Mater Mothers

What was the #1 thing that you packed in your hospital bag?

New dad Jamie treasured every cuddle with his baby daughter on Sunday - his first Father’s Day - after she underwent life-saving surgery just 48 hours after she was born at Mater Mothers’ Hospital.

Baby Scarlett 👶🏼 was born with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), a rare condition in which the diaphragm fails to close during prenatal development.

The hole in Scarlett’s diaphragm allowed organs in her abdomen, including her intestines, to move into the left side of her chest where her heart and left lung should be.

Scarlett’s chest X-ray at birth (pictured 👀) showed her bowel in the left side of her chest and her heart and other organs pushed to the right.

But following early intensive care, successful surgery at Mater, and some around-the-clock care in Mater Mothers' Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU), baby Scarlett was discharged from hospital just last week to go home in time for her daddy's first father's day 🙏🏼

To read the full story, head to our website 💻

Visit https://www.matermothers.org.au/news

How was your Father's Day? 💕

Brisbane Broncos star Billy Walters and his wife Rachel welcomed their little girl Daisy just in time for Father's Day!

We are sure Daisy will be on the sidelines in no time, cheering for her dad and grandad Kevy!

Learn about the significance of Daisy's middle name here: https://mater.li/broncos-baby-daisy🥰

Meet baby Amanda 💕

What a Father’s Day gift! 💝

This sweet little girl arrived at 2am this morning and her proud parents Aster and Akil couldn’t be happier.

Introducing another one of our amazing lactation consultants 👩‍⚕️💕

Heather has worked at Mater Mothers for 22 years, first as a Mater midwife, and more recently as a lactation consultant.

Over this time, Heather has supported thousands of new mums and their babies with breastfeeding 👶🏼

“Breastfeeding can be so empowering.”

“The look on a mother’s face when their newborn baby latches for the first time and sucks comfortably is priceless.”

“Being able to support a new mum on her breastfeeding journey is the most rewarding part of my role.”

Thanks for everything that you do, Heather 💕

Each year all around the world on International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day, candles are lit to honour and remember a baby who has died. The result is a wave of light around the world. 🕯🕯

On Tuesday 15 October 2024, Mater will host its annual Wave of Light Ceremony to compassionately remember, acknowledge and support those families who have experienced the loss of a pregnancy or baby in the last year.

Candles are lit to honour and remember them, and the result is a wave of light. 🤍

We welcome anybody within our community who would like to attend the Wave of Light Ceremony.

RSVPs are essential.

For more details or to rsvp, please click here 👉 https://www.facebook.com/share/bcwSCuR4wXsd2w9c/

Meet clinical midwife lactation consultant Megan 👩🏼‍⚕️👋🏼

Megan is a lactation consultant working on the maternity wards at Mater Mothers’ Hospital and Mater Mothers’ Private Brisbane, as well as Mater Mothers’ Parent Education and Support Services.

We asked Megan why she chose to work at Mater Mothers and here’s what she had to say 👇🏼👇🏼

“I wanted a role where I could focus my time and care on supporting new parents with their lactation journey.”

“When my own baby was born 10 weeks prematurely, I got to experience the support of our parent education and support services first hand, as a new Mater mum.” 👶🏼

“This definitely cemented my passion for timely and continued lactation support.”

Since becoming a midwife and lactation consultant, Megan has supported more than 1,000 new mums on their breastfeeding journeys.

When you were pregnant, did you choose to find out the gender of your baby or did you choose to keep it a surprise?

💕Our Neonatal Critical Care Unit has said a sad farewell to one of most loved nurses, Deborah Jane Jessop.

Deborah Jane walked through the door of Mater Mothers’ in 1993 and has given dedicated care to 1000s of our tiniest miracle babies during her career.

She was a key member of our NeoRESQ retrieval service – bringing vulnerable babies from across Queensland and Northern NSW to Mater by helicopter, plane or ambulance – and stepped up as a Nurse Unit Manager whenever she was needed.

Deborah Jane’s expertise and knowledge has been shared with countless nurses and she has inspired all of her NCCU colleagues.

We will miss her contagious laugh – and her heart of gold.

From everyone at Mater, Deborah Jane, we wish you a wonderful and well-deserved retirement!

It’s no secret… motherhood is life changing. 🤱🏼 Bringing a new life into the world is filled with so much joy, and yet so many questions!

Mater’s Fourth Trimester Essentials is a six-week program, designed to help you navigate this new life with your baby – everything from breastfeeding, sleep, development and play ideas, to postpartum recovery, maternal nutrition and mental wellbeing.

You’ll have the opportunity to ask all your burning questions, get tailored advice and support, and of course connect with other mums and babies! 👶🏼💕

Upcoming program start dates 📅
👉🏼 Tuesday 3 September 2024
👉🏼 Tuesday 29 October 2024

📍 Mater Health Hub Springfield (95 Southern Cross Circuit, Springfield Central)

If you would like to find out more about the program or book, visit our website here: https://mater.li/FourthTrimesterEssentials

Mater Little Miracle Autumn is pictured here feeding on her mum's expressed breastmilk thanks to the help of Blood Bikes Australia! 🏍️

That's right! A team of bikers completed what could be Queensland’s longest-ever milk run 🍼 to ensure little Autumn, who lives in Hervey Bay with her mum Danielle, gets the nourishment she needs to thrive.

Little Autumn was born at Mater Mothers' Hospital via an emergency caesarean at just 27 weeks' gestation and spent her first 100 days of life in Mater Mothers' Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU) receiving special preterm care.

During this time, her mum Danielle expressed 7.5 litres of breastmilk and stored this at Mater Mothers’ Hospital – hoping that one day she could bottle-feed the nutrient-rich milk to her baby girl.

Just last month Peter Davis, the founder of Blood Bikes Australia, pulled on his leathers to take the frozen milk from Mater Mothers' Hospital to mum Danielle and baby Autumn in Hervey Bay, who had since gotten to go home. 🏡💕

It's the first time Blood Bikes Australia had transported milk! 🍼

“We’re so happy we could help Danielle, Autumn and the whole NCCU team.”

Mum Danielle said Autumn was doing well at home after leaving hospital eight weeks ago.

You can read the full story on our website here: https://mater.li/baby-autumn

Meet lactation consultant Janine 👩‍⚕️

Janine has worked at Mater Mothers for an amazing 35 years! 😮

Over this time, Janine has cared for thousands of babies 👶🏼👶🏼👶🏼 and supported thousands of parents.

Janine first started working as a registered nurse and midwife within the Neonatal Critical Care Unit at Mater Mothers’ Hospital. In 2002, she became a qualified lactation consultant and joined Mater Mothers’ Parenting Support Centre in 2016.

Janine says she chose to work within parent education and support services because she’s passionate about supporting parents during early parenthood.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see families gain confidence and knowledge as they navigate breastfeeding and parenting together.”

“I am also fortunate to work with a fantastic, collaborative team that effectively achieves goals for the parents and babies within our care.”

Meet Mater Little Miracle Oscar 👶🏼

Oscar was born with oesophageal atresia (OA), a condition where the oesophagus (aka food pipe) doesn’t connect to the stomach.

The rare condition affects one in around 4,500 babies.

Little Oscar weighed just 1kg when he was born at Mater Mothers' Hospital in May, and has since become the first baby at the hospital to benefit from ‘sham’ breastfeeding.

Sham breastfeeding is a new breastfeeding technique that allows Oscar to breastfeed just like any other baby, but the milk that gathers in his blocked oesophagus is removed by a suction tube through his nose.

Part of the removed milk is then fed back to Oscar via a gastrostomy tube inserted in his stomach.

The technique is complex and time-consuming, but it allows Oscar to develop breastfeeding skills and to associate oral feeding with filling his tiny stomach.

His mum Kharissa was worried she may never be able to breastfeed him after finding out at her 22-week pregnancy scan that Oscar had AO.

“I knew about the benefits of breastfeeding, and I really wanted that for Oscar,” she said.

“He’s smashing his developmental goals and we are having the best time bonding." 🤱

“Oscar is doing so well now that I do think my breastmilk has benefitted him as he’s 3.4kg and he’s got two chins,” she laughed. 🙊

You can read the full story via our website 💻 matermothers.org.au/news

Tag a friend to let her know what a great mother she is. 💗

Meet lactation consultant Kerryn 👩🏼‍⚕️👋🏼

Kerryn is a lactation consultant working within the Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU) at Mater Mothers supporting mums with seriously ill or premature babies. 👶🏼

“Expressing education is an essential part of my role as many of the NCCU babies are often days to months away from breastfeeding.”

“I love being able to support mums from initially expressing and establishing a supply, to eventually supporting them and their baby with their first feed.”

“The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the elation on a mum’s face after their baby breastfeeds for the first time, and knowing I was able to support that mum and baby on that journey.”

Thanks for everything that you do, Kerryn 💕

This Thursday marks the beginning of World Breastfeeding Week!

We’re so fortunate to have a team of amazing lactation consultants at Mater Mothers providing breastfeeding support to new mums and their babies. 🤱🏼

Our team of lactation consultants provide support to mums and newborns from birth, throughout their hospital stay with us, and even once they’ve left hospital too.

Thanks to Mater Mothers’ Parenting Support Centre, families and women with babies born at Mater Mothers’ Hospitals across Queensland can access our breastfeeding support service at no out-of-pocket expense up to six months after birth.

To find out more, visit matermothers.org.au/parenting-support-centre

Meet Mater Little Miracle Claire 👶🏼💕

Claire spent her first nine weeks of life in hospital after being born with a rare genetic condition known as Treacher Collins Syndrome.

Treacher Collins Syndrome is an inherited condition that most often affects cheekbones, jaw, chin and ears of one in 50,000 babies.

Claire received special care in Mater Mothers’ Neonatal Critical Care Unit for three weeks after being born, before being transferred to Children's Health Queensland for a further six weeks.

Mum Vanessa says her daughter is the ‘greatest gift’ she could ever receive.

“We knew she would look different but she is absolutely the best baby.”

“Getting to bring her home from hospital was the best day ever for our family, we were so excited and had dreamed about it for more than two months.”

You can read the full story here 👉🏼 https://mater.li/baby-claire

Are you looking to give back to your community? 👪

Mater’s Parent Aide Unit is looking for volunteers to help support referred families by offering emotional support, practical assistance, and encouragement 🏡

💕 If you are interested, please phone 07 3163 2234 or email [email protected] for more information

💕 An information session will be held at 10am on Tuesday 6 August 2024

💕 Training will commence in late August 2024

Introducing baby Mila 🌏✨

Little Mila was born on 15.07.24 with a full head of hair 👶🏼💕

Was your baby born with a full head of hair too? Let us know in the comments 👇🏼

Millions of people across the state and country will be cheering on Queensland tonight - and Mackay's baby Ruby will be one of the youngest maroons supporters screaming loud!

Congratulations to proud parents Tammy and Ben at Mater Mothers' Private Mackay - and go Maroons! ❤

Meet clinical nurse Leah 👩🏼‍⚕️👋🏼

Leah is a clinical nurse working within the cardiac and surgical unit at Mater Mothers’ Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU).

We asked Leah why she chose to work at Mater Mothers and here’s what she had to say 👇🏼 👇🏼

“My youngest son was cared for in hospital for the first 12 days of his life and the experience opened my eyes to the world of neonatal nursing.” 👶🏼

“Once I completed my nursing degree, I was so fortunate to be offered the opportunity to work at Mater Mothers’ NCCU as a new graduate and I have never once looked back.”

“I have commuted from the Sunshine Coast every shift to come to work in this incredible unit for more than 10 years now!” 😮

“Being able to watch the amazing resilience these babies have to recover from serious life-threatening conditions and grow strong enough to go home with their families is the most rewarding part of my job and I am so privileged to be able to be just a small part of that journey.” 💕

Since becoming a neonatal nurse, Leah has helped care for ~3,000 babies alongside her team.

Are you a boy mum or girl mum? 💙💗 Or both? 💛 Let us know in the comments 👇🏼

There is nothing more perfect than a newborn sleeping 🥰

Welcome to the world little Sam!

🎇How can 1 year fly by so quickly?!

Little Jordie was born at Mater Mothers' Private Brisbane on 20.06.23. He is always smiling and loves dancing to a variety of music 🕺 Jordie also loves being outdoors and playing as much as he can.

His mum, Laura, who works at Mater Central Pharmacy, is returning to work after being on maternity leave. While it was a bit crazy to start, she is happy to be back at Mater with her team.

Meet nurse Gemma 👩🏼‍⚕️

Gemma is a clinical nurse working in the cardiac and surgical unit within the Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU) at Mater Mothers.

In her role and alongside her team, Gemma provides specialised care to critically unwell babies who are born with a congenital heart defect or those who require surgery after being born.

“A lot of the babies within our care are with us for many months, so we often build strong bonds with them and their families.”

“Although tough at times, it's inspiring to witness their NCCU journey and it's incredibly rewarding to know you've played a part in helping them get home to their family.” 💕

Gemma has helped care for more than 1500 babies since starting her neonatal nursing career five years ago.