Hello friendly faces! It’s that time of the week! We’re back with a new CNSM Meet a Mom spotlight brought to you in part by Mary Gifford of Gifford Law. We are excited to introduce you to certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and founder of Hush Baby Sleep Consulting and Wilmette mom of three, Ashley Dorros.
Ashley is a sleep ninja, having trained all three of her children to sleep through the night at four months of age. This affinity to sleep success had her pivoting careers in 2022 when she left a corporate position in digital advertising sales to become a #momboss! Ashley put the work in to become a Pediatric Sleep Consultant and founded Hush Baby Sleep Consulting. So, whether you’ve got littles between the ages of 0 and 5 years old or you’re looking to drop everything and start up your own small business, this story of sleep redemption is for you. Welcome, Ashley!
Photo credit: @bethanykruskaphotography
Please introduce yourself. Where are you from originally? What city do you live in now? What brought you here?
Hi! I’m Ashley Dorros – a certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and founder of Hush Baby Sleep Consulting. I’m originally from Southern California, and yes, I know I’m crazy for leaving 72 and sunny but I’ve made my peace with it. I currently live in Wilmette with my husband, 3 kids, and dog. I moved to Chicago back in 2011 and met my husband shortly thereafter at my first big kid job at a digital advertising agency, and like so many, eventually made the move to the burbs after starting our family.
Photo credit: @bethanykruskaphotography
Tell everyone about your sweet kids! Bragging welcome 🙂
Like I mentioned, I’m a mom of 3 kids – 2 girls and 1 boy. My oldest is six and is closing out her kindergarten year. She is my mini-me – equal parts diva, sass, and sweet. She’s way smarter than I ever was and can hold her own with anyone, so I have no doubt she’s going to be a boss babe someday. In the middle is my four-year-old boy, and he’s currently in pre-K at a sweet little school in Evanston. He is just like his dad – genuinely the kindest, gentlest little dude on earth. He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, but he’s also a massive man-child. We lovingly call him our “gentle giant”. And then there’s our youngest at 20 months. She truly was the chillest baby ever, much to Mom and Dad’s surprise and delight. She is an even mix of both of her older siblings and makes me laugh ‘til I pee (ugh!) at least once a day. She’s small but mighty and definitely has come into her own these last few months. She doesn’t take crap from anyone and insists on being in the mix always.
Photo credit: @bethanykruskaphotography
What are one or two fun facts to know about you?
I LOVE breakfast. Well, really any meal, but mostly breakfast. I spend far too much time dreaming about food because I truly love it. Unrelated, but I also go by my middle name – always have. My legal first name is Kristin, but my parents have always called me Ashley. Weird and more confusing/annoying than you’d think, so I didn’t carry on the tradition with my kids.
What are your favorite North Shore places, spaces and eats to frequent?
Wilmette Bowl, Gillson Beach, Fuel, Evanston farmers’ market, Backlot Coffee, Torino in Wilmette, and Backyard Barbecue.
What gets you through a tough day (ie. lots of coffee, yoga, meditation, wine, a good book, etc)?
Oat milk lattes, lifting heavy things (I love weightlifting), a walk, trashy TV, sitting around a firepit.
Photo credit: @bethanykruskaphotography
You are the founder of Hush Baby Sleep Consulting. Tell us about this baby :). How did you get involved in this profession?
When I had my kids, I always said that if I ever did anything right, it was to teach them how to be great sleepers. They might be totally screwed up otherwise, but they would sleep no matter what (kidding…kinda). And every time I had another baby and had them sleeping through the night by 4 months old, taking solid naps, etc. I always got questions from friends and family about how I did it.
I’ve also really struggled with postpartum depression and anxiety, which were totally foreign to me at the time and something I knew nothing about or how to fix. Over time, I realized how much better my symptoms got when I was finally getting the rest my body needed after so many sleepless days, weeks, and months on end.
After talking to so many other moms over the past few years, it really surprised me how many parents struggle with perpetual sleep issues for their kids. I mean, there were people confiding in me about their broken relationships, lost friendships, resenting their partners, struggling with their performance at work, emotionally detached from their babies, feeling completely broken and inadequate as a parent. It was heartbreaking to hear these women’s stories and know that it didn’t have to be that way. I realized how much I wanted to start helping other moms and their kids solve their endless sleep issues, so I decided to get certified as a sleep consultant and made a huge career change in July 2022, leaving my corporate job at a digital advertising agency and jumping in head first to the start-up life, Hush Baby Sleep Consulting. It’s been a whirlwind so far, but I am so glad I finally get to help other moms (and their kids) be their best selves by helping them get the rest they need and deserve every single night.
Photo credit: @bethanykruskaphotography
What is sleep consulting and how does it work? Why is this a better option than DIY?
Sleep consulting (aka. sleep coaching) involves hiring a consultant, coach, or trainer to give you the tools, resources, and support to teach your child healthy sleep habits for independent sleep. Independent sleep means your child is able to put themselves to sleep without anyone else’s help or intervention. There are lots of DIY-options out there to help you tackle your child’s sleep issues, but hiring a sleep consultant is a customized, one-on-one experience that allows parents to choose the method (or combination of methods) that feels good to them and meets their child’s needs appropriately.
Consulting not only offers a personalized plan unique to your family, but also includes dedicated, real-time support throughout the entire process, so you’re never left wondering what to do or how to do it. This includes topics like sleep schedules and routines by age, settling techniques, changing sleep associations (feeding to sleep, contact naps, etc.), regressions, daycare transitions, nap training, overnight training, bedtime struggles, managing multiples (twins, triplets), siblings in shared rooms, early morning wake-ups (before 5am), separation or sleep anxiety, sleep environment transitions (house moves, new room, crib to bed, co-sleeping to solitary sleep, etc.). The list is endless! Additionally, a good consultant should provide lactation and feeding support (when needed) and age-appropriate nutrition guidance about how, when, and why offering different foods can improve sleep. Ultimately, sleep consulting is the premium option for parents who want individualized, holistic sleep solutions that will set their child, and themselves, up for a lifetime of great, restorative sleep.
Photo credit: @bethanykruskaphotography
What ages are best for sleep training, and what is the oldest child you’ve worked with?
Formal sleep training is best for babies who are 4+ months old and can be effective for children up to 5 years old. That said, newborns can absolutely start learning healthy sleep skills as early as 2+ weeks and if done correctly, almost always leads to babies establishing a solid nap routine and sleeping through the night without any formal training by 4 months. The oldest child I’ve worked with to-date was 7 years old, where most of the training focused on changing behavioral and scheduling issues.
When a client calls you for the first time, I imagine that they are pretty desperate and feel like a deer in headlights. What is the process of that you take from start to finish?
I always start with a 30-minute discovery call (completely free) to get to know one another and find out if it’s a good fit for both of us. We discuss their situation, what their goals are, if they’ve tried anything in the past, any reservations or concerns they have about sleep training, and then I give them an overview of what I can offer specific to them and how I would support them throughout the process.
Because of the investment involved, I always like to have all parents or caregivers who are financially responsible for the decision on the call so there are no surprises or issues later on. If we agree to move forward, I send them a 4-week contract to sign along with an invoice (payment plans are available, as well) and then shoot off an intro email with their intake questionnaire. The questionnaire is very detailed to help give me an in-depth look at what’s going on currently so I can create a plan that addresses their specific issues and priorities. Once the plan is sent back to the parents for review/sign-off (~48 hrs), the real work begins and everything I’ve outlined in the plan gets put into practice.
The parents are responsible for keeping a daily sleep and feeding log that I have access to so I can provide feedback, make plan adjustments if something isn’t working, and help answer questions in real-time. Clients also have up to 4x calls (60-min each) or 4x in-person home visits if they’re local to Chicago (60-min each), in addition to the ongoing text support Monday-Friday 8am-8pm CST.
Photo credit: @bethanykruskaphotography
Can you sleep train adults, too? Kidding, not kidding.
I get this question all the time! I don’t “officially” sleep train adults, but I DO offer suggestions and guidance for parents to improve their sleep as part of my consultation services ☺.
Do you have any quick tips for moms expecting a child that you can offer?
My biggest tips for expecting moms are a.) to ask for help, even if you’re not sure what exactly you need, b.) don’t underestimate your mom instinct, and c.) find your tribe of women who think you’re a big deal, love you in all your moments, and support you and your parenting choices because it really does take a village.
Tell us about a time when you were super proud of your line of work. What happened and why did it make you smile ear to ear?
I had a client recently who has two boys (2 years and 4 years) that started sharing a room when their little sister was born. At the time, both boys were taking an hour or more to go to bed at night, both were up at least twice a night coming into the parents’ room, and they were up for the day by 3:30/4am most days. Not to mention, Mom had a newborn to care for at this point. It was a disaster! Within two weeks of working with them, bedtime for the boys was taking no more than 20 mins start-to-finish, they were both going to sleep independently every night, and were staying in their beds quietly until 6am. Not only was this a HUGE win for the family as a whole, but Mom also let me know a couple weeks later that her biggest victory was being able to establish a good breastfeeding routine with her newborn because she was finally producing enough breastmilk as a result of getting more consistent, regular sleep. This was such a cherry-on-top moment for me and made me so happy to impact her life in such a deeply personal way!
What’s on the horizon for Hush Baby Sleep Consulting?
I’m starting to look into group training options, which would give clients the benefit of not only customized, one-on-one coaching, but also the added bonus of a live community of other moms with similar sleep issues to learn from and support each other throughout the process. I’m also going to be partnering with some local businesses in the near future to bring even more value and support to North Shore moms. Stay tuned!
Is there anything else you’d like us to know about Hush Baby Sleep Consulting?
Hmm…can I offer a discount for new clients who mention CNSM? LOL. If so, would love to give your members/audience 10% off their consultation package.
Yay – awesome and thank you! Load us up with your contact information.
You can learn more by visiting my website at https://www.hushbabysleepconsulting.com/. I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to make a phone apt by filling this form out. And follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see more about my day-to-day life with Hush Baby.
About our Meet of Mom Sponsor
A very heartfelt thank you to CNSMoms’ Meet a Mom sponsor, Lake Forest mom of three and owner of Gifford Law, a solo Estate Planning Firm (wills and trusts). Mary, we appreciate your support of local moms in our North Shore communities! Learn more about Mary by visiting her Meet a Mom spotlight here! Contact Mary directly here: [email protected].
