Helpful Resources
Medical help
- if serious call 000 and ask for an ambulance
- go to your local emergency department
- if less serious see your doctor if within clinic hours
- after hours, you can try the National Home Doctor Service for in home, bulk billed visits, call 13SICK (13 74 25)
Breastfeeding help
- Australian Breastfeeding Association Mum to Mum help line 1800 686 268
- Your child and family health nurse or the Maternal & Child Health Line 13 22 29
- Your Midwife or Lactation Consultant
- Your own GP or Obstetrician
- GP helpline 1800 022 222
Websites
- Australian Breastfeeding Association www.breastfeeding.asn.au
- Raising Children www.raisingchildren.net.au
- Australian dietary guidelines www.eatforhealth.gov.au
- The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne www.rch.org.au
- The Royal Women’s Hospital Melbourne www.thewomens.org.au
- Westmead Hospital www.wslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/Westmead-Hospital
- The Sydney Children’s Hospital www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/
Breastfeeding and medications enquiries
- National: Medicines Line 1300 MEDICINE (1300 633 424)
VIC:
- Royal Women’s Hospital Medicines Information Centre 03 8345 3190
- Monash Medical Centre Drug Information Centre 03 9594 2361
ACT
- Medicines Information Services: 02 6244 3333
NSW
- Medicines Information Centre: 02 8382 2136
- Mothersafe (medications in pregnancy and lactation)
- 02 9382 6538 (Sydney metropolitan)
- 02 1800 647 848 (non-metropolitan NSW)
NT
- Medicines Information Services 08 8922 8424
QLD
- Queensland Medicines Advice and Information Service (QMAIS): 07 3646 7599 or 07 3646 7098
SA
- Obstetric and Paediatric Information Service: 08 8161 7222
TAS
- Medicines Information Services: 03 6222 8737
WA
- Obstetric Medicines Information Service: 08 6458 2723
Bottle feeding help
- Raising Children http: www.raisingchildren.net.au
- Australian Dietary Guidelines www.eatforhealth.gov.au
- The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne www.rch.org.au
- Better Health Channel www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
Help with starting solid foods
- raisingchildren.net.au has recipes and pictures to give ideas and inspiration.
- kidspot.com.au has recipe ideas
Help with sleep & settling
- Raising Children Network, The Australian Parenting website has many sleep resources, fact sheets and videos all evidence based and safe– raisingchildren.net.au
- Red Nose (formally Sids & kids) – many safe sleeping resources and information statements, evidence based, includes the Information Statement: Sleeping position for babies with gastro-oesphageal reflux (GOR) – rednose.com.au
Early Parenting Centres Australia
ACT
- Queen Elizabeth II Family Centre on (02) 6207 9977 (Community Health Intake).
NSW
- Karitane on (02) 9794 2300 or 1300 227 464 (Karitane Careline)
- Tresillian Family Care Centres on (02) 9787 0855 (Sydney callers) or 1800 637 357 (regional callers).
NT
- The Northern Territory doesn’t have parenting centres, but you can call Parentline on 1300 301 300 for support and advice on early parenting issues.
QLD:
- Ellen Barron Family Centre on (07) 3139 6500.
SA
- Torrens House on 1300 733 606 (Child and Family Health Service)
- Women’s and Children’s Health Network on (08) 8161 6003.
TAS
- Parenting Centre – North (Launceston) on (03) 6434 6201
- Parenting Centre – North West (Burnie) on (03) 6434 6201
- Parenting Centre – South (Hobart) on (03) 6233 2700.
VIC
- O’Connell Family Centre on (03) 8416 7600
- Queen Elizabeth Centre on (03) 9549 2777
- Tweddle Child and Family Services on (03) 9689 1577.
WA
- Ngala Family Resource Centre on (08) 9368 9368 (Perth callers) or 1800 111 546 (regional callers).
- Check with your Child Health Nurse, GP or Paediatrician for local sleep services.
Quit Smoking
- Call Quitline 13 78 48 for assistance
Mental Health Support
- Suicide call back service 1300 659 467
- Lifeline 13 11 14
- Beyond Blue 1300 224 636 24 hours/ 7 days a week
- To chat online, email Beyond Blue or join the forum visit: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/get-immediate-support
- PANDA National Helpline 1300 726 306 Monday- Friday 10am- 5pm
- If serious call 000
Websites
- Cope, Centre of Perinatal Excellence cope.org.au
- PANDA, Perintatal Anxiety & Depression panda.org.au
- Mensline Australia mensline.org.au
- Relationships Australia relationships.org.au
Mental Health Services
- Private and public services available, discuss local options with your GP.
- Phone your local mental health team often located within public hospitals.
- Specialised services such as St John of God Raphael Services in VIC: Ballarat, Bendigo, Berwick, Geelong. WA: Perth, Wembley, Fremantle, Midland and Cockburn. NSW: Blacktown.
Return to work support
- Raising Children raisingchildren.net.au
- Department of Human Services on 136 150
- Department of Human Services www.humanservices.gov.au
- Family Day Care familydaycare.com.au
- The Australian Child Care Index echildcare.com.au
- Fair Work Commission 13 13 94
- Fair work Ombudsman website: www.fairwork.gov.au