The Transition to Parenthood

Welcome to Transitions in Family Life!  Before you start, please go watch this video that will introduce ourselves, the overall structure of the course, and this week’s materials!

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Transitioning to Parenthood

Making the transition to parenthood can be really intimidating and scary, and we feel like this is a great article about transitioning to parenthood: From Partners to Parents: Couples and the Transition to Parenthood. Here are a few things that stood out to us!

Ten Guidelines for the Transition from Partners to Parents (Brotherson, 2007)

1. Share personal expectations about the transition.

2. Encourage regular couple "checkups."

3. Schedule time for couple conversation.

4. Negotiate topics to be discussed together. 

5. Be willing to experiment with new approaches.

6. Don't ignore sex and intimacy. 

7. Line up support in the early stages of pregnancy. 

8. Talk with trusted friends, family members, or community professionals. 

9. Find the balance between being a couple and being parents.

10. Express appreciation for one another and for the child. 

This 6 minute TED Talk gives a new perspective on the transition to motherhood.

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The Baby Is Here, Now What?

Now that the baby is here, there is so much that has to be done and it might feel impossible at times!  Remember that it is important to take things one day at a time!

Following are some things the CDC suggests that you, as a new parent, can do to help you and your baby during this changing time:

• Talk to your baby. She/he will find your voice calming.

• Answer when your baby makes sounds by repeating the sounds and adding words. This will help him/her learn to use language.

• Read to your baby. This will help him/her develop and understand language and sounds.

• Sing to your baby and play music. This will help your baby develop a love for music and will help his/her brain development.

• Praise your baby and give her/him lots of loving attention.

• Spend time cuddling and holding your baby. This will help him/her feel cared for and secure.

• Play with your baby when she’s/he’s alert and relaxed. Watch your baby closely for signs of being tired or fussy so that she/he can take a break from playing.

• Distract your baby with toys and move him/her to safe areas when he starts moving and touching things that he/she shouldn’t touch.

• Take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Parenting can be hard work! It is easier to enjoy your new baby and be a positive, loving parent when you are feeling good yourself.

In addition to these 9 suggestions, the CDC website will give you more insight as to what you can do to help your baby with development milestones, child safety, and to stay healthy and happy.  Take a few minutes to read through this article!

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/infants.html#:~:text=In%20the%20first%20year%2C%20babies,and%20%E2%80%9Cda%2Dda%E2%80%9D.

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/guide-parents.html This website is another great resource that shares many helpful tips and ideas for new parents figuring out how to care for an infant.

This 7 minute video gives some unique and helpful tips and tricks to caring for a newborn from a new mother herself.

Even as a newborn, they are growing and starting to develop fine and gross motor skills that will propel them forward as they get older.  As a new parent, it is up to us to give them new opportunities to improve these skills!

https://www.parents.com/baby/new-parent/motherhood/10-fun-things-to-do-with-your-baby/

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Activity:

Raisingchildren.net has shared a few activities that parents can do with their newborns and infants to assist in development and closeness!  If you have a newborn or an infant, for the next 10-15 minutes do one or more of the following activities with them:

• Change your surroundings to allow them to experience more of the world: go outside, go to a different room, go to a park or a store.  Get out and explore with them!

• Read a book to them!  It is never too early to start reading with them!

• Give them different objects to feel that have different textures.  This will help them to start exploring at a very young age.

• Have a conversation with your baby!  Although it might seem odd, babies like to mimic us starting at a very young age.  If you say something to them, wait to see if they respond.

• Do some “face-to-face” play with them.  Do this by making faces at or with them such as changing facial expression, laughing, rolling your eyes, and even sticking out your tongue.  Newborns love watching our faces all the time as they are slowly able to see more of what is around them.

After doing one or more of these activities, share in the comments how it went and what you enjoyed about it!

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Next Week’s Lesson

We hope you enjoyed this week’s content! Next week’s lesson will be focusing on parents with infants transitioning into toddlers.  If you, or someone you know is going through this transition, or will be going through this transition soon, please feel free to invite them to join in these lessons!

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References

Brotherson, S. E. (2007). From Partners to Parents: Couples and the Transition to               Parenthood. International Journal of Childbirth Education, 22(2), 7–12.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, November 29). Infants (0-1 years). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved February 3, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/infants.html#:~:text=In%20the%20first%20year%2C%20babies,and%20%E2%80%9Cda%2Dda%E2%80%9D. 

Raising Children Network. (2020, March 30). Playing with newborns. Retrieved February 5, 2022, from https://raisingchildren.net.au/newborns/play-learning/play-ideas/playing-with-newborns 

Recchia, S. L., Shin, M., & Snaider, C. (2018). Where is the love? Developing loving relationships as an essential component of professional infant care. International Journal of Early Years Education, 26(2), 142–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2018.1461614