Community Bubs is a program designed and run by Family Life that supports families in the community to ensure babies thrive and develop in a safe and supportive environment.
‘Mei’ and ‘Arun’ were feeling anxious about their newborn baby ‘Meera’. During a check-up with their Maternal Child Health Nurse, the couple described their lack of rest due to Meera’s constant crying. Mei also revealed that she was overwhelmed with anxiety, fearing that she wasn’t a good enough mother whenever Meera cried, and disclosed she was having suicidal thoughts. Arun felt inadequate in his parenting abilities and would panic whenever Meera cried, often turning to Mei for help.
The Maternal Child Health Nurse referred Mei and Arun to the Community Bubs Program when Meera was 4 weeks old. During a session, Mei revealed that she often felt like a failure and would become anxious, having been neglected by her own mother as a child. She was scared of becoming neglectful herself.
To support her mental health, the Community Bubs Practitioner referred Mei to a community mental health service and a Mother Baby Unit. The practitioner visited Mei and Meera in the unit, providing support during the transition back home. Mei’s anxiety was stabilised with medication, and she and Arun were taught how to build their confidence in parenting, meet Meera’s emotional needs, and strengthen their attachment to her.
The practitioner introduced Mei and Arun to the concept of watching and reflecting on Meera’s experience of the world. They were taught to use an emotion chart to help identify Meera’s emotions and body language and how to use curiosity to learn how to meet her needs.
Through the Community Bubs Program, Mei and Arun were supported in learning new skills to parent Meera together effectively. As a result, Meera’s relationships with her parents were strengthened, and Mei and Arun became confident in their abilities to meet her needs.
The Community Bubs Program helps new parents navigate the challenges of parenting, and gain new skills and insights, ultimately ensuring the healthy development of the child.
