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.

Discover our free app!

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 »

When parenting your newborn doesn't exactly go to 'plan'

Business analyst and new mum, Danielle, explores the challenges of being faced with a somewhat 'unpredictable' baby.

The fog lifts? Or does it?

So, I was given the advice time and time again, prior to Penelope’s birth and in the early weeks, ‘don’t worry it’s like a fog lifts when you hit the 12 week mark’. So what did this exactly mean? Would I get my life back? Would my child be a terror and then suddenly an angel? Would I have no sleep for the first 3 months?

Could postnatal depression be anxiety?

Research Fellow at the Jean Hailes Research Unit, Dr Karen Wynter, joins Penny Johnstone on ABC Melbourne's Babytalk to discuss whether some cases of anxiety could be misdiagnosed as postnatal depression.