Bass Coast Health’s Maternal and Child Health (MCH) service is delivering an even more convenient service to families after moving to Drysdale Street Kindergarten in Wonthaggi.
The new location is easy to access and is co-located with the kindergarten and the adjacent Wonthaggi Primary School which allows families to integrate MCH care with kindergarten services.
MCH Nurses support families with care from birth to school age, completing assessments to ensure children are meeting developmental milestones and parents are feeling confident. Postnatal care, parenting and breastfeeding support are all part of the 10 key age and stage MCH model of care.
MCH Nurses Hayley Blundell and Bernadette O’Connor said of the new location, “We moved here to integrate early years services to benefit families in Bass Coast Shire. During the COVID pandemic we had to relocate several times and are now permanently located in new, modern light-filled space, co-located with the kindergarten, that families can access easily.”
As part of the MCH service, new parent groups and sleep settling education groups are provided and the new office at Drysdale Street Kindergarten will be a great place for these to be run.
First-time parent groups start every two months and parents attend for social connectivity as well as education such as breastfeeding, baby nutrition, introduction to solids and breastfeeding, CPR training, sleep and settling, a baby’s developmental stages and safety, and maternal wellbeing.
“These groups provide an opportunity for information sessions to be delivered to participants in a supportive environment by their Maternal and Child Health Nurses,” Hayley and Bernadette said.
“They are attended by first-time parents and are a great way to make new friends.”
Participating new mother Chloe Else said the MCH office at the Drysdale Street Kindergarten was “warm and inviting”.
“The new facilities on Drysdale Street are easy to access with plenty of parking, away from the hustle and bustle of the main strip,” she said.
“A separate space to wait for 1:1 or a place for the mothers’ group is an added bonus, and comfy chairs make cuddling your baby and breast feeding a breeze. My baby Memphis and I have certainly enjoyed our weekly catch-ups with other local mums and their little ones hosted by the fantastic team of Maternal and Child Health Nurses.”
Bass Coast Heath has 6 MCH centres:
- Inverloch MCH office, Inverloch Community Hub, 16 A’Beckett Street, Inverloch
- Bass Valley MCH office, Bass Valley Children’s Centre, 60 Corinella Road, Corinella
- San Remo MCH office, San Remo Kindergarten, 23 Back Beach Road, San Remo
- Grantville MCH office, Grantville Transaction Centre, 1504-1510 Bass Highway, Grantville
- Cowes MCH office, Phillip Island Early Learning Centre,161 Settlement Road, Cowes.
Additional support is also available through the Enhanced MCH program.
The MCH service also offers a Sleep and Settling Program. This program includes fortnightly group sessions for parents at either Wonthaggi or San Remo MCH. We can also provide one-on-one support with sleep settling issues at parents’ request in homes, at centres or via telehealth.
Sleep and settling information sessions provide education about what to expect across different age groups and strategies to manage sleep and settling concerns.
Sleep settling group topics include:
- typical sleep patterns and behaviours
- improving sleep concerns
- solutions and strategies for sleep concerns
- support and self-care.
These are ages specific to:
- infant - birth to six months, completed in the first-time parent group
- baby: 6-12 months
- toddler: 12 months to 2.5 years.
For more information, support, advice or bookings, please phone 5671 4275.
MCH advice for families or support is also available via the 24 hours Maternal and Child Health Line on 13 22 29.