What were we thinking! promote confidence and reduce distress in parents with a first baby

Parent stories and expert advice / Ann O'Doherty

Ann O'Doherty

Ann O'Doherty is an experienced Maternal and Child Health Nurse who has been trained in the What Were We Thinking! program. She is based in the regional Victorian town of Ballarat.

Blogposts by Ann O'Doherty

 

Blogpost where Ann O'Doherty gives expert advice

Evelyn's first swim!

Evelyn's first swim!

I took Evelyn to the pool for the first time this week.  She loved it.  It is a swimming pool that is for kids lessons and they do a baby play session for 3month + bubs...

Getting to know you. Or not.

Getting to know you. Or not.

Who am I?  I really can’t tell anymore.  I used to be able to talk to anyone, about anything.  But now, it’s like I’ve had a lobotomy.  The part of my brain that had the social graces to be interested in the lives of strangers has been removed and replaced with, well nothing...

It's essential to share the load

It's essential to share the load

As Alberto has discovered, it's essential to share the load of both paid and unpaid work when you have a baby.

It will only take five minutes ...

It will only take five minutes ...

Daily life is riddled with 500 five-minute jobs, all required to survive the day and most, routinely boring ...

Juliet, Johnny & Evelyn - Week 11

Juliet, Johnny & Evelyn - Week 11

My parents went home last week so it was back to just Johnny, Evelyn and me.  Again it was sad to see them go but nice to get back to just us again...

Kelly and Zac at 10 months

Kelly and Zac at 10 months

We have hit the 10 month mark...I can’t believe how time has passed by so quickly.  My baby is no longer a baby – he is a little person now...

"One fits all" parenting?

"What's wrong with Lily?" My husband said while I was trying to calm her down for over an hour.  My response: "Go to her room, grab the parenting manual and let me know!"  There was a blank look on his face at that point, but at least I had a chuckle...

Rugby Allegiances

Rugby Allegiances

Evelyn experienced her first trans tasman rugby game – the first Bledisloe Cup test between New Zealand and Australia...

Teething

Teething

Who would have thought a teething child causes more sleepless nights than a newborn.  Well this is my life right now.,,

The sisterhood

The sisterhood

Mary-Jane gained more than just a beautiful daughter when she had Iris. After joining her local mother's group, she gained a wonderful new group of friends. A sisterhood.

The 'tie' between breastfeeding and my shredded nipples

The 'tie' between breastfeeding and my shredded nipples

Danielle knew breastfeeding was harder for some than others, however as she discovered, sometimes there's more to painful breastfeeding than simply your technique - your baby may have a tongue or lip tie.

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

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.

When your baby swaps

When your baby swaps "mamma" for "dadda, dadda!"

Sharing the load is a job for both 'mamma' and 'dadda' with a baby ... especially when another newborn enters the picture.

When you're parenting on your own

When you're parenting on your own

Caring for a newborn is hard enough, let alone having to do it alone. As Michaela discovers, it's not just a pair of helping hands that you miss when parenting solo ...

Why does my baby cry?

Why does my baby cry?

New mum Poppy wants to know ... how do you know a 'cry' from a real cry?

William at 5.5 months

William at 5.5 months

I want to write a post about my beautiful baby boy!

Your baby, your body & your boundaries

Your baby, your body & your boundaries

As one mum shares, it's important to think about your care - as much as your new baby's - when coming home from hospital.