Breastfeeding can be really difficult at first. Getting help in those early days and having continual support in those first weeks can be all that is needed for breastfeeding to become easy for you and your baby. I home visit through out the Perth area. I endeavour to ensure a prompt, professional, comprehensive, evidenced based…
help is just a call away Happy belated Christmas. Catching up with the family at Christmas gatherings is a great time for us to enjoy all our different relationships- our partners, our parents, our children, our siblings, our cousins, our friends. It’s a good time to reflect on life and to look at what direction…
As Christmas creeps closer here are some thoughts to consider around our relationships ♥ Remember all relationships are dynamic and ever changing Tips for keeping ourselves and our loved ones valued, loved and nurtured: ♥Develop a sense of trust: so that all can be seen, understood and accepted ♥Accept that physical closeness is only one…
We are about to head off on a 3 month trip through Europe to have some fun, ride bikes and catch up with long lost relatives. For any breastfeeding concerns while I’m away please call: Dr Sharon Perrella 0410 056 779 Sharon has a child health, preterm nurse background and is now a scientist, she…
Here is a photo of our family on the cruise our Mum and Dad took us on through Asia. We had such a lovely family holiday with all of us siblings together with our partners. Mum and Dad said they are spending the kids inheritance and we thought what a great way to spend it!!…
My Dad is 90 this year, to celebrate Mum and Dad are taking all 5 of us siblings and our partners on a ship cruise to Asia. We will be away from 13th May- 1st June. We leave on Mother’s day and also celebrate Mum’s 86th birthday while cruising. The photo in the post is…
I recently did some interviews with the breast pump development company Medela for their revised website. The information on the revised site is really good and is all evidenced based. They have set the information out on a timeline starting with pregnancy through the first 6 months of your breastfeeding journey. You can pick out…
“Predict My Future” this study based in Dunedin New Zealand is a world renown study looking at children, their personality types and how their lives pan out in the future; its fascinating. The bottom line: warm, sensitive and stimulating parenting is what helps kids develop and go on to have productive, happy, healthy lives. It…
I went for a quick visit to the WA art gallery between catching busses after completing my CPR update the other day. This painting by the very famous Warmun artist Queenie McKenzie was my Christmas pick of the day. Queenie started the clinic in Warmun and was instrumental in collaborating with the St John of…
I attended and spoke at the annual conference for the West Australian College of Lactation Consultants yesterday. I shared with the group photos, stories and what I learnt from the wonderful Kimberley Aboriginal mums and bubs I worked with in the last 12 months. I neglected to tell everyone I’m now back in Perth to…
After having spent the last 12 months working in the Kimberley working as a Child Health Nurse/ Midwife and Lactation Consultant I’m now back in Perth and ready to home visit any new parents. Working with the families from Warmun and Kalumburu was a wonderful experience and they taught me so much. I still have…
Maternal and Child Health Nurse I have been working in my new job rotating between 2 remote Kimberley communities coming up to 2 months now. Indigenous babies Are the most beautiful babies in the whole world! Their sparkling shiny eyes watch every move you make, then when you start talking to them telling them how…
We are in Kununurra now. I have a couple of days orientation in town before I catch the flying doctor plane on Wednesday to the Warmun community. This will be the first visit to one of the 2 communities where I am the Maternal and Child Health nurse for the next 6 months. The…
I have always had a passion for working with our indigenous mothers and babies. I know they can teach me soooo much about breastfeeding because their culture is very strong and breastfeeding is normal in their society. Sadly its not so normal in Western society now. We need to learn how to make it normal…
Gestational Diabetes I thought seen as it is diabetes awareness week I would blog about it. It is a very common condition and rates are on the increase: between 5-10% of women develop the condition in pregnancy. It usually occurs around the 24th to 28th week of pregnancy. We know from research that women that…
When breastfeeding doesn’t work out Throughout time there have always been mothers who’s bodies cannot produce enough milk for their baby’s needs or for other reasons breastfeeding has just not worked. When experience has failed to meet expectations the situation can result in a grave personal sense of loss for the new mother. Emotions…
My husband and I are about to jump on a plane to Europe, I’m so excited!! We are going to Holland, Portugal and Sweden (to visit our son and his girlfriend) We had a pretty full on year last year, we got married after 31 years of being together, we had a beautiful camping honeymoon…
Free tickets My sister Debbie from Gowiththeflowparenting and I are planning to have a stall at the Perth Baby Expo this year in July/ August. If you follow the link here you will be able to download free tickets. I’m getting in early so you can share this with your friends. We will be there to…
The Australasian Society for Tongue and Lip Ties has their conference in Melbourne next week, see the link here for the full programme. I am speaking at one of the concurrent sessions so have busily been getting prepared. Tongue and lip ties Are a very difficult and controversial issue with babies. There are so many…
These are the health funds that assist you to breastfeed: HCF, NIB, BUPA, Peoplecare, CBHS, AHM, Police Health, Teachers’ Union Health, Defence Health, Navy Health, Health Partners It is great that so many funds now recognise you are doing the best for your baby and yourself, that it can be difficult initially to get your…