Wellbeing in the First 1000 Days for Syrian and Afghan refugee women living in Australia: a qualitative study

Together, these themes identified significant challenges to new mothers in navigating the First 1000 Days and accessing appropriate formal and informal supports over this time of significant change, with impacts on wellbeing. The findings demonstrate the need for relevant and responsive, holistic perinatal and early childhood services that meet the biological, psychological, and social needs of this group of women. Specifically, services should ensure women maintain autonomy in decision-making, are informed of their options and referred to relevant services, and that their unique cultural and resettlement contexts are understood.