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.

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 »

Trying to avoid the (almost always) unavoidable

Despite the warnings signs and the advice to avoid, the train wreck still occurs! I saw it coming. It was frustration that bothered me the most as I drove Oliver to the hospital to get his head stitched.
Why don't they just listen?

Honouring what happened when your baby was born

Each of us needs to honour what happened when our baby was born. But what happens when it's difficult to put your experience into words because they were uncommon or you simply don't understand them?

Dealing With Doubt

Leaving the hospital with our beautiful baby was such an exciting moment for Tom and I. We packed our bags, thanked all the wonderful nurses and took photos of our new family all the way to the front door. The car pulled up and Tom opened the door to put our precious little Isabelle into the back seat and all of a sudden a feeling of doubt began to creep up on us both…