About the Possums Approach

Dr Pam Douglas began developing the revolutionary Possums programs in the late 1990s to tackle widespread issues of conflicting advice, over-diagnosis, and overtreatment. Offering a fresh, evidence-based approach to breastfeeding, sleep, and cry-fuss challenges, ultimately transforming how we support families!

The Possums approach is based on;

  • Cued care - understanding your little one’s unique physical and behavioural cues

  • The relationship between the Neuroprotective Developmental Care’s 5 domains of infant health, mother’s health, sleep, sensory experiences and feeding. We touch on all domains in each consult however the primary concern will be the focus

  • Empowerment of families to become the experts of their little one

  • Evidence based support - closing the gap between evidence and practice

  • Combining unique infant needs to the values of each, individual’s family context

  • Utilisation of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy methods

Families describe the Possums approach as being one that is revolutionary, simplified, supportive and which brings joy back into a sometimes confusing and overwhelming time.

How we do things differently…

  • At Possums, we take a holistic approach to supporting your child’s health and well-being. As trained healthcare professionals, we understand that all aspects of your little one’s development are interconnected.

    For example, in order to support your family with sleep, we also need to consider feeding and your little one’s behaviour and temperament and vice versa across all 3 consultation options.

    By taking the time to thoroughly assess and discuss all these factors, we ensure that we provide the most comprehensive and effective support for your child and family’s needs.

  • There is a 17 year gap from evidence to actually making it into practice. Our aim is to minimise this gap. There is also a desperate need for an alternate option to approach infant and toddler sleep as studies clearly show the ineffectiveness of current sleep training methods on both the babies overall sleep and maternal mental health outcomes.

    A recent study found significant improvements in several key areas:

    • Reduced crying time in babies

    • Longer durations of breastfeeding compared to the general population—89.2% versus 24.7% at 6 months

    • Improved maternal perception of their baby’s sleep challenges

    • Enhanced maternal sleep satisfaction

    These outcomes demonstrate the value of a holistic, comprehensive approach to infant and maternal care.

  • Your little one’s temperament and needs are different to any one else’s.

    Your family situation and values are different to another’s.

    You and your little one have unique anatomy to other mother-baby pairs.

    We will work with your family to create solutions that are specific to your little one and family.

  • Issues with feeding, sleep and cry-fuss behaviours are detrimental to maternal mood during the perinatal period.

    We want YOU sleeping well and enjoying the days too.

    You won’t see us promoting crying to sleep methods, spending frustrating lengths of time getting them to sleep etc. Your mental load is enormous as it is!

  • We want to be part of your village - to help you become the experts of your little one by understanding their unique set of cues and behaviours.

    These results are proof that with the right support, your whole family can thrive!