Riverton Centre

[Me]

I am going to ask my CHN at my next appointment for a referral to the Riverton Centre. DD's sleeping habits are getting worse each night. I'm too tired to go into details but what I would like to know is has anyone been there? Is it a long wait to get in? How much did it help or not help you? I would appreciate both good and bad experiences just so I know what I'm getting myself in for if I do in fact go.

Thanks in advance!

[Sarie]

Hi!
I don't have any personal experiance but a friend of mine went with her little girl last year. can't remember exactly how long it took her to get in but I'm pretty sure it was a few months. But she did say it had helped her.
I hope you can get in quickly and they can help you!
Best wishes
Sarie

[Caitlin's Mum]

If it takes too long to get into, you could also try your local community health centre and see if they do day stays. I know that Pine Rivers does a day stay. I was booked in to go but ended up cancelling because DS got better. Good luck.

[Sarie]

Now that you've said that Catlin's Mum, I remember my friend saying that she had to go to the day center at Pine Rivers first then to Riverton.

[Harmony83]

I went to Riverton about 5 or 6 months ago as my little one was having sleeping issues - but you can go there for many reason ie. feeding, helping to get rid of the dummy etc. I found them to be excellent and very supportive. The first night, they settle bubs and you get the whole night to rest, if you are breastfeeding they wake you up to feed bubs then they settle them back for you. The next few days they teach you settling techniques and help you with it, the most common one is where bubs gets wrapped, popped in the cot, and you pat and shoosh them until they are quiet, then you leave the room, if they start crying, yu can choose if you want them to hve a little cry or if you want to go straight back in and re-settle them (I always went straight back in), the last 2 days, you settle them on your own, but if you still need their help they are always there... The food is supplied free of course (and is pretty yummy too). You and bubs share a room, (you aren't allowed to co-sleep for safety reasons). When I went there was about 5 other mums, there are 2 bathrooms, they have a playground upstairs, they teach you how to massage your baby, they have a night for fathers to talk together, they have videos on baby's development and tired signs etc. By the 1st night my little one had the hang of it, but all bubs are different. To get referred you go to your CHN and you have to have the day stay, then it usually takes about 3 weeks to get in - depending. All the best with it and I hope you get some much needed sleep soon.

[Me]

Thanks for the info Harmony83. I rang to get an appointment with the CHN and even they are hard to get into atm - fortunately for me they have an appointment avail next Tuesday - so I guess I'll take it from there.
The main problem has been settling bubs - easy to settle with her dummy but as soon as it fell out or she was bored she was spitting it out - a bit cheeky for only 8 weeks old!
She was getting worse and worse with her sleeping habits and this morning woke up at 2:30 then wouldn't go back down til 5:30 when she fell asleep during her second feed! The first time(about 3:30) she also fell asleep but woke about 15mins after i moved her to her cot(right about the same time as i got back to sleep!) With my mums help today we let her 'cry it out' for 5 mins and as she was starting to settle herself we decided to give her another 5 mins but were going to go back in if she was getting worked up again. Luckily it only too 2 out of the extra 5 mins and she was fast asleep. Don't know if it was because she was just so exhausted or if she realised that we weren't giving in to the crying so easily. Either way she is asleep now - which in itself is a bonus as she hasn't really had a good day-time nap for at least a week. That combined with the 6 or so hrs a night she was getting just weren't enough(for her or me!)
Well I'll keep trying to find others who have been there to find out more and hopefully Caydence will start to settle - but that just might be a bit optimistic - we'll see...