Mater Mothers’ Parenting Support Centre offers early parenting support and guidance to mothers and babies up to six months after birth.
Families and women with babies born at Mater Mothers’ Hospitals across Queensland may access the service at no out of pocket expense. Self-referrals are welcome.
Our experienced team of GPs, child health nurses, lactation consultants, and allied health clinicians are available to support you through your parenting journey and provide help for issues including:
- breastfeeding and feeding
- sleep and settling
- emotional wellbeing
- infant interactions, and
- adjusting to your new role as a parent/caregiver.
Antenatal Support
Individual lactation consultations
Our breastfeeding support service is a specialist service within Mater Mothers' Parenting Support Centre. Individual consultations with a lactation consultant to discuss breastfeeding difficulties can be arranged, if required, antenatally. The service is managed by qualified lactation consultants who are experienced in caring for newborn, preterm and special needs babies, up to the age of six months.
Parent education classes
Antenatal classes usually have one main aim—to help prepare you for labour, birth and early parenthood. But there’s more to our parent education classes than interactive education; they are also a great place to meet other people who are going through a similar experience.
Postnatal Support
Lacatation Consultants
- One on one appointments
- Telehealth appointments (online)
Psychotherapy
Our specially trained perinatal psychologists offer counselling to assist parents and caregivers to cope with the challenges of becoming a new parent.
We offer parenting support (individual and group) for families who wish to improve with:
adjusting to parenthood postnatal depression coping with anxiety and stress parenting confidence parent-baby relationship, attachment and bonding understanding and responding to your baby’s emotional needs.
Family support from our GPs
Our GPs are trained in women’s health and mental health—they are well placed to support mothers and their babies with feeding issues and sleep and settling concerns in the early days post birth. They are experienced in diagnosing and managing perinatal mental health concerns and can refer on to psychologist if required. Our GPs offer timely, evidence-based, family-centred care during the challenging time of caring for a newborn.
Mothers group workshops
- Parenting Education Program talks—conducted by experienced child health nurses, midwives and lactation consultants
- Physiotherapy—conducted by an experienced physiotherapist
Circle of security—conducted by a perinatal psychologist and child health nurse
Cost
This support service is available to all families and individuals with a current Medicare card whose baby was born at one of Mater Mothers’ Hospitals across Queensland. There is no out of pocket expenses to you for accessing the service.