In this episode of The Postpartum Season 2026 Educational Series, Dr Eliza Hannam, GP, IBCLC, NDC-accredited practitioner and founder of Nurtured Medical, joins me to discuss normal infant sleep, realistic expectations, responsive settling and supporting parental wellbeing.

We discuss:

• Dr Hannam experience of becoming a mother and feeling unprepared for newborn sleep despite her medical training
• How her own parenting experiences led her to pursue further training in infant sleep
• The work Dr Hannam and her team do through Nurtured Medical
• The importance of considering infant sleep, feeding, health and parental mental health together
• The Neuroprotective Developmental Care (NDC/Possums) approach to infant sleep
• Understanding sleep as a biological need rather than a skill to learn
• What normal newborn sleep looks like
• Why newborns initially have limited day-night differentiation
• The normality of babies wanting to sleep on or close to a parent
• Why catnapping is common in young babies
• How infant sleep changes as babies grow

• The enormous variation in normal infant sleep duration
• Infant temperament and its influence on settling and sleep
• Why some babies need significantly more support to fall asleep
• Understanding frequent night waking and why it can be developmentally normal
• Responsive settling, co-regulation and helping babies feel safe and supported
• Why feeding, rocking or holding a baby to sleep doesn't necessarily create a problem
• Understanding the main biological regulators of sleep
• The role of daylight, activity and day-night differentiation
• How daytime naps and bedtime timing can influence sleep pressure
• Recognising when sleep pressure may be contributing to difficulties settling or frequent waking
• Practical adjustments that may help support infant sleep
• Why rigid sleep schedules and prescribed wake windows don't suit every baby
• The importance of considering the wellbeing of the whole family
• Practical ways to make broken sleep more manageable for parents
• Seeking additional support when sleep deprivation is affecting parental mental health
• Navigating conflicting infant sleep advice

• How to choose an appropriate professional for infant sleep support
• Co-sleeping and bed-sharing, including the importance of understanding potential risks

• Avoiding unplanned sleep in higher-risk circumstances, including on couches and chairs

• What it means for infant sleep advice to be evidence-based
• Understanding the limitations of observational studies and other infant sleep research

• The importance of critically evaluating claims made about infant sleep
• Dr Hannam's reassurance that sleep changes over time and that difficult seasons do get easier
• Why challenging infant sleep doesn't mean you're failing as a parent

The resources Dr Eliza Hannam mentioned during the episode include:

• The Discontented Little Baby by Dr Pamela Douglas
• Red Nose Australia — safer sleep information
• Australian Breastfeeding Association — infant sleep and bed-sharing information
• BASIS (Baby Sleep Information Source), UK — infant sleep research and safer sleep information

You can find out more about Dr Eliza Hannam on instagram at @dr.eliza.hannam and her clinic, Nutured Medical, on instagram at @nuturedmedical.

A big thank you to First Aid for New Parents by The Postpartum Season for sponsoring this week’s episode, which will be launching soon!

Follow along on instagram at @thepostpartumseasonpodcast for updates about the launch.

As mentioned in the episode, here are some postpartum support resources. Please reach out if you need help.

Australia

• PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia)
  Helpline: 1300 726 306
  Website: https://www.panda.org.au
• Lifeline Australia
  13 11 14 (24/7)
  Website: https://www.lifeline.org.au
• Beyond Blue
  1300 22 4636
  Website: https://www.beyondblue.org.au

New Zealand

• PlunketLine
  0800 933 922 (24/7)
• Healthline New Zealand
  0800 611 116 (24/7)
• 1737 Need to talk?
  Call or text 1737 (24/7)

Thank you for listening. Take care x

In this episode, Laura shares her experience of becoming a mum to Billie, including an unexpected caesarean birth, feeding challenges, physical recovery and balancing motherhood with running a business.

We discuss:

• Laura's journey into motherhood and deciding when to start a family
• Navigating the decision to have a baby while running a business with her husband
• Feeling excited about motherhood while wondering how it would fit into their working lives
• Concerns about Billie's growth towards the end of pregnancy
• Increased monitoring and the unexpected decision to deliver by caesarean
• Having a positive caesarean experience despite an unexpected change in birth plans
• Meeting Billie for the first time and the initial shock of becoming parents
• The emotional intensity of the early postpartum period
• Adjusting to frequent feeding, broken sleep and caring for a newborn
• The support Laura and Liam received from family
• How becoming parents has affected their relationship
• The importance of working as a team during postpartum
• Breastfeeding initially going well before Billie became increasingly unsettled
• Navigating weeks of crying, feeding difficulties and concerns about weight gain
• Introducing expressed breast milk by bottle
• Gradually transitioning to bottle feeding and pumping
• The practical and emotional challenges of pumping
• The relief of seeing Billie become more comfortable and gain weight
• The unexpected emotional significance of changing feeding methods
• Laura's concerns about recovering from a caesarean as a Pilates instructor
• The initial shock of seeing her caesarean incision
• Experiencing numbness and difficulty connecting with her abdominal muscles after surgery
• Gradually returning to walking and gentle movement
• Rebuilding core strength and pelvic floor awareness during postpartum recovery
• Why Laura feels her own recovery has made her a better Pilates instructor
• Developing Wild Pilates' new postnatal programme while recovering from birth herself
• Filming the programme with Billie alongside her
• How motherhood has changed Laura's relationship with her body and movement
• Finding a renewed sense of purpose in her work after becoming a mother
• Returning to work while caring for a baby
• The challenges of switching between work and motherhood throughout the day
• The guilt that can accompany trying to balance paid work and parenting
• Finding connection with friends who are navigating motherhood at the same time
• Remembering that challenging postpartum seasons don't last forever

You can follow along with Laura and Wild Pilates on instagram at @lauramohiryan and @wildpilates.

Auckland mums, if anyone would like to find out more about Connection in the Postpartum Season, head to my website www.thepostpartumseason.com. There are only a few tickets left!

As mentioned in the episode, here are some postpartum support resources. Please reach out if you need help.

Australia

• PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia)
  Helpline: 1300 726 306
  Website: https://www.panda.org.au
• Lifeline Australia
  13 11 14 (24/7)
  Website: https://www.lifeline.org.au
• Beyond Blue
  1300 22 4636
  Website: https://www.beyondblue.org.au

New Zealand

• PlunketLine
  0800 933 922 (24/7)
• Healthline New Zealand
  0800 611 116 (24/7)
• 1737 Need to talk?
  Call or text 1737 (24/7)

Thank you for listening. Take care x