Welcome to the May Hubbub. We would like to thank the many people and businesses that have requested brochures and posters to help spread the word about the site and provided feedback for future articles.
 

Now that almost all pages are complete in each state (look out for our combined ACT, Tasmania and NT site later this year) we have already begun to look at ways to improve the Bub Hub and make it even better for parents and carers and as always your feedback is valued. One of the many things we will be doing is putting together a range of prizes and give-aways so stay tuned.   This month our features have a theme of parental support mechanisms:   How Doulas Help from Birth Central in Sydney;   Playgroups are Fun! from Robyn Devine at Playgroup Qld;   Conspiracy of Silence an article from The Brisbane Centre for Postnatal Disorders.

PRIZE-DRAWS We will be offering various PRIZE-DRAWS at the Expos and at Xmas time with generously donated items. Click here to read more. NSW   QLD   SA   VIC   WA SALES & SPECIAL OFFERS Click on the links below to visit the NEW Sales & Special Offers page for your state NSW   QLD   SA   VIC   WA

We will be attending the Parents Babies and Children’s Expo this month in Sydney and have arranged free passes for the first 50 people that email us.   We will be running a competition at each of the four remaining Expo’s for local Bub Hubbers that subscribe (or are already subscribed) to the newsletter. The major prize in Sydney is a parent’s pamper pack valued at over $600 including a night’s luxurious accommodation at the Quay West Suites Sydney including breakfast for two, a gift voucher towards dinner plans from Milton Baby Care Products and a voucher towards babysitting for the night. Consolation prize packs are also available. Authorised under NSW Permit No. TPL03/04566   Have a great month, we are looking forward to meeting lots of Sydney Bub Hubbers.   Best Wishes The Bub Hub Team www.bubhub.com.au

 

Doula services are just one of the many means of additional support for parents to be found on the Bub Hub’s Childbirth Services and At-Home Post-Natal Care pages. We invited Birth Central to outline some of the services they provide as an example of the sort of assistance available to new parents. For practioners in your own region, consult the Bub Hub's Childbirth Services page in your region.
 
 

An exciting new option for the Australian birthing woman exists. Whilst some women, passionate about birth, have made themselves available to support women, there is now the opportunity to train as a Doula, and for women to have continuous support throughout the birth process.   Doula is a Greek word adopted for “birth assistant”. A Doula gets to know you before the birth of your child, assists you in emotional preparation, works on your birth plan with you and your partner, practises labour techniques with you at home, and when the time comes, travels to hospital with you for the duration of your labour. A Doula will also support you during your first few hours of your baby’s life.

 
Many studies in the USA have been conducted and report that a Doula is now an important part of the Birth Support Team. This is not yet the situation in Australia, but more and more women look for extra support their partners just can’t always give them. That support leaves your midwife more available to care medically for you and your baby. This service fills an important gap for the women and their caregivers. It had been developed to respond to the ever-increasing requests from women to have more support before, at, and after the birth of their children.
 

Benefits of having a trained Doula • 50% reduction in the caesarean rate • 25% shorter labour • 60% reduction in epidural requests • 40% reduction in induction or augmentation of labour • 30% reduction in analgesia use • 40% reduction in forceps delivery   Information was obtained from 'Mothering the Mother: How a Doula Can Help You Have a Shorter Easier and Healthier Birth'   Dads and Doulas Many fathers want to experience the amazing world of the birth of their child. Dad wants to be actively involved, ease his partner’s labour pain, welcome his baby at the moment of birth, and help care for his newborn at home. A labour Doula can help a father experience this special time, with confidence.

Free Meningococcal C Vaccines   Free meningococcal C vaccines are available to all children under 19 years of age under the National Meningococcal C Vaccination Program.   This will be one of the largest vaccination programs ever seen in Australia. For further information, speak to your Child Health Nurse or GP or consult the National Immunisation website. The National Immunisation Infoline is available on 1800 671 811.   See our 'Immunisations' page in the 'Health & Safety' section of your state for more information on childhood vaccinations. NSW   QLD   SA   VIC   WA

 
The father-to-be is expected, among other things, to become familiar with the process and language of birth, to understand medical procedures and hospital protocols and be an advocate for his partner in an environment and culture he is usually unfamiliar with. A Doula can provide the information to help parents make appropriate decisions and facilitate communication between the labouring women, her partner and medical care providers.
 
A partner may not understand a woman’s instinctive behaviour during childbirth and may react anxiously to what a Doula knows to be the normal process of birth.
 
The benefits of Doula care have been recognized worldwide. The Medical Leadership Council of Washington, D.C, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada and the World Health Organization are among the many healthcare organizations that value the benefits that Doulas provide to women in labour.
 
Birth Central
website: link
ph: 1300 139 507
 

Other parents can be a valuable source of friendship and emotional support and our Meeting Other Parents page in the Parenting Resources section provides a range of options for parents and carers. We have asked the Playgroups Association for an outline of their activities. Our personal experience of playgroup has been fantastic. The following article has been supplied by The Playgroups Association of Queensland.

 

Parenting is a challenging and rewarding career option that many families choose often without knowing about the support systems that are available to assist parents.   From the moment that a new baby arrives the learning experience starts for both baby and parents. The baby looks to the parents for support and guidance as it grows but whom do the parents look to?   Lifestyles have changed dramatically in the last few generations and this can mean a change in the ‘traditional’ support structures that are available for new parents.   Families may live a long way from grandparents or elders, the grandparents may still be active participants in the workforce and unavailable to assist the new parents.

Playgroups can help to fill this void, with support being found amongst others sharing similar experiences.   Playgroups are set up and run by parents and carers. In a Playgroup, parents and carers stay and play with their children and also help them to play with other children.

Looking for ideas now that school holidays are over? Visit our going out section for tips on local things to do

 
Playgroups are good for parents and carers, to share their ideas, experiences and worries, to learn from each other about the best ways to care for children, to support each other and to make friends.
 
Most importantly Playgroups are fun!
 
The reality of day-to-day caring for young children is not always as glamorous or as easy as first imagined and many new parents can feel isolated.
 

There can be difficulties during the transition between leaving the workforce and staying at home with a new baby, even if it is only for a short period of time and even if the parenting roles are being shared between parents. This can create tension in a time that is already physically demanding and tiring. By finding a support network some of this tension can be alleviated or at the very least parents can share experiences.   Children provide a common bond where new friends can be developed with the chance to share this exciting time together with other parents.   It is universally accepted that a child’s first five years are important years. Play is recognised as valuable in the learning process and developmental stages of a child.

 
Free play and access to a variety of stimuli like indoor and outdoor play, messy play, music, painting and playdough all assist in developing the child’s physical, intellectual and social skills.
 
Playgroup provides these activities in a safe environment where the parent or carer can share these play experiences enhancing the bonding process of parenting.
 

Your local Playgroup is only a phone call away so to access a Playgroup near you contact the Playgroup Association in your state on: ACT Playgroup Association Inc Playgroup Association of NSW Inc Playgroup Queensland Playgroup Association of SA Inc Playgrouping Victoria Playgroup WA Inc Playgroup Association of TAS Inc Playgroup Association of NT Inc   Playgroup Council of Australia Inc website: link ph: (02) 6285 4336 ph: (02) 9604 5513 ph: (07) 3368 2622 ph: (08) 8346 2722 ph: (03) 9388 1599 ph: (08) 9228 8088 ph: (03) 6228 0362 ph: (08) 8945 7775

 

The Bub Hub attempts to provide information on all aspects of the parenting spectrum. An important but often overlooked part of pregnancy & childbirth is post-natal depression. Help is available and each Bub Hub region has a page on Coping with Post-Natal Depression detailing local and national resources and support groups. The Brisbane Centre for Postnatal Disorders is an example of one resource available to parents.
 

Have you found that caring for your new baby has left you anxious and depressed?   Do you find yourself at odds to explain why you are constantly out of sorts with your partner, suffering from mood swings you both can’t understand?   Is having that tiny creature not the total “bundle of joy” they always said it would be?

 
It is possible you are suffering from more than just the “baby blues” – a common condition experienced by up to 80% of women for two to three days after childbirth and characterised by fatigue and over sensitivity. You may actually be exhibiting symptoms of post-natal disorder, a condition that affects at least 20% of new mothers and is serious and debilitating enough to require treatment.
 
Mary Williams, a therapist from the Brisbane centre for Post Natal Disorders, states this disorder can occur at any time during pregnancy and up to the first two years after the birth and its onset can be sudden but is mostly insidious. Postnatal depression and anxiety, however, are not transitory, with many of these women still showing symptoms after 12 months. Even when recovery does occur, there is often a feeling of taking two steps forward and one step back. Mrs. Williams also states that “Mothers experiencing prolonged difficulties often conceal what is really going on from those nearest them because they are afraid, or believe not coping at this time is a sign of failure. After all, society tends

to romanticise motherhood by portraying it as the most important job in the world and subsequently places enormous pressure on women to present facades of “all-coping and all-knowing” at a time when the vast majority of mothers are struggling to cope with the physical, psychological and emotional demands of their new job description. Their exists a “conspiracy of silence” which is deafening in its unspoken, collective recognition that the postnatal period is, for many women and their partners, a turbulent and distressing time.   The more common symptoms of postnatal disorders include: • Tearfulness • Despondency • A sense of loss of control (particularly when usually competent) • Poor self-image • Low self-worth • Sleep and appetite disturbance • Poor memory and concentration • Extreme and prolonged anxiety

Brisbane Parents' Forum Stress Proof Your Child Forum Leading child psychologist Dr Paula Barrett will speak on stress-proofing young children with laughter at a forum organised by the Creche & Kindergarten Assoc of Qld.   “The forum aims to give parents and educators positive strategies, many to do with lightening their emotional load with humour and fun, so they can build resilience to the seemingly endless series of disasters and violence all around them”.   The forum is open to everyone. It is held at 7.30pm on Tuesday, May 27 at C&K Central, 14 Edmondstone St, Newmarket. The cost is a gold coin donation. Bookings can be made until the day of the forum on (07) 3552 5333 or 1800 177 092.

There is also a tendency to dwell on negative aspects of their interpersonal relationships, particularly with their partner, Mother or Mother in law, baby and other children. Seeking help from a health professional is essential, as struggling to cope with the normal demands and frustrations of motherhood is difficult enough without the complication of a mood disturbance.
 
The Brisbane Centre for Postnatal Disorders, at Belmont Private Hospital, offer both inpatient and day patient facilities to help women and their partners to recover from this disorder, The therapy approach is based on the principles of cognitive-behavioural therapy, which explores the thinking styles and self-defeating behaviours which contribute to and maintain depression and anxiety. Parenting education and support are also provided as well as programs for fathers who are having difficulty adjusting at this time.
 
Brisbane Centre for Post Natal Disorders
location: Belmont Private Hospital, 1220 Creek Rd, Carina
ph: (07) 3398 0238