Introduction

The transition to parenthood is a time of dynamic change for individuals, couples, and families. Given that this may be a volatile time in the lives of couples and families, resources on pregnancy & birth experience, the postpartum period, infancy and toddlerhood may provide additional support that is helpful to new parents. Parents, especially mothers, are more open to and accepting of support and guidance at this time and often are actively searching for additional resources, which is why I saw a need for this resource library. My goal in the creation of this resource library is to provide easy access to the many evidence-based resources available to parents that they either do not know about or may not know how to access. My hope is that with these curated resources, parents will be able to find ways to make their lives easier and thrive in the first few years of parenthood.

The content experts included in this resource library are credible and are sharing evidence-based information. A majority of these professionals have credentials showing their level of education, which is one of the most important pieces I was searching for. Credentials are an easy way to show their reliability and reputation as content experts. A secondary source of credibility I looked for was the number of followers they had on Instagram. I know that can be frustrating to some, as there are many sources with a high number of followers with no formal training or credentials. However, as a social media user myself and in discussions I’ve had with my peers, I know that many view the number of followers as credibility. I did not include Instagram pages without credentials or some level of professional training.

I chose the topics of pregnancy & birth experience, postpartum period, infancy and toddlerhood because there are a large and overwhelming number of resources and opinions that can be found during the first few years of parenthood. Doing the sifting and sorting of resources for parents makes this resource library kind of a one-stop-shop where parents can have access to the most relatable, credible, and evidence-based sources. These topics are important, and even critical, in the transition to parenthood as it is a time when many parents may benefit from additional support and education.

During my two-year master’s degree program, I have had the opportunity to write a few different literature reviews on related topics to this resource library. One of those was on the transition to parenthood for first time parents, another was on perinatal mental health during the transition to parenthood, and finally on the impact of partner support on postpartum depression and anxiety. These literature reviews consisted of 47 research articles that provided additional insight into the topics, along with the hundreds of articles I read for other classes.

The transition to parenthood is difficult to say the least, so finding support and protective factors is important. Some important protective factors include level of coparenting quality & support, relationship quality, prenatal education, and parental psychological preparation.

Perinatal mental health issues are a common comorbidity that occurs alongside of the stress of being a new mother, however partner mental health is also essential to understand and be aware of. As previously mentioned, this is a difficult transition to make so it is the perfect opportunity to implement interventions that target parental mental health and the couple’s relationship.

Partner support, and social support, has a great impact on levels of postpartum depression and anxiety. The inclusion of both partners in interventions is effective because partner support is a protective factor for both postpartum depression and anxiety; it is also important because partners are educated on the signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression, they know how to help, and know when to seek professional help.