Early infancy is frequently misunderstood. Behaviours such as frequent waking, cluster feeding, unsettled evenings, and intense need for closeness are often framed as problems to “fix,” rather than signs of normal neurobiological immaturity. This webinar explores the fourth trimester through a developmental and physiological lens, explaining why newborn behaviour looks the way it does, and why parents often struggle during this period too.
This session matters now because parents and practitioners are increasingly exposed to advice that prioritises routine, independence, and behavioural control before infant systems are ready. Misunderstanding early infancy can lead to inappropriate expectations, parental anxiety, and misaligned support.
The webinar will take an evidence-based, compassionate approach, integrating infant nervous system development, feeding physiology, sleep biology, and the maternal postpartum experience. The focus is not on techniques, but on understanding.
This session is ideal for infant practitioners, early-years professionals, student practitioners, and anyone supporting families in the first months of life who wants a grounded, developmentally accurate framework for early infancy.
Key takeaways
- Why newborn sleep and behaviour are biologically immature, not broken
- How feeding, sleep, sensory processing, and regulation are interconnected
- Why parental wellbeing is inseparable from infant regulation
- Common misconceptions about early infancy, and their consequences
- How understanding the fourth trimester improves professional support
