It can be a challenge having a newborn in any circumstance, and harder still if you have no family support where you live.
That challenge more than doubles if you have twins. That was the case for Jess and Nathan, when their joyous bundles, Quentin and Stevie, arrived 13 months ago.
Cue Support for New Mums, a volunteer organisation that has been looking after mums and their babies for nearly five years in the Tweed and Byron Shires.
Jess, Nathan and their babes were able to access the free weekly home visiting service, that supports mums in the last trimester of pregnancy and the first year of their baby’s life, and beyond if needed.
Jess said the service has been a huge help getting the twins to sleep.
‘Lyn comes for two hours a week. She’s been very flexible in terms of times and what she’s willing to do’.
‘So for us, the most important thing is around nap times. She’ll come and play with one of the bubs while I put the other down. That allows me to actually put one to sleep then I can put the other one down.’
Connected and supported
Service co-ordinator, Deb Hunt, says the program was developed in response to the growing awareness that women often feel very alone when they most need to feel connected and supported.
‘The pressure on mothers today is huge. We help to bridge the gap between their dream of motherhood and its reality,’ says Deb.
‘A lot of people from interstate and overseas call our beautiful area home, but this means mums and their babies have very little, and often, no extended family support’.
‘Covid has made this situation worse, leaving mums and their babies very isolated.’
Jess adds ‘it’s made a really big difference, as Nathan works full-time’.
‘Putting twins down to sleep is incredibly difficult. You need an extra person. It’s the difference between a 15 to 20-minute exercise or a one-and-a-half to two-hour exercise’.
For more information on Support for New Mums, or to become a volunteer, visit supportfornewmums.info.
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