What is Parent-Infant Emotional Wellbeing

Understanding Parent-Infant Emotional Wellbeing

Becoming a parent is an incredible journey filled with joy, wonder, and inevitably, some challenges. Parent-Infant Emotional Wellbeing (PIEW) recognises that nurturing both the parent's and the infant's emotional well-being is crucial for a healthy start in life.

What is Parent-Infant Emotional Wellbeing?

PIEW focuses on the relationship between a parent and their baby. It acknowledges that a parent's mental health can impact their ability to bond with their baby, respond to their needs, and create a secure and nurturing environment. 

Parent-infant relationships refer to the quality of the relationship between a baby and their parent or carer. A good parent-infant relationship nurtures 'secure attachments', which is most important for your infant’s mental health and promoting healthy social, emotional and cognitive development.

Key Aspects of Parent Infant Emotional Wellbeing

• Parental Mental Health: This encompasses a wide range of emotions, including joy, anxiety, stress, depression, and grief.
• Infant Mental Health: This refers to the baby's emotional, social, and cognitive development, including their ability to form attachments, regulate their emotions, and explore the world.
• Parent-Infant Relationship: The quality of the parent-infant relationship is central to parent infant emotional wellbeing. This includes sensitive and responsive caregiving, secure attachment, and positive communication.

Why is Parent Infant Emotional Wellbeing Important?

Strong parent-infant relationships lay the foundation for a child's future emotional and social development. When parents are emotionally well, they are better equipped to provide the nurturing environment their babies need to thrive.