MANAGING THE CHRONICALLY MENTALLY ILL NEW MOTHER

Margaret Oates and Susan Roberts

This workshop will take the following format:

• Outline of the problem 2 case examples Dr Roberts
• Outlining the problem Issues: preconception, pregnancy, Dr Oates childbirth, puerperium and infancy
• Small groups: planning care Using case vignettes
• Management guidelines ( Dr Oates)
• Service needs (Dr Roberts)
• Participants

It is anticipated that the issues and advice on managment and service needs that result from this workshop will be presented in the Marcé Society Bulletin.

"SLEEP BABY SLEEP" - THE VIDEO

Antony Milch, Kathleen Youngman, Maudy Liu
Family & Child Health Services, Manly Hospital & Community Health Services, NSW

The Family Care Centre, Dalwood, is a Unit of the Family and Child Health Services, Manly Hospital & Community Health Services. A multidisciplinary collaborative approach is used. It provides assistance for parents regarding feeding, sleeping and settling distressed babies, whilst considering their own emotional well-being. The importance of assisting parents in the recognition of tired unsettles signs in overstimulated babies was identified. A video "Hush-a-bye" was developed for this purpose in 1991. This 20 minute video has become well accepted by early childhood nurses and is used extensively in antenatal clinics, early childhood centres and maternity units throughout Australia and New Zealand. In March 1997, the sequel "Sleep Baby Sleep" was released. This video tape is designed to be used in conjunction with "Hush-a-bye". It provides parents with an introduction to specific settling techniques designed to help their infant settle after the recognition of tired signs. It is designed to assist parents in the implementation of appropriate self soothing strategies in the context of a secure attachment relationship. The management of the crying baby has long been an area of concern for professionals. It arouses significant concern regarding the appropriateness of allowing babies to cry. Professionals also recommend that the parents' needs must also be attended to. "Sleep Baby Sleep" is designed to assist parents inappropriately attending to the needs of their developing baby. It is designed to be used in a general education context.

Kathleen Youngman, Early Childhood Nurse, Clinical Nurse Specialist and Co-ordinator of the Family Care Centre will present the video and background to its development. Maudy Liu, Psychologist, will present the psychological background to this approach. Dr Antony Milch. Child Psychiatrist, will facilitate discussion and exploration of the issues aroused in this challenging area. The focus of this workshop will be to provide professionals with a useful tool in parent education. Increasingly parent education and early intervention for young families is being identified as crucial to the emotional development of the child. Settling the crying baby is one of the first developmental challenges for infant and parent. It is hoped that this approach will assist parents in overcoming this significant initial hurdle.