Welcome to ESSA Consulting...

ESSA Consulting is uniquely led by a practising maternal and child health nurse and AHPRA registered midwife and nurse with over two decades of clinical experience. This ensures every assessment, strategy, and recommendation is ethical and safe - grounded in evidence‑based primary health care, not generic programs or one‑size‑fits‑all advice. Families receive guidance that considers the whole child - their development, temperament, feeding, environment, and overall health needs, alongside maternal wellbeing and family dynamics. This clinical expertise allows for early identification of health or developmental concerns, the creation of tailored settling plans, and the delivery of safe, responsive approaches that align with best‑practice maternal and child health standards. Where many consultants focus solely on sleep routines, Sara provides a comprehensive, holistic service that blends professional nursing knowledge with practical, compassionate support. The result is safer, more effective, and more sustainable sleep outcomes for your entire family.

ESSA Consulting provides professional sleep and settling care for babies and toddlers across Australia. We offer tailored sleep plans, in‑home support, comprehensive follow‑up and additional resources, complemented by practical guidance on feeding, development, and play. Every recommendation is grounded in evidence and designed to help your child thrive. Sara can also assist in screening and connecting families to additional support services when needed, ensuring you receive the right care.

Babies are incredible communicators — constantly showing us how they feel and what they need. But when everything is new, it’s completely normal for those cues to feel confusing or easy to miss. At ESSA, we help you understand your baby's unique language. We guide you in recognising early tired signs, behavioural cues, and patterns in your child's rhythms, so you can respond in a way that supports their development, wellbeing, and sleep needs. We also work with you to create a safe, calm, and practical sleep environment that promotes settling and reduces overwhelm. Through gentle, evidence‑informed guidance, we help you feel more confident, connected, and supported as you navigate your child’s early sleep journey.

Every child and every family is unique. For some, small adjustments to daily routines can make a significant difference. For others, we may work together over a longer period continuously tailoring a plan that meaningfully improves your child’s sleep. No matter what your journey looks like, we’re with you every step of the way - providing guidance, reassurance, and support whenever you need it. What optimal sleep looks like for each family varies and is dependent on the age of your child and your personal goals.

At ESSA, the process is designed to feel clear, supportive, and personalised from the very beginning. Our service options and pricing are outlined in detail on the Packages page, where you can explore the level of support that best suits your family. If you have any questions prior to booking, please make contact so we can discuss your needs, your goals, and what package is appropriate. Once booked, we ask you to complete an initial assessment form so we can understand your child’s sleep patterns, developmental stage, and your parenting approach and goals. From there, we develop a tailored sleep plan and support you through in‑home visits or phone consultations, with timely follow‑up to help you navigate changes and adjust as your child’s needs evolve. Every child is unique, and some families will benefit from additional support. In these cases, we may take a more extended approach and develop a longer‑term sleep strategy. This is a private service with affordable fees. Some payments are made upfront, while other payments are arranged progressively as we move through your personalised plan.

We support families with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers (0–5 years), delivering evidence‑based sleep and settling guidance that aligns with your child's developmental needs.

While ESSA Consulting is based in Victoria, our comprehensive online services allow us to support families Australia‑wide. Locally, we provide in‑home consultations across Ballarat and surrounding regions. For families outside this area, we’re pleased to discuss daytime in‑home visits anywhere in Australia, with travel fees arranged as needed.

For families choosing in‑home support, your initial consultation takes place in the comfort of your home. This allows us to get to know you and your child, understand your sleep challenges and goals, explore your child’s daily patterns, and assess their sleep environment. Gaining this insight helps us identify what you’re hoping to achieve and how we can best support you. Depending on the package you select, we can return to your home to demonstrate sleep and settling techniques, and we provide follow‑up phone calls to review progress and adjust strategies as your child’s needs evolve. If a longer‑term plan is required, we continue working alongside you for as long as you need, ensuring consistent, compassionate support throughout your journey. In-home consultations are conducted during standard business hours.

ESSA Consulting operates primarily during standard business hours Monday-Friday; however, we recognise that family needs don’t always fit neatly into a schedule. To ensure support is available when it matters most, after‑hours and weekend appointments can be arranged by request.