Beth Dewing RN, Continence & Sleep, IBCLC, Women's Health
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Maternal & Child | NDIS | Women's Health
Little ones: feeding, sleep + toileting
Women's Health.
For all things Maternal &Child find me at [email protected]
Women's Health → holistic, wrap around peri/menopause clinic @hormone.restore.clinic 🌸🩺
Simple ways to maximise your little one’s circadian rhythm.
⭐️ Get your little one out into the natural light within an hour of waking up
⭐️ Get excited about mornings, a big bright ‘good morning’ always helps
⭐️ At night, dim the lights as the sun goes down. If your little one sleeps before the sun goes down then close the curtains and create a dim environment for wind down
⭐️ Get your little one a red/orange night light. These colours don’t interrupt melatonin production
⭐️ Have a solid bedtime routine
⭐️ Aim for 11-12 hours of night and 12-13 hours of day (inclusive of naps)
Need help? I got you 🤍
09/08/2026
☀️ Morning light helps anchor your child’s body clock.
Aim for plenty of bright, natural light within the first hour of waking. Morning light helps signal to the brain that the day has begun, supporting a healthy circadian rhythm and helping the body know when it’s time to be awake and, later, when it’s time for sleep.
An easy habit: open the blinds, eat breakfast near a bright window, or head outside for some morning light. 🌤️
Did you know that when you pick up your baby (or someone else’s baby) to help settle them, you automatically hold them close, start to gently pat their bottom, do a little rock, and softly ‘sshhhhh’ them?
Some of you know exactly what I’m talking about and maybe some of you have done it so instinctively that you’ve never even noticed.
But studies have shown that the sound of the ‘sshh’ and the rhythm at which people naturally pat a baby closely mimic the sounds and sensations babies experience in the womb.
Your baby can hear from as early as 17 weeks gestation and while they’re tucked safely inside, your heartbeat is as loud as a vacuum cleaner!
So why am I sharing this with you?
Because I want to encourage you. Being a parent is hard and so often we’re left wondering if we’re doing a good job at all.
But don’t forget: your parent-heart, your instincts, already knew how to settle your baby. You already knew (even if you didn’t know the science) that a little ‘sshh’ and a little pat would be one of the best ways to calm your newborn.
How cool is that?! 🌸
References:
Little, E. E., Legare, C. H., & Spicer, P. (2024). Soothing touch matters: Patterns of everyday mother–infant physical contact and their real-time physiological effects. Developmental Psychobiology, 66(1), e23328.
Feldman, R. (2024). Biobehavioral synchrony between parent and infant. Psychology Today.
van Dijk, M., et al. (2011). The Newborn Infant Parasympathetic Evaluation Index (NIPE) for the assessment of analgesia and comfort in newborns. Clinical Journal of Pain, 27(9), 829–835.
04/08/2026
If your kiddo is falling apart by 5.30 pm after daycare, an earlier bedtime is often the kindest option for everyone.
Shorter or lighter naps at care, new people, noise and routines all add up. Their nervous system has been “on” all day, so by the time you get home, they’re running on empty.
Sliding bedtime about 30 minutes earlier on daycare days can:
• reduce overtired big feelings
• make it easier for them to fall asleep
• improve overnight sleep over the week
It’s not missing out on time with them, it’s just helping their body reset so they can cope better tomorrow 🩷
Need sleep help?
I got you.
DM, text, call, email, stop me in the street to enquire.
26/07/2026
Maternal & Child → DM, email, call, text or stop me in the street to enquire 🌸
Women’s Health → holistic, wrap around hormone clinic Hormone Restore | Women’s Health 🩺
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