My adjournment is to the Minister for Health, and the action that I seek is that the minister work with me to deliver Northcote’s early parenting centre as soon as possible. Ever since I was first elected to represent Northcote I have pushed for more services for infants, parents and families in the inner north because, as we know, parenting is tough. Through all the joy and new beginnings that newborns bring, this period for parents can also be isolating and overwhelming. As a mother to two little ones myself, one in kinder and one in prep, I have had countless conversations with parents in my community.
Parents of young children have a sort of unspoken solidarity about the fact that we are all in this sleepless trench navigating the needs and whims of our unpredictable little humans, but in amongst that sometimes comedic chaos there are moments in which we show our vulnerability, and I think it is so important that we do. I have heard stories of birth trauma, of postnatal depression, of relationship breakdown, of isolation and of family violence. I have spoken with mothers struggling with breastfeeding who cannot escape the feeling of guilt, unwarranted as that is, or others who day after day will pump milk for their babies who will not latch, and the physical and emotional exhaustion of that. There are mums struggling with postpartum recovery, perineal tears, episiotomies and C-section scars, not to mention incontinence, mastitis and the enduring crushing fatigue.
It is no wonder that women are at greater risk of developing a mental illness during the perinatal period than at any other time or that one in 10 new fathers will experience depression and anxiety. We also know that the wellbeing of parents is inextricable from the wellbeing of infants and children. The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System recognised this and the importance of integrated family care in a baby’s mental and physical development.
Parents should not have to go it alone, yet sometimes the first help-seeking behaviour that they have is when they seek help for their baby rather than themselves. This is where our early parenting centres come in. These are free primary health facilities where families can come and stay in their own private rooms and be cared for by highly skilled practitioners. Whether it is sleep and settling, feeding, bonding, peer support or mental health, the multidisciplinary team is there to support each family to build up their skills and their confidence.
Recently I visited both Tweddle, with the member for Footscray, and the O’Connell Family Centre in Canterbury, with member for Southern Metro John Berger, to see these services in action. The parents I met there could not speak more highly about the care they and their babies were receiving at these centres. I am excited to bring this critical service home to Northcote with our election commitment that was funded in the last budget, and I look forward to working with the Minister for Health to make it happen.
