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