Expecting a baby is an exciting time that can be filled with joy as you embark on this new experience in your life. You may be juggling many competing priorities that involve meeting the demands of military life, working, taking care of toddlers and children, and taking care of your family, while also trying to take care of yourself.
It may also be a time filled with some anxiety and questions. But the New Parent Support Program can help you navigate through pregnancy, transition successfully into parenthood and provide a nurturing environment for your baby and young children.
The primary goal of the NPSP is to enhance the lives of infants, toddlers, children and parents; promote safety, health and well-being; and help families thrive by empowering parents with information to meet the challenges of parenthood while maintaining a military lifestyle. The program offers a variety of services, including providing information about prenatal health, infant care, nursing/breastfeeding, early child development, bonding with your baby, safe sleep environments, shaken baby syndrome (abusive head trauma), parenting education and more.
The NPSP helps military parents, including expectant parents, provide a nurturing environment for their children. Parenthood is like any other job — there’s a lot of learning at first no matter if it is your first child or not. The more guidance you get, the more confident you feel in carrying out your duties. The program offers support and guidance by helping parents:
- Build strong, healthy bonds with their infants and toddlers, which will lay the foundation for their social and emotional development.
- Manage the demands of parenting, especially when it is impacted by deployments and other military operations.
- Remain flexible and responsive when navigating daily life or balancing more than one child’s needs.
- Build a strong support network through connections to other parents and local resources.
- Respond to infant and toddler behavior sensitively and be attuned to their developmental needs.
- Find services in your community when you need them.