Dr Nicole Highet

Caring for a newborn is exhausting at the best of times and if you have an unsettled baby, it can make the adjustment to parenthood very challenging. Especially when you are still in the process of forming a bond with your baby.

A lack of sleep – AKA sleep deprivation – can have a huge effect on your mood, energy and ability to think clearly. Things can seem so much more catastrophic if you have not been getting enough sleep, and as a result, you are likely to feel overwhelmed, teary and emotional. It’s important to recognise the impact of sleep deprivation on the way you feel and function. Don’t be too hard...

It’s pretty easy to forget about yourself when you have a new baby to look after, and for some – a partner and siblings on top of that! When you are always putting others first, your own needs and priorities can fall to the bottom of the list. Parenting is hard work. It is constant work. It is so easy to stop caring for yourself or to feel overwhelmed with the constant demands of a new...

Growing up we often have playful conversations with friends of, “I’m going to have two girls and a boy.” You make a plan for your future and get attached to the fantasies of your ideal family.   If this doesn’t end up happening and you have a child with a different sex than you imagined, it’s easy (and common) to feel disappointed.

Are you mentally and psychologically prepared for birth?  What are your expectations? It’s important to ask yourself these questions. Often people describe birth as being a time of momentous joy, achievement, pride and relief on bringing a new baby into the world. Whilst for most this is the end result, the journey can be long, painful and exhausting, and sometimes the delivery was not at...

Pregnancy comes with many symptoms – both physical and emotional – and sometimes the line between the physical and emotional can seem a bit blurry. So, how do you know if the symptoms you are experiencing are a normal part of pregnancy or something else?