Certified support for building family dynamics through holistic sleep and lactation therapy.

Susan Williams is a local of Los Alamos. Being from the area, she has always wanted to give back to the community that made her feel safe. The community was there for her through all her endeavors, including raising her family.

She taught preschool for over 25 years, working with all ages and directly with parents to provide the best care and education she could offer. Although it was a hard decision to leave teaching, she found a home as a home visitor with the First Born Program of Los Alamos. There, she earned her Community Health Worker certificate, giving her insight into how best to help her families meet their goals. She would provide referrals to local businesses for basic needs, parenting support, mental and physical health needs, social support, and groups. She has led countless Circle of Security trainings, individually and in groups, book clubs, and play dates.

Her desire to become a sleep coach stemmed from personal experience and meeting First Born clients’ needs. When her children were younger, they struggled with sleep, and she searched endlessly for ways to help them. As she saw clients with the same concerns and needs as she had with her children, she looked into ways she could offer help. After reviewing many courses, she found The Holistic Sleep Coaching program through Babyem in London. They provided an evidence-based curriculum without focusing on cry-it-out methods. This curriculum suited her needs, and so she, with the assistance of First Born, signed up and became a Holistic Sleep Coach. She has helped many families since with their sleep concerns, working through stress, and helping them manage complex health or emotional obstacles.

During her sleep coaching experience, she learned how closely sleep and lactation are connected with younger children. Her desire to offer her many families the best version of herself resulted in her becoming a Certified Lactation Counselor through the Happy Children Project. Thanks to the First Born Program, she received all the credentials to provide lactation support to various families with varying needs successfully.

As her journey with sleep coaching continued, she quickly learned that the struggle was not just in infants and toddlers but all children and teens. She saw this with her children but also knew of this in the community. When friends and strangers learned of her certification, they frequently asked if she worked with older children. Finding that First Born did not offer services to older children, she found frustration and disappointment in the faces of those asking. Seeing the family’s disappointment started her learning about opening her own business to meet the families of Los Alamos and White Rock, where they were in their parenting journey.

She still finds joy working for First Born and is excited to extend her services to families outside the age range of First Born.