Help and advice for parents

There are trustworthy places you can phone or go online to find answers. Get help or advice for children from newborns to teenagers.

Phone assistance 24/7

You can contact the Maternal and Child Health Hotline to speak to someone from Maternal and Child Health services. This phone service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for Victorian families with children from birth to school age.

Call 13 2229 (remember it as 13 BABY)

The service is free and confidential.

INFANT Sessions

Want the latest information on feeding and play for your baby?  Join the INFANT Program.

Group sessions - four face to face group sessions led by a health professional when your baby is around 3,6,9 and 12 months old.

Phone app - group sessions are supported by a phone app called My Baby Now.

INFANT sessions and the companion app will help you learn about:

• Understanding and responding to your baby’s cues/signs
• When and how to introduce solid foods and a sippy cup
• Active play you can do together
• Strategies for limiting screens
• Experiences, strategies and tips from other parents

Download our flyer for information about INFANT Sessions(PDF, 183KB).

Email: mchappointments@darebin.vic.gov.au or phone:  (03) 8470 8298

First aid for new parents

We recommend that new parents go to a first aid course. Knowing what to do in an emergency could save your child’s life.

• Life Saving First Aid
• Premium Health
• St. John's First Aid
• Red Cross First Aid
• Raising Children
• Kidsafe
• Emergcare

Helpful websites and books

• The Australian Childhood Foundation has a booklet I need you A-Z: understanding your baby’s needs to help parents
• The Raising Children's Network is a complete resource for parenting, from newborns to teenagers
• Cope provides support for the emotional challenges of becoming a parent