29: Do Strict Baby Routines Actually Work? What the Research Says About Infant Sleep & Feeding

Are strict baby sleep routines actually helpful? Or are they just increasing stress, feeding challenges, and self-doubt for new parents?

In this episode of the Postpartum Prep Podcast, I’m joined by Professor Amy Brown, a leading maternal and child public health researcher at Swansea University and one of the most influential voices in infant feeding, breastfeeding support, and perinatal mental health.

Professor Amy Brown directs the Lactation, Infant Feeding and Translational Research Centre and has spent over 20 years researching breastfeeding, infant feeding, parental anxiety, baby sleep, and the cultural pressures placed on new mothers. She has published more than 150 peer-reviewed research papers, contributed to global infant feeding policy, and authored several widely respected books for parents and professionals.

In this conversation, we explore what the research actually says about strict infant routines and schedules - the kind often promoted in popular baby sleep books and online programs - and whether they truly support babies and parents.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What “strict infant routines” really mean (and how they differ from responsive rhythms)

• Why so many baby books promote rigid schedules for feeding and sleep

• What Amy’s research found about parents who try to follow strict baby routines

• Whether routine-based baby books actually work in real life

• How strict feeding and sleep schedules can impact breastfeeding success

• The link between rigid routines, maternal anxiety, and early feeding challenges

• Why normal infant behavior is often framed as a “problem”

• How parents internalize blame when their baby doesn’t follow a schedule

• The emotional toll of being told your baby needs “fixing”

• Why responsive feeding and baby-led care are biologically normal

• How pressure to create a “good baby” can undermine parental confidence

We also dive into the idea of informed choice, a core theme of Amy’s book Informed is Best. Rather than telling parents what they should do, Amy explains how parents can:

• Evaluate baby sleep and feeding advice more critically

• Identify biased or commercially driven information

• Understand how research is often misrepresented in headlines

• Make decisions that align with their baby’s needs, their values, and their real-life circumstances

• Feel more grounded and confident - even when things feel hard

This episode is especially supportive for:

• Expecting parents preparing for life after birth

• New mums feeling overwhelmed by baby sleep advice

• Parents navigating feeding challenges or breastfeeding difficulties

• Anyone feeling anxious because their baby doesn’t fit a “schedule”

• Professionals supporting postpartum families

🎧 Be sure to listen to episode 30, our follow-up Q&A episode, where Professor Amy Brown answers questions about building a postpartum support system - even if you don’t have family nearby - and how communities and systems can better support mothers and babies.

If this episode resonated with you, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with another parent who might need reassurance that they’re not doing anything wrong - they’re caring for a very normal baby.

Amy's links

⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Website⁠⁠

Postpartum Prep Podcast

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Postpartum Prep Checklist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tip Jar⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://motherbabywellbeing.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get 10% off nursing bras, breastfeeding clothes, and more from ⁠The Little Milk Bar⁠ with code MOTHERBABYWELLBEING

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SHOW NOTES⁠