Resources
Useful links, contacts and materials for self support
Explore our curated resources designed to support your mental health and well-being through every stage of motherhood.
-
Go to your hospital emergency department
-
Call 000 to obtain an ambulance to your home to take you to hospital
-
Call your local Area Mental Health Service triage line (a mental health professional can be sent to see you at home)
-
Wyndham area - 1300 657 259
-
Melton / Brimbank / Hume - 1300 874 243
-
Wyndham / Hobsons Bay / Maribyrnong - 1300 657 259
-
Nillumbik / Banyule - 1300 859 789
-
Yarra / Boorandara - 1300 558 862
-
Greater Geelong / Queenscliffe / Surf Coast / Colac-Otway - 1300 094 187
-
Mental Health Support
-
Beyond Blue - 1300 22 4636
-
Lifeline - 131 114
-
Women's Domestic Violence Crisis Service - 1800 015 188
-
Women's Information and Referral Exchange - 1300 134 130
interim telephone counselling support
-
Call the Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA) national helpline on 1300 726 306 (Mon - Fri 9am - 7:30pm)
-
Call Parentline on 13 22 89 (7 days a week 8am - Midnight)
-
Call SANDS (Miscarriage, Stillborn and Newborn Death Support) on 1300 072 637 (24 hours)
-
See a psychologist sooner
-
Speak with your GP about other psychologists they can recommend
-
Use the Australian Psychological Society 'Find a Psychologist' service to locate a psychologist in your location
-
Investigate services through The Gidget Foundation
-
e-Directory of Perinatal Providers at Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE)
help with infant sleep and settling
If you require additional help with infant sleep and settling beyond what your Maternal & Child Health nurse or GP can offer you may consider contacting Tweddle, an early parenting centre with day and residential stays.
miscarriage, stillbirth or newborn death
If you would like to join a support group for miscarriage, stillbirth or newborn death, please contacts SANDS (Miscarriage, Stillborn and Newborn Death Support)
doula support and education
If you are a young mother or have recently arrived to Australia and are seeking additional support during your pregnancy visit Birth for HumanKind
-
See a psychologist sooner
Becoming Mum
Dr Koa Whittingham
An acceptance and commitment approach to motherhood
Mindful Parenting in a Messy World
Michelle Gale
Living with presence and parenting with purpose
Becoming Us
Elly Taylor
8 Steps to Grow a Family that Thrives
Raising a Secure Child
Kent Hoffman, Glen Cooper and Bert Powell
Circle of Security Parenting
And Baby Makes Three: The 6 Step Plan for Rekindling Romance
John Gottman and Julie Gottman
Preserving Marital Intimacy
The Pregnancy & Postpartum Anxiety Workbook
Pamela Wiegartz and Kevin Gyoerkoe
Practical Skills Workbook
Coping with Infertility, Miscarriage, and Neonatal Loss
Amy Wenzel
Finding Perspective and Creating Meaning
Dropping the Baby
Karen Kleiman and Amy Wenzel
And Other Scary Thoughts
What am I thinking?
Karen Kleiman
Having a baby after postpartum depression
This Isn't What I Expected
Karen Kleiman and Valerie Davis Raskin
Overcoming postpartum depression
Everyone’s experience of pregnancy, birth and parenting is unique and brings different rewards and challenges. These mental health assessments can help you to see if what you’re experiencing or observing in a loved one could be reason to seek help.
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale
J L Cox, J M. Holden, R Sagovsky (1987)
This 10 item self report measure is designed to screen for symptoms of emotional distress during pregnancy and the postnatal period.
The EPDS is not a diagnostic tool and must always be used in conjunction with clinical assessment, however it is a good place to start to understand your current situation.online treatment
-
Join Mum Mood Booster, a free 6 session online treatment program for postnatal depression from the Parent and Infant Research Institute
-
Visit This Way Up for two online courses specifically for pregnancy and the postnatal period plus other courses for depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder and more.
parenting stress
-
Visit the Parental Stress Centre for online parenting programs and resources
-
Visit Emotion Coaching with the Gottman Institute for online parenting programs and resources
relationship Issues
Visit The Gottman Institute for online programs and resources
-
Perinatal Stories Australia
by Rebecca
By providing a listening ear to the lived experiences of struggle and healing in the perinatal stage, this podcast helps to reduce stigma around maternal mental health, informs listeners about support services available, and inspires those on their own healing journey.
