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- Supporting new parents
Parents need support, information and guidance, as well as praise and encouragement as they learn new skills and adjust to responding to their baby’s needs and personality. The changes are particularly marked for those having a baby for the first time. Many parents have no extended family or friends who have recent experience of babycare living close by, so support from professionals and from local support networks for new parents is vital (see related documents below).
There are also a range of relevant NCT reviews of evidence on this topic, first published in the NCT’s quarterly continuing professional development journal New Digest. These inlude research on bed sharing and co-sleeping, baby sleeping behaviour and the development of secure attachment.
Related documents
- NCT Policy Briefing: Services that guarantee high quality preparation and support for all those with a new baby (2010)
(PDF 41 Kb) - Services that guarantee high quality preparation and support for all those with a new baby NCT policy briefing, March 2010
- The experiences of women returning to work after maternity leave in the UK -a summary of survey results (PDF 682 Kb)
- This report seeks to understand experiences of mothers returning to work after maternity leave in the UK (2009)
- The postnatal period: an ending or a beginning? (PDF 80 Kb)
- Julie Wray, senior lecturer in the school of nursing at the University of Salford, reports on her research into women’s experiences of life after birth. New Digest article, October 2009.
- Supporting parent's mental health: the role of postnatal groups (PDF 530 Kb)
- How postnatal groups can help women develop a more reflective attitude. New Digest article, April 2008.
- Becoming a mother (PDF 78 Kb)
- The psychological journey involved when a woman becomes a mother. New Digest article, April 2008.
- Care and support after the birth: what parents want (PDF 21 Kb)
- Kate Woodman, public health advisor for the early years at NHS Health Scotland, was a speaker at the 'Pregnancy and parenthood in Scotland' conference in 2005 and presented the findings from two pieces of research. New Digest, April 2006.
- Sure Start: supporting transition to parenthood (2005) (PDF 28 Kb)
- Kim Thomas discusses the government's Sure Start initiative which is designed to tackle inequalities and make sure all children get the best start in life. New Digest, July 2005.
- Evidence and evolution inform the co-sleeping debate (2005) (PDF 21 Kb)
- Evidence and evolution inform the co-sleeping debate. New Digest, October 2005.
