A time to celebrate!

Renae Hayward, Senior Health Promotion Officer, Statewide Perinatal and Infant Mental

Health Program

With the festive season around the corner and end of the year approaching, it seems a good time

to reflect on all the work done by the Statewide Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Program

(SPIMHP) and celebrate the team’s achievements for the year.

It has been a fabulous year for professional development opportunities in perinatal and infant

mental health. In February, the ‘Celebrating a good start to life’ symposium was held, attracting

over 200 delegates (for early details of the 2020 symposium, see page 2). This was followed in

October by the Australasian Marcé Society Conference, an event that staff at Women and

Newborn Health Service helped to plan and also presented at.

This year has also seen the implementation of the new Antenatal Risk Questionnaire (ANRQ)

training module with training sessions held at both King Edward Memorial Hospital and Joondalup

Health Campus. This training will be available again in 2020 – see our training calendar on page 7

for details.

In the health promotion space, SPIMHP is celebrating the sixth year of partnership with Mentally

Healthy WA’s Act-Belong-Commit campaign and its eighth year of promoting Perinatal Anxiety and

Depression Awareness Week in WA (see page 3 for a photo collage of this year’s activities). This

year also saw the formation of the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Promotion Network and

(drumroll, please) the 65th edition of this very newsletter!

Thank you to all who have partnered with us, joined us for events, subscribed to our distribution

list, and – most importantly – worked so hard to improve outcomes for mothers, fathers, infants

and families across the perinatal period. We look forward to doing it all again in the new year!

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Pictures: Issue 1, Issue 33 and Issue 55 of the newsletter.

Issue 65

December 2019

Perinatal and Infant Mental Health News and Events

Newsletter

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Education and training update: Family and domestic violence symposium

Lea Davidson, Education and Training Officer, Statewide Perinatal and Infant Mental Health

Program

It was a pleasure to be invited to present at the ‘Family and Domestic Violence During Pregnancy:

Why Antenatal Care Matters’ symposium hosted by Women’s Health Strategy and Programs.

The symposium was a true collaboration of multiple agencies and services working with the one

aim: to be the voice for the vulnerable in our community and to address the alarming rates of

family and domestic violence being experienced today.

The messages were clear and consistent across all presentations:

Pregnancy is a time of great vulnerability with potential impact on the developing child in

the first 1000 days of life,

Screen early and screen often; just ask, have the conversation,

Provide a safe space to hear women’s voices,

Acknowledge the intersecting issues, and

Highlight the strength and resilience of the survivors.

Participation in this event as a presenter and a delegate was of enormous benefit to my role as an

Education and Training Officer in Perinatal and Infant Mental Health. I will certainly be raising

awareness around reproductive coercion as a form of family and domestic violence in the future,

as well as some of the unique intersecting issues experienced by culturally and linguistically

diverse and gender diverse communities.

Picture (below left): Lea Davidson giving her presentation.

Pictured (below right): The Hon. Simone McGurk MLA (second from right) with members of the Women’s

Health Strategy and Programs team.

Save the date!

Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Symposium 2020

Beyond Nature and Nurture: Evolution of motherhood in the 21st century

Harry Perkins Auditorium (QEII), Friday 8 May 2020

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Health promotion update: PANDA Week 2019

Renae Hayward and Vanessa Bobongie, Senior Health Promotion Officers, Statewide

Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Program

Many thanks to all those who ran events and activities for Perinatal Anxiety and Depression

Awareness (PANDA) Week 2019. Across WA, at least a dozen events were held and many

organisations set up information stalls to help raise awareness. In addition, there was some great

social media activity to engage mums and dads in discussion of this important issue.

Below are some snapshots of activity across the state.

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Five minutes with… Sharon Cooke

Sharon Cooke, Coordinator, Mother-Baby Nurture

How long have you worked to support perinatal mental health in your community?

Twenty-two years ago, I became a parent and it turned things upside

down. Although trained in midwifery and child health, my lived experience

served as a turning point – when I stopped seeing parenting as a task

needing education and started experiencing it as a relationship: with my

child, with myself, and my own experiences of what it means to be family.

This was the start of a lifelong vocational interest that was formalised more

recently with a Master of Perinatal and Infant Mental Health.

What is your current role?

I wear two hats. I have a small private practice providing home-based support for families, as well

as training and reflective supervision for individuals and organisations. I am also the service

coordinator for Mother-Baby Nurture, a government-funded reflective group intervention for

vulnerable infants and their mothers during the first six-months postpartum. Being part of a close-

knit team of clinicians from different disciplines is one of the greatest rewards of my work-life.

What do you like about your work?

Every week in Mother-Baby Nurture we lead a reflective activity called “wonder-watching”. Here

we practice being curious, wondering what the baby might be thinking, feeling or experiencing. It’s

a slow and simple act but it is not easy – especially for a mother troubled by anxiety or depression.

Through the practice of presence, all sorts of discoveries are made – both within the mother as

well as in their understanding of their infant. I’m always learning something new.

What has been the most rewarding experience of your work?

Witnessing family relationships restored. Intergenerational transmission of relational trauma can

evoke feelings of powerlessness in all of us. However there are good news stories too. Twenty

hours in group is a long period in the life of a new baby. The baby initially too frightened to gaze

into the eyes of his mother, over time and many small moments of positive play experiences,

begins to trust and delight in her company and the company of others. It’s food for the soul.

What inspired you to work in this area?

I am captivated by the relational dance between the parent and infant and the way past patterns of

relating within family are passed forward, yet rarely seen or talked about. My preferred place of

work is beside the parent-infant dyad as they begin to notice, and gradually find their rhythm. It’s a

sacred space that I feel privileged to share.

What sustains you in your PIMH work?

Monthly reflective supervision. Families, vulnerable infants and parenting practices naturally evoke

strong internal responses, and understandably so – for better-or-worse, we all have experienced

family. Reflective supervision provides me with a safe space to make sense of my work

experiences within the confines of a trustworthy relationship.

What do you hope to see for the future?

I hope that every clinician that contacts a family – from pregnancy to pre-primary – takes a

relationship-focussed approach to their work. When a person engages with a service, simple acts

like taking blood or recording the heartrate can be transformed into a meaningful exchange.

Perinatal distress is like a contagion, spreading from one family member to another which can be

particularly detrimental for the wellbeing of the developing child. However when an individual feels

truly seen, felt and delighted in, unmanageable feelings and experiences can be contained, and

capacity restored. Not every family needs a therapist – but every encounter can be therapeutic.

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Twelve ways to Act-Belong-Commit this Christmas

Adapted from www.actbelongcommit.org.au

With the silly season just around the corner, it can be both exciting and daunting as many of us

rush to finish work or school for the year, shop for food and presents, finish off those house

renovations, and support the kids to finish school for the year. That’s why we’ve come up with a

list of twelve ways you can Act-Belong-Commit this Christmas: to help you have a mentally

healthy, more relaxing and joyful Christmas.

1 – Get Festive!

There are little things you can do to embrace this time of year and feel the Christmas magic. You

could decorate your home-dwelling or workplace, listen to Christmas songs, view the Christmas

lights in your neighbourhood or plan to attend your local carols by candlelight with others.

What makes you feel festive?

2 – Give

Giving is good for you and for others. Make a difference this festive season by organising a charity

collection with your family or workplace. It can be as simple as providing tinned food to a homeless

shelter, collecting presents for disadvantaged children, taking old towels and bedding to an animal

shelter or making a monetary donation to a charity of your choice.

Here’s some other ways you can give this festive season.

3 – Do something different

This holidays, break out of your routine and do something different. Something you’ve never done

before! You could have a go at surfing, tai chi or belly dancing. You could try a new recipe or go to

that new restaurant you’ve been wanting to try out. You could even enroll in course to kick off in

the New Year!

4 – Express Yourself

There are so many ways to express yourself! You can sing or listen to Carols, write a poem or

song or get crafty, paint or draw Christmas things. Remember to take lots of photos and best of all,

make lots of memories.

Here’s some inspiration for you – try our festive colouring in template (download it or find it on the

next page)!

5 – Give Kindness over Gifts

Kindness is a cheap and easy gift to give to others during the Festive Season (and can make you

and others feel just as good as a purchased gift)!

Here are some ideas: write someone a kind note, wish people you interact with a Merry Christmas,

bake treats for co-workers, and stay calm and patient on the roads and in the shops.

6 - Feeling Blue? Act Green!

Get an instant boost by camping or sleeping outdoors, playing games outside, going for a walk or

a swim, or simply stepping out the house to enjoy the fresh air.

7 – Get Social

In the busy lead up to Christmas, take a break and get social. Connect and celebrate with others

by attending a Christmas festival in your neighbourhood. Check out the Act-Belong-Commit

Activity Finder for an event near you.

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8 – Reconnect

Christmas is the perfect time to reconnect with family and friends, so make a date to catch up with

loved ones you haven’t seen in ages. If you can’t see them in person, book in a video chat or

phone call!

9 – Reflect

Take a few minutes to reflect, and maybe write down what made you feel mentally healthy this

year. What were the highlights? Who did you enjoy being around? What made you feel good and

happy?

10 – Relax

Don’t forget to make time for yourself during the busy holiday period. Do something relaxing such

as reading a book, watching a movie, doing some yoga, going for a walk or even taking a nap.

11 – Gratitude

Did you know that practicing gratitude daily helps you to tune in and recognise the positive things

in life, even when the going gets tough? It can also be good for your mental health and

relationships! What are you grateful for this festive season?

12 – Celebrate Christmas Your Way

This Christmas, we especially encourage everyone to celebrate Christmas your way!

You could spend the day with family or friends, at home or away, eating lots of food or enjoying a

nice salad, playing cricket on the beach or spending the day with your fur-children, or watching a

Christmas movie marathon or reading a book.

However you choose to celebrate Christmas, we hope you have a wonderful day!

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About this newsletter

Who can contribute?

This newsletter was created to celebrate successes and share information among professionals

working in the fields of perinatal and infant mental health in Western Australia. In the interests of

information-sharing, submission of articles and other relevant content are invited from external

agencies, including those from the non-government sector and other Australian states. Please

note, however, that the Statewide Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Program (SPIMHP) reserves

the right to maintain editorial control, including the ability to decide the final content to be published

and/or making editorial changes to content submitted.

If you would like more information about the submission process, please contact SPIMHP as

indicated below.

Contact information

This newsletter was produced by the SPIMHP, Women and Newborn Health Service, Department

of Health WA.

Please direct any queries via the following:

Email: spimhp@health.wa.gov.au

Phone: (08) 6458 1795

Web: www.kemh.health.wa.gov.au/SPIMHP

Accessibility

This newsletter has been designed in a printable format and is circulated to a distribution list via

email. Following distribution, it is made available at www.kemh.health.wa.gov.au/SPIMHP. Upon

request, the newsletter can be made available in alternative formats for a person with a disability.

Copyright

Copyright to this material is vested in the State of Western Australia unless otherwise indicated.

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as

permitted under the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced or re-used

for any purposes whatsoever without written permission of the State of Western Australia.

© Department of Health 2019

Disclaimer

The information presented in this newsletter is provided in good faith as a public service. The

accuracy of any statements made is not guaranteed and it is the responsibility of readers to make

their own enquiries as to the accuracy, currency or appropriateness of any information or advice

provided. Liability for any act or omission occurring in reliance on this document or for any loss,

damage or injury occurring as a consequence of such act or omission is expressly disclaimed.