“Having children just puts the whole world into perspective. Everything else just disappears" - Kate Winslet
I’m guessing you’re reading this because you have a baby who is wakeful, doesn’t settle easily, isn’t getting enough sleep or has distressing behaviours around sleep. Be very aware that you are not alone. Unsettled behaviours in babies in this age group are very commonplace, as your baby gets accustomed to being earth side.
By now your baby is interacting readily with the world and sleep patterns may well be changing to meet these additional needs. Often babies will go through a growth spurt around 6 months and require more frequent feeds for a period of time. He may even have begun some teeth movement and this may disrupt sleep somewhat.
In more recent years it has become evident to both parents and healthcare professionals alike that the incidence of intolerances to varying components of our diet and/or chemicals in our environment has escalated exponentially. This, along with, alteration to gut microbiome, is considered by many to be the root cause of many an unsettled infant.
The first few months after having a baby is a period of time like no other. It is life stage that arrives after many months of growing a new life inside of you and constantly adjusting to all the biological and psychological changes that brings. The arrival of your baby is a powerful event, regardless of delivery style.
Newborns have changed very little in evolutionary terms since we emerged as a separate species when we became upright. As our pelvic shape altered to allow us to stand on two feet, and our brains grew larger from using our hands more, babies needed to be born much earlier to be able to fit through this new shaped pelvis with their now large head. This meant that our babies are born very prematurely: probably about nine months prematurely.
There are people who don’t mind hearing babies cry. They ignore a baby in distress, won’t pick the baby up ‘so as not to spoil him’, think nothing of leaving babies crying alone for hours in a dark room. I know these people exist because I read articles about them all time. But seriously, who are they? In my 26 years as a mother, 12 years as a parent educator and 3 years blogging, I’ve never encountered a parent like this.
Healthcare professionals are often asked for help because of what parents perceive as a baby's sleeping problem. Many parents expect that the baby will be sleeping continuously through the night from a given age, often as early as six weeks old. The conflict between the parents' expectations and the baby's behaviour leads the parents to seek help.
Newborns have changed very little in evolutionary terms since we emerged as a separate species when we became upright. As our pelvic shape altered to allow us to stand on two feet, and our brains grew larger from using our hands more, babies needed to be born much earlier to be able to fit through this new shaped pelvis with their now large head. This meant that our babies are born very prematurely: probably about nine months prematurely.
The average newborn sleeps much of the day and night, waking only for feedings every few hours. It is often hard for new parents to know how long and how often a newborn should sleep. Unfortunately, there is no set schedule at first and newborns mostly remain on a twenty-four hour clock — and when they are first home form hospital they often think they are supposed to be awake at night and sleep during the day.
The lifelong journey of parenting is one of the most relentless and rewarding you are likely to ever experience. This is an exciting, exhausting period where life’s experiences can be enjoyed and at times dismayed over. At times it may feel like a large exercise in troubleshooting, frustration and experimentation
In more recent times I have been asked to write down or, at the very least teach, all that I have learnt regarding infants, their behaviours and responses, what works and doesn’t work with regards to settling, the common health compromises and developmental challenges of infants, effective treatments of same and those with less suitable outcomes… no small task!
Baby Sleep Myth #1: Comparing Your Baby to Other Babies. It is almost impossible not to… especially when you’re sitting beside a fresh-faced mother of three who is telling you about how her newborn baby slept through the night again last night. But you should avoid comparing your baby to other babies or you’ll drive yourself mad.
Being pregnant for the first time is one of the most incredible experiences of a woman’s life. There is the sense of wonder at the way your body unfolds, making room for this unknown being who is about to become the centre of your universe. There is also the terror, punctuated by exhaustion and uncertainty.
