Antenatal infant sleep information in Western Australia: A mixed-methods study of what parents received and what they wanted

Problem. Pregnancy is a finite window wherein parents' expectations of infant care develop, yet parents’ experiences of and preferences for antenatal infant sleep preparation are uncharacterised. Background. Parents in Western settings commonly report infant sleep problems, and interventions are predominantly behavioural. Antenatal provision addresses sleep safety rather than developmental-relational preparation. Aim. To describe what antenatal infant sleep information Western Australian parents received, their satisfaction, preferences for its timing and provider, and what they wished they had received.Methods. A mixed-methods online survey of 185 Western Australian parents and expectant parents (180 with a child aged 0–3 years; five pregnant). Closed items addressed information received, satisfaction, and preferences; an open-ended item was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.Findings. Just over half (53.5%; 99/185) received no antenatal information; where provided, midwives were the most frequent source (34.0%; 63/185) and satisfaction was modest. The antenatal period and first month were most endorsed (75.0%, 135/180; 66.1%, 119/180), with child health nurses (35.6%; 64/180) and midwives (30.6%; 55/180) preferred as providers. Four themes captured parents’ preferences: preparation for likely bedsharing; recalibrated expectations; validation of responsive caregiving; and non-prescriptive guidance.Discussion. Provision was limited and only moderately satisfying. Parents sought guidance positioning them as decision-makers engaging with biologically typical infant behaviour. Conclusion. Relational, non-prescriptive preparation, including how to bedshare more safely, initiated antenatally by midwives and continued postnatally by child health nurses, would address an unmet need within existing perinatal care.