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

In this episode, Jes shares her experience of severe postpartum anxiety, the challenges of accessing perinatal mental health care, and how her journey eventually inspired her to create The Jellybean Gym — a space supporting both young children and their parents.

We discuss:

• Jes's experience of a difficult pregnancy with persistent nausea and vomiting
• Discovering her daughter was breech at 37 weeks and changing her birth plans
• Choosing a planned caesarean and navigating feelings of failure before becoming a mother
• The importance of partner leave
• Meeting her daughter for the first time and not experiencing the immediate connection she had expected
• Recovering from a caesarean and the anxiety Jes experienced
• Struggling to trust her own instincts as a new mother
• The challenges of learning to parent together and communicating with your partner
• Experiencing increasingly severe anxiety and panic attacks during early postpartum
• The impact of anxiety on Jes's ability to eat, sleep and function
• Reaching a mental health crisis and recognising that she urgently needed professional support
• The significant barriers Jes encountered when trying to access perinatal mental health care
• Seeking help through urgent care, her GP, emergency departments and other services
• The support Jes received from PANDA during this difficult period
• Being admitted to a perinatal mental health unit at eight weeks postpartum
• Spending three and a half weeks in hospital alongside her daughter
• What a perinatal mental health admission can look like
• Accessing psychiatric care, medication and psychological support
• Preparing to leave hospital and the anxiety surrounding returning home
• Understanding that mental health recovery is an ongoing process
• The enormous role James played in supporting Jes through her postpartum experience
• Finding a supportive community through mothers' groups
• The importance of feeling heard and validated by other mothers
• How connection with other mothers can reduce feelings of isolation
• Why her postpartum experience inspired her to establish The Jellybean Gym
• Creating purposeful play classes for young children
• Designing a space that supports parents and caregivers as well as their children
• The importance of allowing families time to connect before and after classes
• Creating community through small groups, shared experiences and everyday conversations
• How building The Jellybean Gym has been part of Jes's own healing journey
• Jes's advice to other mothers - if something feels hard, it is hard, and you deserve support

You can find out more about Jes and The JellyBean Gym at www.thejellybeangym.com.au or on instagram @thejellybeangym.

A big thank you to Odi Nutrition for sponsoring this week’s episode.

You can find out more about Odi at @odi_nutrition_, and you can browse their range at odinutrition.com.

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, Tayla shares her two postpartum experiences, including recovering from caesarean births, choosing to formula feed, navigating postpartum anxiety and returning to paid work earlier than she had hoped.

We discuss:

• Finding out unexpectedly that she was pregnant with her first daughter, Emily
• Becoming a mother without a relationship with her own mum
• The enormous support Tayla has received from her mother-in-law
• Preparing for a planned caesarean and worrying about physical recovery
• Meeting Emily for the first time
• The challenges of those first days in hospital and adjusting to caring for a newborn
• Recovering physically from a caesarean birth
• Tayla's decision to formula feed both of her children
• The judgement and pressure she experienced around her feeding choices
• Navigating conflicting feeding advice and concerns about Emily's weight gain
• Learning to trust her instincts as a first-time mum
• Experiencing anxiety during her first postpartum season
• Returning to paid work when Emily was just under three months old
• Navigating daycare and adjusting to being away from her baby
• Preparing for postpartum with a second baby
• Maintaining Emily's routine during the transition from one child to two
• Practical postpartum preparation, including meal preparation and creating a calm home environment
• Meeting Paul and recovering from a second caesarean
• Feeling much more confident as a mother the second time around
• Watching Emily meet her baby brother for the first time
• The challenges of adjusting to life with two young children
• Feeling a temporary change in her relationship with Emily after Paul's arrival
• Paul becoming seriously unwell at just 10 days old and requiring hospital care
• How this experience contributed to significant postpartum anxiety
• Paul being admitted to hospital again with RSV at 10 weeks old
• Experiencing prolonged postpartum bleeding and the anxiety surrounding her recovery
• Struggling with sleep, withdrawing from the outside world and feeling increasingly anxious
• Why Tayla wishes she had sought mental health support earlier
• The importance of opening up to trusted friends and family
• How regular conversations with her husband and friends helped Tayla feel connected and supported
• Returning to paid work earlier than she wanted because of financial pressures
• The challenges of combining paid work, daycare and parenting two young children
• Tayla's positive experience with her children's daycare
• The joy of watching Emily and Paul's sibling relationship develop
• Finding greater confidence in herself as a mother, partner and person
• Learning who truly shows up for you during motherhood

This weeks sponsor is Rest in the Postpartum Season - guided yoga nidra practices created for mothers.

If you’re looking for a simple way to slow down, rest and take a little time for yourself, you can find practices ranging from five to fifteen minutes at www.thepostpartumseason.com.

And if you would like to buy a Postpartum Season cap, click this link below:

https://www.thepostpartumseason.com/store/p/the-postpartum-season-cap

Thank you for supporting the podcast!

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 bonus episode of The Postpartum Season, I’m joined by Tegan Gilchrist, a senior director at The Parenthood, an Australian advocacy organisation campaigning for the social and economic infrastructure parents need to make life work for modern families.

Tegan shares some of the challenges facing parents today, including the tension between work and caring responsibilities in the context of systems designed for another era, the cost and availability of early learning, and the pressure parents can experience as their families move through different stages.

We also talk about what The Parenthood is advocating for: 12 months of paid parental leave for families, high-quality and accessible early learning, and more family-friendly workplaces.

Tegan explains why giving fathers and partners dedicated opportunities to take parental leave matters — not only in supporting mothers during the first year, but in establishing shared care from the beginning. We discuss the idea of the “default parent”, the role that time plays in building confidence and connection as a caregiver, and why creating better systems for families can benefit mothers, fathers, children and the wider community.

We finish by talking about The Parenthood’s vision for Australian families and how parents can get involved in advocating for change.

You can find out more about The Parenthood at:

https://www.theparenthood.org.au

Or follow along on instagram at @theparenthood.

Important links that were mentioned in the episode:

Address by Georgie Dent, CEO of The Parenthood, at the National Press Club:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brIRti7aEpg

The Parenthood Paid Parental Leave Petition:

https://www.theparenthood.org.au/first_year_foundations

Also, 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