Former Olympian Jana Pittman pleads for help from fellow mums: 'Sleep deprivation is real'
By Nikolina Koevska Kharoufeh |
Jana Pittman may be a mum of six, but even she admits that she is no expert when it comes to baby sleep.
The former Olympian ?has turned to social media to plead for help from followers to battle the sleep issues she is experiencing with 16-month-old twins Quinlan and Willow.
In a candid post on Instagram, ?the retired athlete turned doctor has revealed she is struggling to cope with the intense sleep deprivation, "So while I am managing... I am no longer thriving!"
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Pittman shared a series of vulnerable photos to her page?, posing with her twins who celebrated their first birthday in March this year.
"I love my kids but simultaneous twin sleep issues is killing me! Plus the new onset tantrums x 2 can drain the smiles away," the mum captioned the post.
She revealed that while she has tried everything to get the twins sleeping well at night, they are? refusing and are officially "the worst sleepers" she has ever had.
"I used to call Willow 'Princess Peach' but her new name is 'Cranky Crab'. And 'Quinny Bear' is now 'Midnight Monster'," the mum joked while requesting help from her followers on what she should try next.
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Pittman? says that she has even hired a sleep consultant to get their sleeping issues sorted, though the positive change never seems to last, partly due to the working mums lifestyle.
"I work a lot of nights, so my little ones have different people caring for them. It means routine is hard," she expressed.
"I know how privileged I am to have them when so many are struggling with infertility, but gosh this is hard!"
The mum-of-six works as a doctor primarily in obstetrics and gynaecology? after qualifying in 2020 and undertaking a PhD at UNSW in 2022.
And it seems the combination of her shift work schedule, unsettled twins and raising four other children, is starting to take a toll.
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"I know how privileged I am to have them when so many are struggling with infertility, but gosh this is hard!"
So in another attempt to fix the sleeping issues, the mum is turning to followers for help.
"Anything that works please share as I am sure I am not the only one on this roller coaster?."
And her call for help has been answered, with hundreds of parents swarming to her candid post to provide motivation and support.
"If you're in the position to, could you outsource for a night a week? Even a one-off. Whatever is in your financial and emotional means. It will make the world of difference if you can get some uninterrupted sleep," one parent suggested.
Another suggested separating the twins into different rooms, "She was a good sleeper and his waking and screaming was disturbing her.?"
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While other parents, who are currently experiencing the same type of sleep deprivation, were just thankful to Pittman for being real and honest about her experience.
"I look at your posts in awe and amazement that you can do so much. Sometimes it doesn't feel like that's the case to you, but it's ok to get lazy sometimes to just get by," one commented.
Another said, "I'm in the sleep-deprived bunker with you. It's hard?."
"No recommendations I'm sorry, but I hear you and see you!" shared a third.
Alongside twins ?Quinlan and Willow, Pittman and husband Paul Gatward are also parents to Charlie, two, Emily, seven, and Jemima, six.
They also share a big brother, Cornelis, 16, whose father is Pittman's former coach and ex-husband Chris Rawlinson.
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