The Advice Hub

Ask The Oral Health Experts

Baby teeth are as important as your adult permanent teeth. Members from the Oral Health Committee of the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch (ADAVB) will be available to provide you with hints and tips on how you can give your children happy and healthy smiles. Aiming to improve the dental health of the public, ADAVB is the voice of dentistry in the State. For more handy hints on caring for your kids' teeth visit and like our Facebook page.

Ask the midwifery experts

Midwives Naturally is a Melbourne based midwifery group practice offering a range of services such as pregnancy care, birth attendance, birth education, and post baby care and lactation consultancy.

As midwives we believe that pregnancy, labour and birth are normal physiological processes. A normal part of family life, a powerful social and emotional life passage/event. In keeping with this belief, we do not routinely interfere with the normal process. Our role is to support women (this includes their partners & family) during this time working in partnership with them. A partnership evolved over time, which involves mutual trust and respect, knowledge and skill sharing.

We, as midwives, share our midwifery knowledge and skills, and women share their knowledge of their bodies, birthing and family histories with us. We trust that women's bodies know what to do and women in turn, trust our professional judgment. In this way, we work together to achieve a safe and satisfying outcome. That is, a healthy mother who has had a positive birth experience, who thus, feels empowered and well prepared for motherhood. A healthy baby who is surrounded by family love from the beginning.

ASK THE NATURAL HEALTH & WELLBEING EXPERTS

Our Chinese Medicine Doctor can answer any questions regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture and herbal medicine throughout your pregnancy and beyond. Most common complaints we see in clinic include fatigue, pain, sleeping problems and depression  or anxiety. Chinese medicine can also offer safe and effective solutions for common children’s complaints, such as allergies, asthma, skin conditions, frequent colds, bedwetting and hyperactivity.

Our naturopaths can advise on the best supplements to take and offer nutritional advice.

Our osteopaths can offer advice on the importance of proper musculoskeletal alignment and share practical exercises and tips to help back and neck aches, headaches, post traumatic syndromes and much more. Babies can also benefit from the gentle cranial methods that help treat colic, reflux, glue ear, sleeping difficulties and excessive crying.

Ask the immunisation and eHealth record expert

Come and chat to the experts about your child’s immunisation and the possibility of creating them an eHealth record.

Ask the parenting support experts

Parenting is one of the most rewarding yet most challenging things that you will ever do, and there may be times in your life as a parent when you may require some professional support.

Parentline is a telephone counselling, information and referral service for all Victorian parents and carers with children aged from birth to 18 years. Parentline counsellors work with parents to assist with the development of strategies and skills that promote confidence, resilience and wellbeing of families. Staff are qualified and experienced social workers and psychologists. Parentline is a service of the Victorian Department of Education & Early Childhood Development.

Ask the Sleep Advisory Expert

The Baby Sleep Advisory knows how stressed and tired you can be when you have a baby that isn’t sleeping through the night.  We know how exhausted you can feel, how the little things can upset you and all you constantly think about is getting a good night’s sleep.  

Sleep deprivation is one of the most stressful and debilitating conditions to experience as a parent.  Getting your baby to sleep through the night and creating positive baby sleep patterns is important and the Baby Sleep Advisory can give you the advice and help you need, right now.

Baby Sleep Advisory wants you and your baby and your family to enjoy the benefits of a good night’s sleep… …

Ask the Doula Experts

Want a better understanding of your childbirth options? Looking for some extra support before, during and after the birth of your baby? A Doula, or birth attendant, is a woman offering non medical support and a wealth of information and resources to parents in pregnancy, childbirth and the post natal period.  We take a holistic approach to pregnancy and birth and view pregnancy and birth as a normal physiological event.

'Doula' is a Greek word that has come to mean "woman's servant". A Doula mothers the mother! Many studies in the USA and now our own, have highlighted the huge difference a Doula can make to a labour and birth. In the USA, UK and parts of Europe, Doulas are a recognised part of the birthing team and post natal services. At the Australian Doula College, Australia's premier Doula organisation, we will support and empower you on your amazing journey. Around Australia, there are a variety of situations in which people choose to give birth: for example the home (with private midwives), a birth centre, a labour ward, or a private hospital. A Doula can support you anywhere you choose to have your baby.

Ask the Safety Experts

Anxious about bringing your little one into the world? Unsure of what are the best practices to keep them safe at all times? Kidsafe Victoria, as part of the Child Accident Prevention Foundation, is the leading non-government, non-profit charitable, organisation dedicated to preventing unintentional child injuries and deaths and resulting disabilities. This is achieved through awareness campaigns, education programs, research, advocacy, and environmental, legislative and behaviour change. Each year in Victoria approximately 30 children are killed and a further 81,000 treated in hospital for preventible injuries.

Ask the First Aid Experts

Would you like to know what do if your child is choking? With fever so common in children would you like to know when to be concerned?

Child Revive First Aid provides specialised child first aid training to parent and carers of young children. You will gain confidence in caring for your child in an emergency by speaking with one of the Child Revive trainers who are all either Ambulance Paramedics or Paediatric Nurses. The baby and child manikins will be available to assist you in gaining some hands-on skills training. Whether you have a question related to the most common child emergencies such as fever, allergies, head injuries or less common emergencies such as performing CPR then visit Child Revive First Aid as they have the real life experience to help.

Ask the Breastfeeding Experts

Are you wondering...How soon after birth can I breastfeed? How often should I breastfeed? Should I be drinking or eating particular food? Have all your breastfeeding questions answered by The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA). ABA is a non-profit organisation that provides education, encouragement and support for mothers who would like to breastfeed their babies, while creating in the community an awareness of the importance of human milk. Most of the ABA's work is carried out by trained volunteer counsellors and educators.