Author: development
Strong Families
What makes a strong and resilient family – what are they, how do they work?
***Key Points***
Strong families have children who grow up feeling safe and secure have the confidence to be themselves and find out who they are.
Strong family relationships include: warmth, care and positive attention; good communication; an environment that is dependable; and good relationships with other family members.
***Key Points***
***Love, time and relationships***
Showing love, warmth and affection can be achieved by: spending quality time together, physical touch [hugs], smiles and praise, telling them you love them and positive communication. This can result in the child having a more positive experience learning about the world, they tend to develop better relationships with friends and other important people in their life and have less conflict.
Relationships can be strengthened by using good communication about both positive and negative things. This can demonstrate to children that it is okay to talk about feelings like embarrassment as well as positive things that have happened. The parents are the role models with good communication, children will learn from how adults around them communicate.
A dependable family environment may include things such as routines and family rules. Children feel safe and secure when they can anticipate what will happen at home and what to expect of each day.
Children can develop a strong sense of self when they develop good relationships and connections with other people such as extended family members, neighbours or others in the community. Having a good support network can be good for the whole family.
***Love, time and relationships***
REFERENCES:
Raising Children Network – Strong families, what they are how they work
Roadmap for reform: Strong families, Safe children
Diverse Families and Resources for Pregnancy
Finding support and building a good relationship with your healthcare professionals can help you to have a feeling of empowerment that can lead to overall greater wellbeing.
***Key Points***
Often members of the LGBTIQA+ community are at risk of/ and experience poorer sexual and reproductive health because of lack of awareness of the health care professional, stigma and discrimination.
There are limited resources specifically related to pregnancy for the LGBTIQA+ community. LGBTIQA+ support workers should be part of your pregnancy care team.
***Key Points***
***Resources***
RESOURCES:
1800MYOPTIONS can provide you or your support person with sexual and reproductive health advice and support. Call 1800 696 784 during business hours. Visit the website for more information.
Rainbow Door is a free service providing support, information and referral for the LGBTIQA+ community. Call 1800 729 367 10am – 5pm 7 days a week. Interpreters are available. You can also text 0480 017 246 or email support@rainbowdoor.org.au
Information regarding specialised pregnancy care is limited. However, when pregnant and booking in to the hospital you can request to see a social worker who will provide guidance and support. You could ask if there are any LGBTIQA+ friendly antenatal classes available, or you may be able to find some available privately in the community.
Raising Children Network have links to national, state and territory support services for LGBTIQA+ parents, their friends and families.
Queer and LGBTIQA+ support services in Australia.
Queerspace provide counselling, advocacy and case management based in Carlton, Melbourne. Call 03 9663 6733 for more information or complete this form to access counselling services.
Visit PANDA for information about mental health support.
Qlife offers anonymous, free peer support and referral. Call 1800 184 527 or Webchat between 3pm and midnight.
***Resources***
Foods Safe to Eat and Avoid in Pregnancy
Some foods are not safe to eat in pregnancy. Access our guide here outlining what is safe to eat, not safe and what to limit
***Key Points***
key points
***Key Points***
***Meat and Chicken***
SAFE to EAT
- Ensure any meat is cooked thoroughly and eat while hot
- Store leftovers in fridge, use within a day of cooking and reheat thoroughly.
- Hot takeaway chicken is safe if freshly cooked and eaten while hot. Store leftovers in fridge and eat within 24 hours
- Beef, chicken, or pork mince is safe if cooked thoroughly and eaten while hot
DO NOT EAT
- raw or undercooked meat including beef, poultry, or pork.
- stuffing unless cooked separately and eaten while hot
***Meat and Chicken***
***Cold meats***
Cold meats, deli meats and any processed meats
DO NOT EAT
unless processed meats are thoroughly cooked to steaming hot and eaten soon afterwards e.g., on a pizza it is better to avoid all processed meats in pregnancy.
- packaged or unpackaged ready- to-eat meats such as ham, salami, pre- prepared chicken, chicken loaf
- cold meats, chicken, or turkey from sandwich bars.
- pâté
LIMIT
Limit liver due to high Vitamin A content
***Cold meats***
***Liver***
LIMIT
Limit liver to 50 grams per week. It contains high levels of vitamin A
***Liver***
***Fish and seafood***
SAFE to EAT
- Freshly cooked fish
- Two to three serves of fish per week is recommended. Serve size is 150g.
- freshly cooked seafood
- canned seafood including canned tuna
DO NOT EAT
- Ready to eat, pre-cooked prawns
- uncooked or smoked seafood such as smoked salmon
- raw fish or seafood
- sushi with raw or smoked
- seafood or sushi with other fillings that is not freshly made
LIMIT
Eat 2-3 serves per week of any fish except
Eat 1 serve per week of these fish (and no other)
• Catfish
• Orange Roughy (Deep Sea Perch)
Eat 1 serve per fortnight of these fish (and no other)
- Shark (Flake)
- Broadbill
- Swordfish
- Marlin
***Fish and seafood***
***Cheese***
SAFE to EAT
- Hard cheese e.g., Cheddar or tasty cheese
- Processed cheese, cottage cheese or cream cheese are all safe to eat – ensure they are stored in the fridge and eaten within 48 hours of opening
DO NOT EAT
Soft and semi-soft cheese Egg brie, camembert, ricotta, feta,
bocconcini or blue cheese
***Cheese***
***Dairy Foods***
Safe to eat – pasteurized
- milk
- yoghurt
- cream
- buttermilk
- Store-bought custard – eat if cold and freshly opened.
- Home-made custard – cook thoroughly and eat while hot
ice cream – packaged frozen
Do not eat
- unpasteurized dairy food
- soft serve ice-cream
- smoothies/milkshakes – made with soft serve ice cream.
***Dairy Foods***
***Eggs***
Safe to eat
Cooked eggs – such as scrambled, fried or quiche.
Eggs should be cooked thoroughly, and yolk thickened.
Check non-refrigerated products such as mayonnaise for pasteurized egg and follow storage instruction
Do not eat
• raw or runny eggs
• foods that may contain raw eggs egg mousse, eggnog, aioli, cake, or pancake batter,
- homemade & café-made mayonnaise or Caesar salad dressing which may contain raw eggs
- dips that contain feta or ricotta cheese
***Eggs***
***Vegetables and Herbs***
Safe to eat
- fresh cooked vegetables (wash before cooking)
- canned vegetables
- frozen vegetables
- salad if freshly prepared
(except raw alfalfa, bean, or snow pea sprouts)
Do not eat
- pre-prepared salads including fruit salads from salad bars/smorgasbords
- sprouted seeds such as alfalfa, snow pea, broccoli, mung bean or radish sprouts
***Vegetables and Herbs***
***Fruit***
Safe to eat
All types are safe except store- bought pre- cut fruit.
If fruit is to be eaten whole, wash before eating
Do not eat
- commercial pre-cut fruit
- rockmelon
- freshly squeezed juices
and smoothies from cafes and juice bars
***Fruit***
***Sushi***
Do not eat
Store-bought sushi
Homemade sushi – do not use raw meat, fish, or shellfish.
Wash vegetables well an consume immediately
***Sushi***
***Soy Products***
Safe to eat
- • tofu
- soy milk
- soy yoghurt
***Soy Products***
***Sesame seeds***
Safe to eat
Sesame products that have received heat treatment such as sesame oil and sesame seeds on baked products such as bread
Do not eat
Sesame seed and sesame products that are made from ground or whole sesame seeds such as tahini, halva, and hummus
***Sesame seeds***
***Canned and bottled foods***
Safe to eat
Follow storage instructions after opening
***Canned and bottled foods***
***Eating out and takeaway***
Safe to eat
Eat food that is freshly cooked. Make sure hot food cooked through and is steaming hot.
Do not eat
• pre-made food if you suspect that may have been stored for some time
• salad bars and smorgasbords
• pre-prepared sandwiches • sushi containing raw or
smoked seafood or that is not freshly prepared
***Eating out and takeaway***
***Leftovers***
Safe to eat
Cooked leftovers are safe if they have been
- refrigerated as soon as they have stopped steaming
- eaten within a day
- reheated thoroughly
before eating
Do not eat
Food left at room temperature overnight or not refrigerated immediately
***Leftovers***
***Drinks***
Safe to drink
• Water
- Carbonated water
- Pasteurized milk
Do not drink
• alcohol
• energy drinks that contain guarana or caffeine such as V, Red Bull, Mother• Artificial sweeteners in
moderation are safe for pregnancy.
Limit caffeine-containing drinks:
- 1-2 cups of espresso style
coffee
- • 3 cups of instant
coffee per day
- • 4-5 cups per day of tea, hot choc or
cola drinks***Drinks***
- 1-2 cups of espresso style
Access to quick reference guide here
Supplements in Pregnancy
A pregnancy specific multi-vitamin will usually provide adequate doses of all supplements for a healthy pregnancy.
***Key Points***
Eating a healthy and varied diet will provide you with most of you vitamins and minerals during pregnancy, however additional recommended supplements have been shown t be beneficial
- Folic Acid
- Iodine
Some women will benefit from supplements of Vitamin B12, D and K as well as Iron, calcium and Omega 3 fatty Acids.
***Key Points***
***Folic Acid***
Folic Acid or Folate
It is recommended that a supplement of folic acid is taken for one to three months before conception and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. This is to reduce the to risk of neural tube defects (NTD).
Don’t panic if your pregnancy was unplanned, just start taking folic acid as soon as you know.
For some women at a higher risk of folate deficiency , it may be advised that you continue folate for the whole pregnancy eg twin pregnancy or hymolytic anaemia
How much Folate should I take?
The recommended dose of folic acidis a minimum of 0.5mg
However some women may require higher dose of 0.5mg, for example if they have previously had a child with a NTD.
RANZCOG recommends that you take a higher dose of folate (5mg/day) if you
- Have diabetes
- Have a family history of a baby born with a neural tube defect
- Are taking anti-convulsive mediations
- Have a BMI >30
- Have an absorption issue, such s inflammatory bowel disease or bariatric surgery
What is a neural Tube defect?
***Folic Acid***
***Iodine***
Iodine
Pregnant women need more iodine than usual as there is increased blood flow through the kidneys leading to more clearance of iodine.
In pregnancy (or considering pregnancy) you should take an iodine supplement of at least 150 micrograms/day.
Women with pre-existing thyroid conditions should talk to their care provider about personalized advice regarding iodine supplements
***Iodine***
***Vitamin D***
Vitamin D
RANZCOG updated their recommendation for Vitamin D supplementation in 2019. They recommend that during pregnancy you take 400IU of Vitamin D daily as part of a multivitamin supplement (irrespective of skin pigment and/or sun exposure)
They do not recommend that you are tested for of Vitamin D levels in pregnancy, regardless of individual factors.
***Vitamin D***
***Vitamin B12***
Vitamin B12
If you are a vegetarian or vegan your care provider may rcomemmnd that you take a supplement of B12. The recommended daily intake of Vitamin B12 is 2.6mg/day (2.8mg/day when breastfeeding). This is difficult to get in your diet without eating animal products.
***Vitamin B12***
***Calcium***
Calcium
Getting adequate calcium in your diet is important during pregnancy. We know that calcium is important for your bones but also in reducing the risk of developing pre-eclampsia or your baby being born early.
Should I take a supplement?
Ideally you would get enough calcium in your diet but If you avoid dairy in your diet and do not eat or drink alternative high calcium foods (such as calcium enriched soya milk) then you and your baby may benefit=t from a calcium supplement.
Adequate dietary calcium is important in decreasing the risk of pre-eclampsia for those at higher risk. For these women, if this cannot be achieved by dietary intake, calcium supplements may be useful. As calcium supplementation has been found to have negative effects on vascular health in other population groups, it is preferable that adequate calcium is obtained from whole foods
The Recommended Daily amount of supplementation of calcium during pregnancy is 1,000 mg/day
***Calcium***
***Omega 3***
Omega 3 fatty acids
Omega 3 fatty acids are known to be critically important building blocks for your baby’s developing brain and eye development. Omega 3 may also help reduce the likelihood of your baby being born early. Oily fish is the richest source of Omega 3 fatty acids
the evidence would support that all women consume fish very low in mercury 2-3 times per week. The value of dietary supplementation of fish oil or pregnancy multivitamin supplement containing Omega 3 fatty acids is inconclusive however if you intake of Omega 3 fatty acids is low you may consider taking a supllment of Omega 3 fatty acids.
***Omega 3***
***Probiotics***
Probiotics
Probiotics are live micro-orgaisms consumed to imprve the gastrointestinal health. Current studies are inconclusive to support routine supplementation of probiotics and further studies are required before advice changes.
***Probiotics***
***Vitamin K***
Vitamin K
Vitamin K may be suggested late in your pregnancy if you have diagnosed with cholestasis in pregnancy
***Vitamin K***
Get Help
Quick Links to access Perinatal Mental Health contacts
Postnatal Psychosis
Postnatal Depression
Text here from the dashboard regarding Postnatal Depression
Day 3 Blues
text here introduction to the day 3 Blues form dashboard
Mp3 Loving Kindness
Audio track – Loving Kindness, take time out
