A Little About Me
Meet Stephanie zabaneh
I’m Steph! I am a mother of two, living in Alexandria, Virginia, and I help families and their little ones get the sleep they crave in order to thrive.
I still remember the fog I was in as I too searched the web looking for ways to solve my child’s exhausting sleep habits. I always knew I wanted to be a mother. I planned for and read all about pregnancy and delivery. I even read a few sleep books while pregnant in an effort to avoid being the sleep deprived family everybody kept jokingly warning about.
I would roll my eyes when friends, family, or even strangers would comment “sleep now because you are never going to sleep again”. Oh please, stop with the scare tactics, that won’t be me.
Well, they weren’t wrong. At least at first…
My journey into the first few months of my baby girl’s life happened without any support system since we were living abroad in Luxembourg, tirelessly rocking, bouncing, and feeding her to sleep. I felt so alone. I would spend her naptimes reading through blogs, and books, trying to figure out the magic answer to get her to close her eyes.
She was SO alert. The minute I would lay her down, her eyes would pop back open. If someone suggested I buy a yoga ball to bounce her, I would do it. If another mom told me the answer was in a specific swaddle, I would buy it. Yet, nothing was working. My husband and I would set 20-minute timers and switch off bouncing her for hours. I felt hopelessly exhausted, and my body was in pain.
I even tried to accept my fate of never sleeping again. But for this mama who has always LOVED to sleep, is a napping PRO, and would rather stay in to wake up refreshed, than be out past 2am even in my college days, it just was not working. I couldn’t do it. Not getting my 8 hours of sleep BEFORE kids would make me cranky… imagine now?
Finally, I found a sleep consultant that was able to guide me, and she changed our lives. Our little family of 3 was happier all around. I could finally think. I could get back to teaching yoga and doing the things I loved. My husband and I had time together in the evenings again. We were thriving.
Better yet, when my second baby was born, even in the early newborn days where he did wake every 3 hours, I was much happier because I had a plan, and I knew we WOULD sleep again. I was able to enjoy my newborn and not feel the postpartum anxiety that I felt the first time around. It was amazing, and I am so thankful for that second chance at enjoying the newborn stage.
This is what I want for you. I feel strongly about helping families find their path to a balanced and joyful parenting experience. You can care for your children, and still have time for yourself. Exhaustion is not a badge of honor and I am so tired of this misconception that motherhood means exhaustion.
You do not need to do it alone, and I can’t wait to support you on this journey.
With Love
Steph
My Credentials
> Sleep Sense™ Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant
> 200RYT
Let’s work together as a team to help your child sleep better, leading you and your whole family towards the rest you all need and deserve. I work with local Northern Virginia families, as well as virtually worldwide.
If you are ready to find out more or have questions about exactly what I do, just take the simple step of booking a free 15 minute Evaluation Call with me.