Early relationships influence the way that a baby’s brain develops. When parents and carers are able to tune in and respond to their babies’ needs sensitively, it lays the foundations for lifelong mental and physical health and helps them to:
· Grow up feeling safe, secure and ready to play, explore and learn
· Have skills to understand and manage their emotions and behaviour
· Feel confident in themselves and develop trusting relationships with others
However, not all parents and carers find this easy. Lots of things can affect how you feel about your baby and yourself as a parent, and this can get in the way of developing a positive parent-infant relationship.
Although having a baby can be a special and joyous time, it can also be challenging. Sometimes, it can feel hard to cope with your baby’s feeding, sleeping or crying, or you might have worries about how they are developing.
Parents or caregivers who did not receive sensitive care when they were young may find it harder to tune in to their baby’s needs. Other things can affect how you feel about your baby, such as:
· a traumatic pregnancy or birth
· mental health problems (such as depression or anxiety)
· loss or bereavement
· events from the past or present.
PAIRS are a team of Psychologists, Psychotherapists, Specialist Health Visitors and Infant Mental Health Practitioners who specialise in supporting parents and caregivers to build sensitive and nurturing relationships with their babies. We can work with you and your baby to strengthen your bond, and help you to understand your baby’s emotional responses and communications.
We work with any parent or significant caregiver and their babies from conception to age three. We can provide an interpreter to support you if you prefer to speak a language other than English.
If you are worried about your relationship with your baby, or whether you are meeting their needs, you can:
· Call us on 0114 3053659
· Email us at scn-tr.pairs@nhs.net
· Speak to your Midwife, Health Visitor, GP, or someone at your local Family Hub.