Lin Elderkin, The Baby Whisperer, Baby Sleep Guru, Superstar Snooze Fairy(!), “Just Text Lin”(!!)… She goes by many names in our household… And is worthy of every one of them.
A few months ago, my husband and I were living a somewhat chaotic existence. COVID-19 aside, we were in the midst of a big refurb, living between London and Surrey, and trying to ‘manage’ our very active, restless 7 month old. For several months, baby had been a ‘perfect sleeper’, and we revelled in this, not appreciating how quickly things change. (And OH did they change).
On the eve I first spoke to Lin, our little one was waking several times a night, her naps and feeds were scattered throughout the day as she pleased, she was teething relentlessly, and she had a bad cough/cold… To complicate matters, she had also just discovered how to pull herself up to stand… ‘So cute!’, we thought. Until we realised what this actually meant; baby now approached her sleep space with the same rigour and enthusiasm as those baby gorillas in the jungle… She climbed, she fell, she swung, she shook, she crashed… Poor Mumma sobbed(!!).
Cue Lin. We were admittedly skeptical about a sleep trainer who offered her services entirely over the phone. How would this work? Hubby and I admittedly wanted a quick fix; someone to come to our house, wave their magic wand, and basically just do it all for us. I was also anxious about any form of “cry it out” - more interested in an attachment/gentle approach, not wanting my child to be left with abandonment issues.
But that is the beauty in Lin’s method. It is a quick fix (if you commit to her guidance); and it is gentle…
In just two weeks, we no longer had night wakings, we’d dropped baby’s dream feed, she was eating more solids, her naps were more regulated - and, dare I say it, putting her down to sleep was actually an enjoyable, meditative experience. So much so, that recently, when baby looked to be transitioning to 1 nap, we called Lin on board again. Our little one is now sleeping 13 hours a night and napping 3 hours at lunch. Sometimes we even catch her searching for her little cot teddies when she’s ready for sleep… (very sweet). We are so well rested as a family, and for this, cannot thank Lin enough.
Lin, you are kind, caring and passionate, and your years of experience shine through in every exchange we have. You go above and beyond for your families, which is why we all trust you implicitly. You are the absolute BEST at what you do (and believe me, we have tried a few).
Until we meet (text) again… :)
Daania xx September 2021
Having boy and girl twins is truly a blessing. But after 5 weeks of getting no more than a few hours of punctuated sleep a night and our sanity utterly shredded, we were beginning to wonder how we would cope with our “new normal”. After a chance recommendation from someone who had used Lin before, we jumped (albeit slightly sceptically) at the chance to work with her; a woman who claimed she would have our babies sleeping through the night, 13 hours straight, in less than 2 months time. We were dubious, particularly as Lin works fully remote over WhatsApp, and our two babies have very different personalities. However, true to her very confident word, after following all her advice, both babies slept through the night from 7pm til 8am, plus two x 2 hour naps every day - at 3 months old and have continued to do so ever since. (They are now almost 7 months). Working remotely with Lin also meant we retained privacy in our own home which was a huge plus.
We originally hired Lin as we wanted to get some sleep and normality back for ourselves, but the benefits have proven to be even greater for the babies. Both are free from colds, content, laughing, curious about their surroundings and taking everything in like a sponge. We were initially nervous about the amount the babies would cry but Lin was there for us every step of the way. She doesn’t charge per phone call or per WhatsApp message like most sleep consultants, and goes above and beyond her duty. Lin put her heart and soul into us and it really felt like she became part of the family.
We don’t think it’s an understatement to say Lin has changed our lives as parents and made us question all the guidance we had previously received and read online. On top of that, Lin also helped us successfully wean our twins onto solids and they are both now happily eating three hearty meals a day. As for the dreaded 4 month regression we heard so much about… it didn’t happen.
Lin is a one off, a miracle worker, and we feel so fortunate to have found her. Ignore everyone else, hire her, do exactly what she says, and you will also end up feeling as lucky as we do to have her in your lives.
Many thanks always,
Lauren and Grant xxx July 2023
