When mothers struggle postpartum, one recommendation seems to rise above all others: sleep train your baby.

What if we've mistaken a default recommendation for a comprehensive solution?

In this episode, Lauren and Gabrielle are joined once again by therapist and maternal mental health specialist Natalie Bowler for a thoughtful conversation about postpartum mental health, sleep deprivation, trauma, attachment, and the growing tendency to present sleep training as the primary intervention for struggling mothers. Together, they explore what may be missing from these conversations—and why supporting maternal mental health requires far more than simply addressing infant sleep. 

The discussion examines the importance of comprehensive maternal mental health assessment, the role of trauma and grief in the postpartum period, the influence of societal expectations surrounding independence, and why individualized, family-centered support matters. Rather than framing babies as the problem to solve, this episode asks what becomes possible when we support the entire family system. 

About Our Guest

Natalie Bowler

Natalie Bowler is a therapist specializing in trauma, attachment, and maternal mental health with more than 10 years of clinical experience. She is also a Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner, Mother Hunger Facilitator, and supports families through an attachment-focused, trauma-informed lens. 

Instagram: @safehavenmama
Therapy Practice: safehaventherapy.com
Consulting & Coaching: safehavencandc.com

Connect With the Hosts

Lauren Sloan, RN-BSN, CLC

Founder of The Early Neurodiversity Company

Instagram: @earlyneuroco

Website: https://earlyneuroco.com

Lauren is a registered nurse, certified lactation counselor, certified pediatric sleep specialist, and disability advocate challenging how we recognize and support neurodivergence from birth. Through a neurodiversity-affirming, biologically informed approach, she helps families better understand sleep, regulation, sensory processing, and early child development.

Gabrielle Ferrara, Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner, LCSW, PMH-C

Instagram: @nurtured.mom.nurtured.baby

Website: https://gabrielle-ferrara.com

Gabrielle is a licensed therapist and Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner specializing in maternal mental health, attachment, and infant sleep. She supports families through a responsive, relationship-based approach that prioritizes both parent and child wellbeing.

In this episode, Lauren and Gabrielle are joined by therapist, maternal mental health specialist, and attachment-focused, Nurtured Neuroscience practitioner Natalie Bowler to unpack a frequently misunderstood concept in parenting: the idea of the “good enough” parent.

Together, they explore the origins of D.W. Winnicott’s Good Enough Mother theory, Edward Tronick’s research on attunement and repair, and how the often-cited “30% attunement” statistic has been interpreted, and misinterpreted, across parenting spaces. The conversation dives into what secure attachment actually requires, the role of repair in healthy relationships, and why “good enough” was never intended to be a justification for intentional disconnection. 

The discussion also examines the cultural pressure toward independence, separation, and behavior modification, and how those messages shape not only our relationships with our children, but also the way parents view themselves. From infancy through adolescence, Lauren, Gabrielle, and Natalie challenge listeners to consider what happens when we stop viewing children as problems to solve and start seeing them as humans deserving of attunement, relationship, and understanding. 

Resources Mentioned

Books

• Mother Hunger by Kelly McDaniel
• Work and teachings of D.W. Winnicott
• Research and teachings of Dr. Edward Tronick (including the Still Face Experiment)

Researchers & Educators

• Kelly McDaniel
• D.W. Winnicott
• Dr. Edward Tronick
• Catherine Wallace

About Our Guest

Natalie Bowler

Natalie Bowler is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Tennessee and South Carolina with more than 10 years of experience supporting individuals through trauma, attachment challenges, and maternal mental health concerns. She is also a Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner and a Mother Hunger Trained Facilitator. 

Instagram: @safehavenmama
Therapy Practice: safehaventherapy.com
Consulting & Coaching: safehavencandc.com

Natalie offers:

• Maternal mental health support
• Trauma-informed therapy
• Mother Hunger coaching
• Attachment-focused guidance
• Sleep consultations 

Connect With The Hosts

Lauren Sloan, RN-BSN, CLC

Founder, The Early Neurodiversity Company

Instagram: @earlyneuroco
Website: earlyneuroco.com

Gabrielle Ferrara

Instagram: @nurtured.mom.nurtured.baby
Website: gabrielle-ferrara.com

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a parent who may need to hear it.

In this episode, Lauren and Gabrielle discuss the recent BBC investigation into the sleep industry and the growing calls for regulation. While both agree that dangerous advice should be addressed, they explore the potential unintended consequences of broad regulation and ask an important question: who gets to decide what constitutes the standard of care?

The conversation expands into informed consent, behaviorism, safe sleep, bedsharing, medical advocacy, cognitive dissonance, attachment, and the role sleep professionals can play in helping families identify underlying factors that impact sleep and wellbeing.

Topics discussed include:

• The BBC sleep industry investigation
• Regulation vs. oversight
• Safe sleep and bedsharing education
• The role of behaviorism in parenting culture
• Medical red flags that impact sleep
• Low ferritin, airway concerns, sensory differences, and neurodivergence
• Why parents often need advocacy support
• Cognitive dissonance and sleep training
• Informed consent in parenting and healthcare
• Why one-size-fits-all approaches fail families

Resources Mentioned

• Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum
• Dr. Tracy Cassels
• Spoil Your Baby Episode

Connect with Lauren

Instagram: @earlyneuroco

Website: earlyneuroco.com

Connect with Gabrielle

Instagram: @nurtured.mom.nurtured.baby

Website: gabrielle-ferrara.com

The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or replace individualized medical advice.

Welcome to IDK Who Needs to Hear This... — the podcast for parents who are done with one-size-fits-all advice.

Hosted by Lauren Sloan and Gabrielle Ferrara, this podcast explores the realities of early parenting, child development, sleep, neurodiversity, attachment, maternal wellbeing, and everything beyond and in between. Through honest conversations, personal stories, research, and practical strategies, we challenge conventional parenting narratives and empower families to trust themselves, support their children, and think critically about the advice they're given.

Whether you're navigating sleep challenges, sensory differences, feeding concerns, developmental questions, or simply trying to make sense of your parenting journey, you're in the right place.

Connect with Lauren Sloan

Lauren Sloan, RN-BSN, CLC, is the founder of The Early Neurodiversity Company and specializes in sleep, early neurodiversity, sensory processing differences, nervous system regulation, and helping families access support earlier.

Instagram: @earlyneuroco

Website: earlyneuroco.com

Connect with Gabrielle Ferrara

Gabrielle Ferrara, LCSW, PMH-C, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Perinatal Mental Health provider, Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner, and mom. Through both professional expertise and lived experience, Gabrielle supports families through the realities of early parenthood, infant sleep, attachment, maternal mental health, and child development using a responsive, relationship-centered approach.

Instagram: @nurtured.mom.nurtured.baby

Website: gabrielle-ferrara.com

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