Workshop - Going home after a lengthy neonatal stay

Taking your baby home after a lengthy stay in a Neonatal Unit can be very different to taking your baby home after the birth of a healthy newborn. Whilst both can be a challenging experience for parents, taking your baby home after weeks or months in a Neonatal Unit comes with a unique set of considerations. Many parents have these types of questions:

How do I protect my baby from germs?

I'm afraid to let other people hold my baby - how do I deal with visitors?

What do I tell people when they ask me how old my baby is?

What happens when I return to hospital for appointments? Will we be in a waiting room with sick children?

I'm nervous about having my baby home without monitors. How can I reassure myself? Do I need to buy a breathing monitor?

How long will by baby be followed up for?

This forum style workshop will discuss these issues and allow you an opportunity to ask questions, or discuss, any concerns you have surrounding taking your baby home. The workshop is open to all parents who currently have a baby in a Neonatal Unit in WA or have taken a baby home after a stay in a Neonatal Unit in recent months.

All attendees will receive a FREE gift bag on the night containing items useful for going home.

Registration is essential - Please register here

We look forward to seeing you there!

Workshop - What on earth is a Doula and why would we choose to have one?

We are pleased to welcome Doula and Childbirth Educator Cath Cook to present our next workshop.

Cath has worked as a Doula and Childbirth Educator for over 9 years. She is a long-term member of Australian Doulas and has been training new Doulas in Western Australia for the past 6 years. She is also a co-founder of DadSkills, online childbirth education for men.

Although awareness of Doulas and their services is increasing, still many couples wonder, 'What is a Doula and why would we need one?'

Pregnancy and birth is something we experience maybe only once, twice or a few times in our lives.  In our busy medical system, care providers have a limited amount of time they can spend with couples and their focus is often on the physical wellbeing of mother and baby.  Of course this is extremely important, but there is so much more to the experience of pregnancy and birth and this is where a Doula can come in.

Cath will talk with you about the role of the Doula and the benefits a Doula can bring to both mothers and fathers, particularly if the circumstances surrounding the birth of your previous child/ren were not what you had hoped or imagined they would be.

This free workshop will be held in Subiaco on Tuesday the 10th of November at 7pm.  Our workshops are conducted in a relaxed environment and open to all families and carers affected by high-risk pregnancy, premature birth or having a sick newborn.  

UPDATE: Registrations have now closed.

Workshop - SENSE-ational Mealtimes

Parents/carers of premature and sick babies often face battles with feeding. Do you want:

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• To introduce solids sense-itively?
• Your child to enjoy mealtimes; try new foods; and to eat enough to maintain/improve their health?
• The mealtime experience to be calmer?

Come along and hear from the co-author of SENSE-ational Mealtimes, Dr Denise Stapleton. Denise uses understandings about sensory preferences to explore these and many more concerns.

Dr Denise Stapleton is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist with 27 years experience in nutrition and research. Denise passionately supports families with varying mealtime difficulties and therapeutic dietary needs throughout Australia as a private practitioner, senior community dietitian, researcher, author and mentor. Denise has training in Picky Eaters vs Problem Feeders: The Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding and Making SENSE of the Senses. Denise collaborates nationally and internationally with professionals from a wide range of backgrounds who are supporting families with mealtime difficulties.

The free workshop will be held in Subiaco on Tuesday 13th October 2015 at 7pm. are conducted in a relaxed environment and are open to all families and carers affected by high-risk pregnancy, premature birth or having a sick newborn. T

Update: Registrations are now closed.

SENSE-ational Mealtimes will be available to purchase on the night. 

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Workshop - Supporting Sensory Processing and Regulation

We are pleased to open registrations for our August 2015 workshop on 'Supporting Sensory Processing and Regulation' presented by Occupational Therapist, Kathy Walmsley.

Premature babies have increased risk of sensory processing issues. Why? Kathy will address this question and how regulation and early intervention can aid in overcoming these sensory problems.

Kathy has a wide range of experience as an Occupational Therapist over more than 30 years. Kathy is the founder and owner of Sensory Connections.

Kathy has a great passion and expertise in assisting families of children with developmental disabilities to maximize their childs potential development using a relationship and play based developmental approach. Particular areas of interest include working with children with complex sensory processing dysfunction, parent coaching, and using small group therapy to enhance peer play development.

The workshop will be held in Subiaco on Tuesday 11th August 2015 at 7pm. It is open to parents or carers of babies born sick or premature and parents whom experienced a high-risk pregnancy. 

Update: Registrations are now closed.

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Take home techniques for relaxation: A yoga nigra style workshop

As part of our holistic approach to supporting families, we are delighted to welcome Helen Heppingstone back to lead our July workshop on 'Take home techniques for relaxation: A yoga nigra style workshop'.

Helen runs her own successful yoga business, Yoga Masala with Helen, is a Trained Yoga Teacher. After qualifying with a Bachelor of Arts in Leisure Science, she has spent the last 30 years in the fitness industry including the last 6 specialising in yoga. 

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It is well understood that the trauma associated with high risk pregnancy and/or having a baby born premature or sick increases your chance of experiencing anxiety, post traumatic stress and/or post natal depression. Helen will help you with her knowledge and humour, guiding you through take home techniques for relaxation. The workshop will see you wearing comfortable clothing sitting and/or lying on a mat or blanket, learning to balance the body and connecting with the breath to calm the mind. The session will introduce you to the benefits of these techniques in bringing your system back into harmony, reducing blood pressure and reducing stress levels. 

The workshop will be held in Subiaco on Tuesday 14th July 2015 at 7pm.  It is open to all families affected by high risk pregnancy, premature birth or having a sick newborn and medical professionals working in this stressful environment.  

Please note we recommend you wear comfortable clothing to the workshop. A mat and/or blanket will be provided for your comfort, or you may wish to bring your own.

Update: Registrations are now closed