, we will change our clocks at 2am. In the spring, we change the clocks FORWARD, so at 2am, the time will become 3am. This means (sorry to say!) that everyone will lose an hour of sleep this coming Saturday into Sunday night! If you’re a parent and already struggling with helping your child's sleep, this is not good news.

But don’t worry. I can help you understand what biologically happens during the time-change and how you can help your child (and entire family!) achieve optimal sleep as quickly as possible.

There are many articles published on how to do the time change the week leading up to DST. What that requires is pulling wake and bed times earlier for the entire week prior. I will include this as an option in my comprehensive guide. However, many families can’t do this since earlier bedtimes are not possible due to work and childcare situations. Or, maybe you are like me and are not a morning person. (I don’t like to ever shift my kids’ wake time earlier- even if it is only for a few days! I choose to do the shift the week after the time change in my family.) If your family is in one of these situations, there are two options on how to make the transition to the Spring DST the week after we change clocks.
In summary, my guide will provide three options for you to help your child adjust to the time change. It is designed for babies who are at least 5 months old (adjusted) through children age 8 years old.

The guide is $10 and can be purchased as of today. If you would like more help, I am also offering the guide with the service of having me review your child's schedule for $45.00. For this option, you will utilize an assessment graph I will send you, track your child's sleep for at least ten days, and then return it to me. I will then analyze your child's schedule and send you tailored recommendations for improving sleep initiation, consolidation, and/or a more consistent schedule (depending on your goals) through sleep timing adjustments.

If you're interested in one of these options, please review this form for all the details. Complete the registration and send payment. I'll be sending the first batch of the guide out later today to those who sign up. Some of you may want to start shifting tomorrow, in preparation for the time change on Sunday morning, so don't delay!

Please make payment here: https://www.paypal.me/TSFamilySolutions and then complete this form to finalize your registration. I will send you the sleep support guide within 24 hours of you completing this form and payment. Thank you, Teresa Stewart, MS, MPH Sleep Consultant, Child Development Special...

05/09/2020

Today is the 5th and final day of Maternal Mental Health Awareness week. I have been participating in The Blue Dot Project's campaign all week,so scroll below on my page for days 1-4 if you missed them.

We've explored some hard topics this week. But today the campaign is ending on a message of HOPE. This is so important to have, whenever we're going through any hard times; and especially now for all of us during COVID-19 and the situations it has brought into our lives.

Possible trigger warning in some of my next words, so I do want to state that in case you may not want to continue reading.

Over this week I've shared with you pieces of my story of a really rough pregnancy and then traumatic birth experience with my first, of PPA after my first, of miscarrying my third baby, of a deep depression after that miscarriage.

My kids are now ages 13.5 and almost 9 years old. My miscarriage was eight years ago. It's been quite awhile since I have been in the prenatal, birth, or postpartum world personally. But my experiences are forever woven into the fabric of who I am, and one of the reasons I strive to support other families.

I am not a mental health provider, but I am very involved in the mental health world. It was a focus during my graduate program when I earned my MPH in maternal/ child health; and I've completed post-grad courses and programs specifically around postpartum depression and anxiety, including a wonderful program that I completed four years ago through The Postpartum Stress Center in Philadelphia. I don't treat clients, but I do specialize in supporting families going through a perinatal or postpartum mental health disorder; and I do have the training to help screen and refer clients as needed to further support.

I am actively involved in two local coalitions in my town, Minds Matter and Impact Norwood, that are mental health and substance abuse prevention coalitions.

I am also involved in mental health advocacy and helping to destigmatize mental health needs.

Why do I tell you all of this? And why have I chosen to share my own story along with The Blue Dot Project's campaign? Because if my words can help one person not feel alone, or encourage one person to reach out for help, then sharing my story needs to happen.

And with that in mind, I will take a deep breath and be brave once more, and share that even though it's not perinatal or postpartum right now for me, with the current events in our world, I am having a hard time. Panic attacks, anxiety, and depression all mixed into my life right now. It's really hard. I'm working on lining up all the support I need and on my own healing. Throughout it all, past and present experiences, I do have hope.

I hope you do, too.

With love and appreciation if you have been following along all week,
Teresa

05/08/2020

Day 4 of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week. (Trigger warning for some as I share some personal experiences at the end.)

From The Blue Dot Project: “Postpartum depression isn’t the only maternal mental health disorder. There are a range of mental health conditions including depression, general anxiety, OCD, psychosis and PTSD. This year because of the COVID crisis more mothers are expected to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Symptoms include: being hypervigilant (abnormally alert to potential danger), avoidance of anything that reminds the mother of the traumatic event, re-experiencing the traumatic event (in flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive memories), and feeling depressed and/or guilty. Learn more at http://ow.ly/XOde50zvu3x “

Phew, this is a hard one. You know, it’s been 13.5 years since my daughter was born and I still haven’t ever fully articulated or written her full birth story? I just can’t. There is so much trauma wrapped up in it. Long story short (again, possible trigger warning before you proceed), I had an OB who seemed mostly wonderful during my pregnancy (there were a few comments that in retrospect I probably should have paid more attention to, but I was a first time mom. I didn’t know!) but then during my labor, didn’t listen to anything I asked. I felt violated from the second I was admitted. Violated and disregarded. Treated like a problem that needed to be solved, a pathology that needed to be healed. Not like a woman in labor. Not like someone who could or should trust her body. Not like someone about to bring forth life. Forced IV, heavily coerced to take poticin (which did not go over well with my body and emotions!). Not allowed to walk or use the shower and tub. Put on a timetable on when I “had to have my baby or would otherwise have a c-section” (there is nothing wrong with having a c-section. Don’t misunderstand what I am saying. But it was said to me in a way that felt like a threat and that undermined my body’s ability to birth my baby the way it was working towards) at X time. My OB broke my water against my wishes. She also gave me an episiotomy that I asked her not to do, I don’t think was necessary, and caused longterm damage to my body. There’s more details but I won’t go into them here.

It took a lot of work to process my birth experience and heal physically and mentally from it. My second baby was born almost five years later and although his homebirth was an empowering and beautiful experience, there were moments of panic and fear that resounded from my daughter’s birth.

And then in May 2012, I miscarried my third baby. And so much of the trauma of my daughter’s birth came rushing back. I miscarried at 13 weeks and it was a traumatic experience. Then I developed an infection, had to go to the ER, and was admitted for two days. The doctor on call was an as***le. Excuse my language, but it was true. He implied I was at fault for my miscarriage. At fault because I was breastfeeding my son during this pregnancy. At fault for walking in an event a few days before. There was so much blame and SO many misguided notions he was operating under. He violated my wishes and showed little respect for my body. I had to fight like hell- while so sick and in so much pain- to be heard. He treated me, like the OB before, like a problem to solve. Not like a human being with feelings and fears who just experienced a loss. It was a horrible experience. It triggered PTSD from my first birth experience and created new PTSD as well. I experienced a really deep depression after this.

I miscarried baby 3 in May 2012. Next week is the 8 year anniversary of that loss. I can still vividly recall all the details of how that day unfolded and how I felt in that hospital. I still lament that loss and almost daily wonder what my baby would be like today.

I know I am not alone. I know many others experience pregnancy loss and/ or traumatic childbirth. But during both those experiences, I felt really alone.

These are hard topics. But we need to talk about them. We need to be brave and share, so that when it happens to someone else, they don’t feel alone; they know it’s not their fault; and they know support and help are available.