Young Parent Pathway

This visit will focus on:

Getting to know you – We want to get to know you! We want to know about what is important to you, what kind of parent you want to be and what you want to do in the future.

Relationships and support at home - We will also look at who can help you at home. This can also be referred to as a support network. Being a new parent is very exciting, but it can also be overwhelming, scary and hard work. It is important to have a good support network when you are a new parent. It can help you later to know who is there to help.

Healthy habits in pregnancy – We will look at the different stages of pregnancy. It’s good to know how you can build a happy brain for your baby. We will look at what you can do to help give your baby the best in life. You are going to be your baby’s first teacher, they will learn healthy habits from you. It would be a good idea to start building healthy habits that will be good for both you and your baby.

You can ask questions at any point during the visit and your questions don’t have to be related to what is being discussed.

This visit is focused on:

Communicating with your baby – Babies can communicate from the moment they are born. While they don’t know how to talk, they will let you know how they feel and think! Often babies will cry as their last resort, especially when they are hungry. Babies have emotions and it’s important that they feel loved and understood.

Read more about feeding cues and signs your baby is getting enough milk

Read more about communicating with your baby or toddler

What to do when your baby is crying – We will look at what happens when babies cry and how you can manage. Your baby crying is completely normal. We will discuss comforting techniques that can help with the crying. It is okay to put your baby in a safe place and walk away for a few moments. It is also very important to remember never, ever shake a baby.

Read more about caring for your crying baby - ICON

You can ask questions at any point during the visit and your questions don’t have to be related to what is being discussed.

This visit focuses on:

Feeding your baby – This is a very personal choice for parents. We will give you information and advice to help you decide what is the best for you and your baby. We can also give you demonstrations of the different ways to feed your baby.

Read more about infant feeding

Where your baby will sleep – It’s important to think about where your baby is going to sleep before they are born. We will talk about how to make this safer for your baby.

Read more about keeping your sleeping baby safe

You can ask questions at any point during the visit and your questions don’t have to be related to what is being discussed.

This will be the last visit before your baby arrives. This visit will focus on:

Practical demonstrations of the basics – We will do some demonstrations to show you how safely hold your baby, bathe your baby and change their nappies.

Packing your labour bag – We can help you think about what you might need to pack in your labour bag. We will also talk about what you may need for your baby when they come home.

Car seat safety – We will signpost you to information about keeping your baby safe in a car seat.

Read more information on car seat safety

Checking in with you – Becoming a new parent is going to be a big change! We can talk about the common changes, thoughts and feelings that come up.

Feel free to ask any questions about what you’ve learned and if there’s anything you’re unsure about.

This will be the first visit once your baby has arrived. We will focus on:

Getting to know your baby – We are going to understand how your baby is seeing the world. We will also talk about what your baby might say if they could speak.

Contraception – This might be the last thing on your mind but we can explore the options available to you.

Answering your questions – You may have questions about feeding your baby, keeping your baby safe at home, registering your baby and how to access the GP.

Checking in with you – A lot has changed since we last spoke. You’re now a parent, life has changed. Let’s talk about it and how you are doing.

You can ask questions at any point during the visit and your questions don’t have to be related to what is being discussed.

In this visit we will focus on:

What your baby needs from you – Your baby’s brain is growing and developing. We will show you how you can communicate with your baby to help them build a happy brain. We will also show you how you can play with your baby at this age.

Answering your questions – We can talk about feeding, how to cope with your baby crying and making sure your baby is sleeping safely. We can also answer any questions you may have about yourself or your baby.

Checking in with you – Let’s chat about how you are doing and how you’re feeling. It’s important that you look after yourself too.

You can ask questions at any point during the visit and your questions don’t have to be related to what is being discussed.

In this visit we will focus on:

Relationships and help at home – Becoming a parent will often change the relationship with your partner, family and friends. We will talk about what support you’ve received at home from your support network. We can help you find local support groups and activities you can do with your baby.

Feeding your baby – You may be feeling some pressure from friends and family to start moving your baby onto family foods (this is also known as weaning). Your baby will let you know when they’re ready to move onto family foods. We will show you the signs are that your baby is ready to move onto family foods. You may also want to start thinking about what your baby might like to eat as their first foods.

Read more about weaning and introducing family foods

You can ask questions at any point during the visit and your questions don’t have to be related to what is being discussed.

In this visit we will focus on:

Keeping your baby safe – We will talk about the common accidents babies have at 6 months old. We will talk about baby proofing your home as your baby is getting bigger and starting to move more!

Feeding your baby – 6 months old is the earliest your baby can start eating family foods (also known as weaning). There is no need to rush your baby to start on solid foods. Each baby is unique and develops at their own pace. Do not worry if your baby isn’t eating family foods at the same time as other babies. We can explain some practical tips and ideas to help you get started when your baby is ready.

Read more about weaning and family foods

Planning for the future – You might be ready to start thinking about and planning for your future. We can help you think about your goals. This may be returning to school, college or university or starting work. We will talk to you about funding and bursaries that may be available to you.

You can ask questions at any point during the visit and your questions don’t have to be related to what is being discussed.

In this visit we will focus on:

Your journey so far – Taking a look back at how far you’ve come. We will talk about what you think about parenting. You can share your thoughts and feelings on being a parent. We can talk about what has been worrying you and what you are excited for.  

Keeping your baby safe – Your baby will be moving a lot more now. We can help check your home with you to help keep your baby safe.

Things to do to help your baby – Your baby may have started to babble. We can talk about how this changes as your baby grows and develops. We can also talk about things you can do with your baby to help with their development.  

You can ask questions at any point during the visit and your questions don’t have to be related to what is being discussed.

This will be your baby's 1 year review. This would typically be completed by a health visitor. We will talk about how your baby:

• moves around
• talks or tries to talk to you and others
• solves problems
• plays and interacts with you and others

This will be the last time your young pathway nursery nurse will visit you.