A Little About Me
Hello and Welcome!
I’m Kim Hawley, a Holistic Sleep Coach, Lactation Consultant, Peaceful Parenting Educator, and the owner of Intuitive Parenting.
I’m passionate about helping tired parents combine developmental knowledge with their intuition to improve family sleep. My specialty is holistic, responsive sleep support for babies, toddlers, and nursing families. Whether you want to make a change or just find a more balanced path forward, I’m here to support your journey.
A little bit about my background
I grew up in the world of moms and babies. My mom, at various points in her career, was a midwife, childbirth educator, birth photographer, La Leche League leader, and pediatric nurse. Despite this foundation, I didn’t find my own place in the maternal and child health world until I was in graduate school studying medical anthropology. I became fascinated with the cultural aspects of birth and choice of care provider, and this led me to get my Masters of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health and to focus my career on pregnancy and babies.
After graduate school, I spent several years working for the government as a Public Health Analyst, but I felt disconnected from the babies and families that my programs served. I decided to stay home with my son while working towards a more connected way to work in maternal and child health. I studied as a Lactation Educator Counselor and got involved with La Leche League.
As my son got older, I wanted to do more, and eventually the idea for Intuitive Parenting was born.
I didn’t start out doing holistic sleep support when I began Intuitive Parenting. In fact, I didn’t know it even existed! I grew up in a world where responsive nighttime parenting was normal. So much so, that I didn’t know what sleep training was until interviewing nannies with my oldest.
Once I realized that I could support family’s in a holistic, responsive way around sleep, I knew it was something I needed to do!
A little about the personal side of me
I live in Capitol Hill, Washington DC with my amazing husband, our 2 living children, and a few pets, including my guide dog. We have a daughter who was stillborn in August of 2016 and will always be an unseen, but loved, part of our family.
I love to run, read a good book, spend time with friends, eat delicious food, and enjoy a glass of wine or cup of coffee. Actually, most of the time I don’t know how I function without coffee!
Education and Experience
Every family I work with is a new chance to learn, as my clients teach me as much as the training I take. When I work with a family, I draw from my academic background, the perspective I gained from my mom growing up, and my years of experience working with families directly and through public health programs.
I love to learn, and I’m constantly reading and training so that I can expand my knowledge to better support my clients.
Here are some of my degrees and certifications.
Sleep
Certified Infant Sleep Educator, Bebo Mia
Lactation
Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
Certificated Lactation Educator Counselor, UC San Diego Extension
Parenting
Certified Bringing Baby Home Educator, The Gottman Institute
Holding Space for Pregnancy Loss Training, The Institute of Birth, Breath, and Death
Academics
Master’s of Public Health, Maternal and Child Health, the George Washington University
Master’s of Arts Cultural Anthropology, the George Washington University
Client Feedback
“Kim is magic. She got our son (2.5-years-old) sleeping through the night, and helped us figure out a better bedtime routine and naps. She also offered sage advice for weaning that’s been really helpful. I'm finally feeling like myself again. In this culture with so much pressure to sleep train that completely goes against my gut instincts, she is a tremendous resource. We cannot recommend her enough. We have so much gratitude–she saved us!”
