Information, resources and reassurance for new parents navigating the highs and lows of life with a baby

The birth of a first baby is one of the biggest life transitions an adult will experience. Major life changes are always accompanied by mixed feelings and most parents feel under-equipped for the tasks of infant care and managing a household with a baby.

This website contains information about common experiences in the early months of parenthood and some effective ways of thinking about and managing them.

All information on this website is drawn from up-to-date research and the experiences of many parents of new babies. We hope that you find the site helpful as you learn to live with your first baby.

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www.whatwerewethinking.org.au content was developed with funding from the Australian Government and the Jack Brockhoff Foundation. The authors have sole responsibility for the content of the website.

The site content is provided for your information; if you have comments you are welcome to submit them to:

This site is not a substitute for advice from your family doctor or another health professional.

If you feel sad, worried, or irritable most of the time, then it is important to talk to your family doctor.

For Parents »

» Introduction
» 'About Babies' Worksheets
» 'About Mothers & Fathers' Worksheets

For Professionals »

» Background Theory
» Research and Evidence
» Frequently Asked Questions

WWWT Blog »

Leaving Zac for the very first time

So the time has come for my first work trip away from my son. I’m feeling very anxious and upset at the thought of leaving him for a week...

Ambition

Today was a bit of a disaster. I had arranged for someone to come clean the house (actually a tiny 2 bed apartment but you’d be amazed how dirty it can get) because I just hadn’t got around to doing it myself in the three months since L was born. But first I needed to do some major tidying, so that the cleaner could actually reach the floors, etc.

My baby is 4 months old ... what's next?

So you arrive at 4 months, thinking the hard part is behind you, well we did anyway. Penelope was becoming a better sleeper, we knew her cues and she responded well to a little more routine that together we were beginning to get the hang of. To be honest, until 4 months I believe it’s hard to set any formal routines...