In this episode of The Postpartum Season 2026 Educational Series, I'm joined by Dr Eliza Hannam, GP, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), NDC-accredited practitioner and founder of Nurtured Medical in Sydney, to discuss what parents can realistically expect when it comes to infant sleep.
Dr Hannam shares how her own experience of becoming a mother left her feeling completely unprepared for the realities of newborn sleep, despite her medical training. After spending months feeling as though she was failing because her baby wasn't sleeping in the way she expected, she discovered a different approach to understanding infant sleep that ultimately influenced both her parenting experience and professional career.
We discuss what normal infant sleep actually looks like, including the enormous variation between babies, short daytime naps, frequent night waking, contact sleeping and the development of day-night rhythms. Dr Hannam explains why infant temperament and individual sleep needs play such an important role, and why comparing your baby's sleep with another baby's can be unhelpful.
We also explore the biology of sleep, including circadian regulation and sleep pressure, and how understanding these processes can help parents make practical adjustments when sleep is particularly challenging. Dr Hannam explains the Neuroprotective Developmental Care (NDC) approach, which views sleep as a biological need rather than a skill that babies need to be taught, and emphasises responsive caregiving and supporting the wellbeing of the whole family.
We also discuss co-sleeping and bed-sharing, including the importance of understanding the risks and having access to evidence-based safer sleep information. Dr Hannam explains why conversations about sleep arrangements need to be realistic, non-judgemental and focused on helping families make informed decisions.
Throughout this conversation, Dr Hannam acknowledges that broken sleep can be incredibly difficult and have a significant impact on parental wellbeing. Her message is not that parents should simply accept being exhausted, but that understanding what is normal can help reduce unnecessary guilt while allowing families to focus on practical ways to make this season more manageable.
This is a reassuring and informative conversation for anyone preparing for postpartum, currently navigating challenging infant sleep, or reflecting on their own experience of early parenthood.
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.