Bendigo Health has released a DVD designed to help parents adjust to life with a newborn baby.
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The Best Beginnings DVD continues the work of the Best Beginnings group, which provides supportive sessions for parents of newborn babies.
“The group has been going for nearly two years,” Bendigo Health parent infant emotional specialist Wendy Lauder said.
“We used to get two or three parents along but now we often have the whole room full of aunts, uncles and grandparents who come along.
“Having the DVD means we can go so much further and support so many more families.”
The DVD was made possible in 2015 with a $15,000 prize as part of the Victorian government’s Early Years Awards and features a number of local families and Bendigo Health staff.
“Due to restraints of how many people we could get to, we had to think what is the best way to (reach) most people?” Breastfeeding Support Service co-ordinator Carolyn Arandt said.
“We had in our mind that we wanted to take our program into other regions and rural areas, that can’t access a program like this. The best way was by doing a DVD.
The Best Beginnings group focus on parents adjusting to life with a newborn for the first three months.
“Settling and feeding are the biggest issues,” Ms Arandt said.
“We talk through the changes that will happen. Mothers are in hospital for such a short time that they don’t have a big chance to talk through changes the baby will go through.
“We are also now more aware that if we teach parents baby's cues, parents learn that their babies really are individual people who can tell them what they want if parents look for the right cue.
“If they’re not looking, the cues are missed which is when confusion and difficulties can start.”
Ms Arandt and Ms Lauder said the DVD is not just for first-time parents.
“We have lots of mums come in, with a toddler at home, who are having difficulty getting the family to work well together,” Ms Arandt said.
Ms Lauder said the amount of knowledge mother can get now compared to years gone by is impressive.
“Grandparents come and say ‘we wish new that when we were parents’,” Ms Lauder said.
“Compared to what we knew when our babies were small, now we'd be great parents.
“Back then we were like everyone else and had no idea.”
To buy a copy of the Best Beginnings DVD, phone Carolyn Arandt on 5454 7293.