1. Postpartum Adjustment

2. Overview Becoming a mother Becoming a father Single-parenting
Extended family
Emotional adjustment
Attachment and infant mental health
Healthy brain development
Feelings as a new parent

3. Becoming a Mother
One of the most important things that mom can do for her baby is to take care of herself. Being a new mother for the first time is like starting a new job; it takes a lot of on-the-job training. Moms should not expect to know everything right away.

4. Becoming a Father
Fatherhood video with Matt Lauer
“You must become active and involved to truly share in the joy of fatherhood”
“Good fathers are made, not born”

5. Single-Parenting

6. Who Can I Count On?

7. Extended Family
When it comes to raising children, including friends, in-laws or other individuals whom parents share a bond and emotional closeness with can be beneficial to children

8. The Emotional Rollercoaster
3 to 5 days after delivery, up to 80% of mothers feel temporary emotional distress. This is referred to as,“The Baby Blues”.

9. Postpartum Mood Disorder
Many Postpartum Mood Disorders (PPMD) are
dismissed as “the blues”.
PPMD may gradually develop from the Baby Blues or may emerge at a later time after an asymptomatic period.
PPMD is experienced by
10-15% of mothers.

10. Social Adjustment after Baby
Key points to remember are:
There will be changes in your relationship as a couple
The importance of communication
To control visitors
To identify and use support systems
(do not be afraid to accept help from others)
Sexual needs and desires may change

11. REST after Baby
Relax whenever you can.Take a nap, read, watch television and sleep when the baby sleeps!
Eat well and drink plenty of fluids, especially if you are breastfeeding.
Share the responsibility of your new baby with your partner, family and friends. Ask for help.
Take time to enjoy the baby. Cuddle, coo and sing to your baby. Let the housework wait.

12. Attachment and Early Brain Development
True or False?
The brain is fully developed at birth
Being a warm, loving and responsive caregiver affects the way your baby’s brain works and grows

13. Attachment and Early Brain Development
Newborns become spoiled children if you
respond to all of their needs
Children who are not responded to, immediately, 100% of the time, will not develop a secure (healthy) attachment to their caregiver(s)

14. Attachment Some people feel love for their babies right away, while
for others it make take a little more time
Studies show that connecting physically and emotionally with your baby right after birth
(if medically able to) is best for you and your baby. This plays an important role in forming a life-long attachment to your baby.

15. Your Baby and Early Literacy

16. Connecting with your Baby
Secure parent-child relationships help children:
Better regulate their emotion in stressful situations
Explore their environment with greater confidence
Foster their cognitive, emotional and language development
Display positive social behaviours (e.g., empathy and cooperative behaviours) which helps them to develop more positive relationships in the future

17. Attachment
Insecure attachments put children at risk of problem behaviours such as preschool and school-aged aggression, depression and inability to regulate emotion.

18. Attachment/Relationships

19. Baby’s Mental Health Matters
Do babies have mental health?
Starting from birth, babies are learning who
they are by how they are treated

20. Baby’s Mental Health Matters
Engage in loving, responsive, positive
interactions
Seek to understand the meaning behind young children’s behaviour
Challenges and stress are a natural and important part of baby’s growth

21. Feelings as a New Parent
Becoming a parent for the first time is an overwhelming experience. You may feel overcome with love and fear at the same time. Love for your new child, and fear of the awesome responsibility of raising the child.
Learning to balance your own needs and those of your child can be very difficult, but it is so important to take care of yourself and your own needs so that you can better take care of your child’s

22. Tuning into You
To be the best parent you can be, it is very important to develop a self-awareness.This allows a parent to:
Better understand why they do
the things they do
Make good decisions and rethink decisions when things do not go as planned
Be more flexible
Develop a more satisfying and loving relationship with the child, which in turn promotes a healthy attachment and development