If you’re holding a wide-awake newborn at 2 a.m. wondering why sleep feels so chaotic, let me say this clearly: your baby’s sleep isn’t broken. Your baby is just brand new and in those early weeks, it’s supposed to feel messy and a little all over the place.
As a postpartum doula and baby sleep trainer, I always tell families that the first two weeks postpartum are a total wildcard. Newborns don’t know day from night yet, sleep happens in short stretches, and feeds run the show. During this time, I truly believe anything goes. There is no “bad habit,” no routine to protect, and no need to stress about schedules. Your only jobs are to recover, feed your baby, and rest whenever you can.
It’s also completely normal for newborns to lose some of their birth weight after coming home from the hospital. I see parents panic over this all the time, but it’s a normal part of the transition as feeding is established. Around the two-week mark, most babies regain their birth weight, and that’s often when things begin to shift. Sleep may start to consolidate slightly, feeds can feel more predictable, and longer nighttime stretches may naturally appear.
From weeks two through three months, newborn sleep continues to evolve but it’s still far from consistent. Babies are learning how to regulate their bodies, develop circadian rhythms, and adjust to life outside the womb. Progress often looks like one step forward and two steps back, and that’s normal. Sleeping longer stretches at night doesn’t mean sleeping through the night, it means gentle, developmental change.
If you’re feeling pressure to “fix” your baby’s sleep during this stage, take a breath. Normal newborn sleep can be unpredictable, exhausting, and still completely healthy. Understanding what’s biologically normal can remove so much unnecessary stress.
At Uptown Doula, we focus on supporting families through this season with realistic expectations, education, and reassurance, not rigid rules. You’re not failing, and your baby isn’t broken. You’re both learning together.
