Infant Sleep - You're not failing if your newborn isn't 'sleeping through the night'

What the bloody hell does sleeping through the night mean? I don't even think I have ever once slept through the night without waking up - I have nightmares, in fact the other night I was woken up because a face jumped out at me in my dream (we can unpack that later - reach out if you're a psychologist). So how can we expect babies to, when even as adults we wake up hungry, thirsty, needing to pee, from nightmares, or simply because our arm is numb?

I had no idea what to expect when I first had my LO - I just assumed you put them down and they would just sleep? How naive! And then, due to my desperation to get some sleep, I spent $150 on a 'guide' and that guide essentially said to sleep train my baby by letting them cry a little. I couldn't even sleep if she batted an eye lid - how the bloody hell was I meant to sleep when she was calling out for me? So ridiculous. And then I was made to feel like a failure with 'experts' on Instagram saying that your baby should we sleeping 4 hours at a time - I was lucky to get 2 hours at a time. And 3 hour naps? 40 minutes naps were all we could get - and yes, those 40 minutes were contact naps. 

We love to put everything in neat little boxes and apply it to the world - but in reality, we are all different and what works for one baby, might not work for another. It turns out my LO has low sleep needs and she doesn't need lots or long naps. And yes, she was perfectly happy and thriving with this sleep set up. Trust yourself and your baby, do what feels right and safe.

The moment I stopped trying to get her to sleep or go by a schedule or even worry about her naps - the easier her sleep got. And no, she still doesn't sleep through the night at 21 months - and that's ok. 

You are not a failure if your baby doesn't 'sleep well'. Do what is best for your family and soak up the contact naps. The dishes can wait, everything can wait. Your baby needs your heartbeat and touch to regulate everything and that is beautiful and magical and ok. 

You're doing a great job, motherhood suits you.