Is there an ideal way for parents and health carers to ensure babies get the best start in life? All agree that every precious baby deserves the best possible start in life. But what is the best possible start and when does that start begin – before or after birth? With all that we already know and understand about pregnancy and infant development, do we truly understand the obstacles and opportunities at the heart of raising a child to its full potential? This public lecture traces the journey of a child from the moments before conception to its first years as an infant. It considers the complex influences at work on mother and child such as fear, anxiety, social expectations and intergenerational parenting experiences. Insights will be offered based on cutting-edge research from which all would-be parents, infant care professionals and wider community would benefit. Professor Cathrine Fowler Cathrine is the UTS Professor for the Tresillian Chair in Child and Family Health. As a child and family health nurse, with qualifications in midwifery and adult education, she has gained extensive clinical and education experience working with families and their young children (0-5 years). Cathrine's interests focus on parental learning, and working with families experiencing complex and challenging parenting situations. Her research includes practice innovation in child and family health; investigating a national approach to child and family health services; and integrating parenting support into an alcohol and drug treatment program for mothers and their children.