Its the same question every single new parent hears…
‘are they a good baby, sleeping well?’
My answer with all three of mine? ‘Yes they’re a good baby, ALL babies are good babies, but NO theyre not sleeping through’.
I mean, come on. Who really wants to have that pressure immediately?
It doesn’t stop there though. As they get older, the same pressure, well even more is put on parents.
I’ve thought about this more recently as my now 4 year old has had a few nights sleeping through recently. Yes, I said 4. FOUR YEARS OLD HAVING HIS FIRST NIGHT SLEEPING THROUGH.
I’ve been asked for years how I cope with now having a full night sleep. ‘I couldn’t do it’. ‘I need my sleep’ ‘Maybe you should do cry it out’. First and foremost. No. I am not leaving my child to cry. But we shall speak about that another time.
When I recently added a status about his amazing sleep, I was happily surprised at some friends comments that their children slept through ‘late’ too.
There were a fair few comments and it was, even though I’m not really bothered, reassuring.
I had a few messages soon after the status surprisingly and they said how glad they were that I added it. All of them had had friends/family telling them that their babies, yes BABIES, should be sleeping through. Now these babies are like 5 months, 10 months, and 19 months. See, it’s not anyones business but the parents. Thankfully I have epic friends who understand that their babies will sleep through when they sleep through. It’s not part of the deal when you have a baby that they mustn’t wake because Mum and Dad need to get a good nights rest. No. It’s what you sign up for when you have a child, they wake. They want milk, they want comfort, they just want to look about.
As tiring as it is. It just something we have to get on with.
The simple fact is, they will go through the night when their bodies choose to.
Being a newborn and baby photographer, I hear this from parents a lot. Their parents, friends, siblings already putting the pressure on them to get a sleeping routine when their baby has barely been born.
They’re told ‘my baby was sleeping through at 8 weeks’. Well, that’s great for you, but most babies aren’t.
Can’t we just let them enjoy their babies, that can still happen through tiredness.
One thing I tell my clients is ‘This too shall pass’. Four words that get me through absolutely every single part of parenting. Through life is fact.
Having three sons that don’t always sleep through the night, I can truthfully tell you that you WILL get through it. One day at a time. One day you’ll wake and it’s 6:30am and they’re still there with their sweet eyes closed, their little noses snoring that sweet snore and you’ll wish they’re were awake.
And as babies most importantly of all, it is safe. It’s part of their bodies doing what they need to do. Their little brains are waking them to make sure they can. As scary as it sounds, our bodies are incredible from that very first cell forming towards the next.
So, know that if your little one isn’t sleeping through like Sallys baby next door, it’s not a problem.
And a heads up with your newborn session here, your baby may not sleep but it’s fine. Many don’t sleep through the session. We achieve a beautiful gallery no matter what. Your baby is perfect just the way they are.
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