Introduce
During pregnancy, the bond between a parent and their unborn baby begins to take shape, laying the foundations for the baby to feel safe, secure, and loved. This relationship helps establish both trust and an emotional connection, which are vital for the baby’s healthy brain development and wellbeing.
Watch the following video which aims to support parents to build a relationship with their baby during pregnancy:
The following factsheet from The Association for Infant Mental Health UK highlights how parenting begins in pregnancy and offers guidance as to how to assess the parents relationship with their unborn child:
Develop
The Perinatal and Parent-Infant Mental Health (PIMH) integrated pathway in Greater Manchester is a comprehensive, whole-system approach designed to support the mental health and emotional wellbeing of expectant and new parents, as well as their infants. This pathway emphasises the importance of early intervention to support the parent/infant relationship during this critical 1,001 days from conception to a child’s second birthday.
The image below illustrates the multi-agency support available in this period:
Each GM authority has a Parent and Infant Relationship service available for referral if parents or professionals have concerns about the developing bond with their baby. The GM PAIRS teams also offer consultation to the early years and perinatal workforce, providing support for considering the parent-infant relationship or prioritising the infant’s voice. For information on your local PAIRS team, visit the following link:
Map of teams and services – Parent-Infant Foundation
Reflect
Stop and Reflect: Use the following questions to think about how you might support relationship building during pregnancy:
– What strategies can you use to encourage parents to bond with their baby, such as talking to, singing to, or gently touching their bump?
– What signs might indicate that a parenting is struggling to bond with their baby during pregnancy? How might you address this sensitively?
Optional
The following article provides further insight into why the relationship with the unborn baby matters and outlines implications for practice: