Sleep can be one of the biggest challenges in the early weeks and months after having a baby.
Newborns sleep patterns take a while to develop, and coupled with waking lots to feed during the night, your own sleep may be broken and deprived.
Night feeds are a normal and essential part of your baby’s development, and breastfeeding during the night helps build your milk supply and comfort your baby when they need it most. It’s okay to feel tired. This stage won’t last forever, and every feed is a moment of connection that helps your baby feel safe and loved.
Remember, you don’t have to do it all on your own. Whether it’s your partner bringing you a warm drink during a feed, helping with chores, or simply offering a kind word, small gestures can make a big difference. Sharing the load helps everyone rest a little easier.
You’re doing an amazing job. Trust your instincts, take things one feed at a time, and know that support is always beside you.
A survey carried out by The Lullaby Trust shows 59% of parents with babies under 12 months old say their baby sleeps for less than 4 hours at a time.
Every baby is different, and some wake more frequently than others throughout the night. Although it’s hard, try not to compare your baby with others.
It’s the biological norm for babies, toddler and even young children to wake at night. As they grow their sleep patterns will change and this is normal. These sleep changes can be tough as a parent when you’ve just got into a routine.
In fact, evidence shows that for around the first six months of a baby’s life, parents who breastfeed tend to get more sleep per night. Even though breastfed babies wake more frequently on average, it’s quicker to get them back to sleep.
That’s largely thanks to the hormones (melatonin) found in breastmilk which can help both you and your baby to get back to sleep quickly.