The need for a Warrnambool district support group for parents who lose a child or suffer post-natal depression during the perinatal period was among the topics discussed at a breastfeeding and birth conference in Warrnambool this weekend.
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More than 200 health professionals from throughout Australia took part in the biennial conference that was organised by the Warrnambool Breastfeeding Centre as its major fund raiser.
Midwifery professor Della Forster said 22 per cent of women who gave birth experienced depression or anxiety during pregnancy.
“That’s 68,000 women each year,” Professor Forster said.
She said Latrobe University and the Royal Women’s Hospital were soon to start a trial program where mothers who had experienced depression or anxiety during their pregnancy and/or the birth of a child would ring other mothers who were experiencing perinatal depression or anxiety to give them support.
The program would involve 1000 women, she said.
Professor Forster said another study had shown that a mother to mother telephone support group for breastfeeding mothers had shown the support was much appreciated by the breastfeeding mothers receiving the support.
“The mothers loved having other mothers ring them,” she said.
Other speakers at the two-day conference included dietician Rachel Boak of Crossley who spoke about what did influence the choices of food that parents made for their children and lactation consultant Anita Bearzatto who talked about overcoming any slow weight gain in babies that were being breastfed.
