Towards Parenthood

Towards Parenthood aims to assist soon-to-be and current parents manage the complex demands of parenting and strengthen the parent-infant relationship and the couple relationship.

The program, which has grown out of the work of the Parent-Infant Research Institute (PIRI), has been extensively piloted with Australian families. Focus groups have been conducted and the program revised to incorporate their feedback.

The following topics are presented and discussed:

• Expectations of parenthood
• Skills in coping
• Problem-solving
• Enhancing self-esteem
• Assertive communication
• Bonding with your baby
• Understanding your baby's cues

beyondblue: the national depression initiative has been instrumental in supporting the development and evaluation of this program by funding a pilot study and a more substantial randomised controlled trial of this intervention in Victoria, Australia. The results indicate Towards Parenthood is able to provide helpful information to make a difference to the positive adjustment of pregnant women and their partners.