Why just Surviving the Early Years of Parenthood Is More Than Enough
You Don’t Have to Be Thriving All the Time
There’s a quiet pressure that seems to hum in the background of the online world, especially if you’re a parent scrolling in the middle of the night while settling a baby. Growth. Optimisation. Productivity. "How to do more with less sleep."
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It’s everywhere.
We’re told to build the business, bounce back after birth, create enriching routines for our babies, meal prep, move our bodies, maintain friendships, and do it all with grace.
But here’s the truth: you don’t have to be thriving all the time. Surviving is enough.
Social Media and the Myth of Constant Growth
Social media has created a culture of relentless growth. We’re rewarded for our highlight reels, for the curated moments that show how well we're "doing." But in reality, parenting, especially in the first few years, rarely looks like that.
Behind the filtered feeds are real families trying to function through broken sleep, big toddler feelings, postnatal depletion, identity shifts, and the slow unravelling (and rebuilding) of self.
And when you're in that space, when you're up at 3am with sore arms and tired eyes, it’s easy to feel like you're falling behind because you're not growing, posting, building, or thriving.
The Early Years of Parenting Are Meant to Feel Intense
The science backs this up.
The first 1000 days from conception to around age 2 are some of the most intense and transformative for both babies and their caregivers. Your sleep is interrupted. Your nervous system is constantly responding to your baby's cues. Your brain literally rewires to become more attuned and responsive. It’s not just your baby developing, it’s you, too.
In fact, studies in neuroscience and perinatal psychology show that this period often mimics adolescence in terms of emotional intensity and brain plasticity. It’s called matrescence, the transition into motherhood, and it’s deeply under-recognised.
So if you’re feeling overwhelmed or like you’re barely keeping up, it’s not because you’re failing. It’s because this season is supposed to demand more of you.
Survival Is Not a Weakness—It’s a Skill
Let’s reframe it.
Surviving is not giving up. It’s adapting. It’s responding to the season you’re in.
Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is not push for more. Not optimise your day. Not sign up for the course or the routine or the life overhaul. Sometimes the most powerful thing is to pause and be present with what is.
Maybe this is your season of maintenance, not momentum.
And that is wise.
There Will Be Seasons for Growth Again
Growth isn’t gone, it’s just paused.
Your creativity, your passions, your goals… they’ll come back. They’ll return when the fog lifts, when the baby sleeps longer stretches, when the big transitions settle.
But you don’t need to rush there.
Right now, you’re doing the work of laying foundations, emotionally, physically, and relationally. Your child doesn’t need a thriving, high-performing version of you. They need a regulated, emotionally available, real version of you. And sometimes that version is slow, quiet, tearful, or stretched.
It’s still enough. You are still enough.
You’re Not Alone, And Support Is Here
At The Sleep Sanctuary, I work with families across Brisbane and Australia to create gentle, responsive support plans that meet you where you are. Whether it’s infant sleep support, night nanny care, or just knowing someone is in your corner, I’m here.
You don’t have to navigate this season alone or perfectly. You just have to show up, one moment at a time.
Gentle Next Steps
If you’re reading this and nodding through the tears or the chaos, here’s your reminder:
You don’t have to do more.
You don’t have to thrive.
You can rest. You can ask for help.
You can trust that this messy, beautiful survival season is part of the journey.
And when you're ready, whether it’s for a sleep plan, a listening ear, or just a slow reintroduction to structure, I’d be honoured to walk alongside you.
💛 Let’s start where you are.
Explore Support:
Visit www.thesleepsanctuary.com.au to learn more about how I support parents locally in Brisbane and virtually across Australia. You’ll find gentle sleep plans, newborn guidance, and in-home support that actually feels human.
Let’s Connect:
Book a free discovery call here or come say hello on Instagram @thesleepsanctuaryaus