Is it possible to affect the quality of your baby's sleep before they are born?
Heck Yeah!
We all know that sleep is no guarantee once you have a newborn, but how much do expecting parents think about their child’s sleep before the baby is born? The reality of what things will be like is hard to grasp until you are in the thick of it yourself.
I want to share some recent studies that highlight some ways that benefit baby’s sleep (and therefore health and development) even before they are born. Now some of this might seem obvious, and you’ve heard it all before but it’s always cool to have the reminder and see the sleep research! 🧸
1st - Mum’s pre-pregnancy and pregnancy mental health MATTER when it comes to their infant’s sleep.
A 2010 study found that children those mothers were depressed during pregnancy slept 0.36 fewer hours/day at 1 year old and 0.38 hours/day at 2 years old compared with children whose mothers were not depressed during pregnancy (Nevarez et al). The research proposed the possibility that maternal depression may affect maternal behaviour, potentially influencing the onset of infant sleep.
Another study investigated the lack of sleep a mother gets during pregnancy, and how it adds up and then contributes to symptoms that aren’t directly related to childbirth or childcare (Meltzer and Montgomery-Downs). 🧠
2nd - Mum’s physical activity (before and during pregnancy) effects baby’s sleep.
A 2021 study found that higher levels of maternal physical activity may reduce sleep and developmental problems in infants. They note that maternal physical activity decreases chances of gestational diabetes which in turn effect infant development as well as increase physical activity promotes better sleep for mum which has an effect on baby’s sleep (Nakahara et al). 💪🏼
3rd - If mum gets decent sleeps during pregnancy, baby’s sleep will benefit
Lyu et al. found an increase in mum’s sleep in 1st, 2nd, 3rd trimesters lead to an increase in childhood sleep duration. 💤
So what can you do if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant that will give your infant a leg up in the sleep department?
Broken record here but…prioritize your health 🙌🏼 mental and physical. (plus from what we’ve seen here, the mental aspect plays a bigger role than one might think).
Support. is. everything. Reach out to those in your circle, and if you’re interested in meeting other parents I’ve got the perfect gathering you can attend for free:
~ March 5th at Zaaz Eatery and Play’s - Party Roomz
~ Mingle with those in your village!
~ Free snacks and drinks
~ Toys to keep your little one busy
~ Vanessa Mack (Doula) and myself will be there to answer all things infant sleep and pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
Always reach out if you have any questions!
Your Paediatric Sleep Consultant
🌿 Marina Godard-Simon
