First Years First Aid

🚨 NEW WORKSHOP DATE 🚨

Newcastle, Lake Mac and the Hunter!
Come along and learn FIRST AID for your FAMILY in a fun, practical way.

This is your notice!!!

November will be the last public workshop for the year as I take a break over December and January. Join the hundreds of people who have already empowered themselves with the confident to recognise and react calmly to baby and child emergencies.

✅ Locally owned and run
✅Trainer who actually has assessed and treated babies and children for 15 years
✅ Focused on what you need to know with babies and children
✅ Baby and child friendly
✅5 star ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reviews

Look, sometimes it’s obvious.

Kids arms in particular can break with obvious deformity. However this is where it can get tricky… when kids get hurt or scared, they might act like the world is ending. If I thought my children needed an X-ray after every time they were hysterical after falling over they would be radioactive by now. (Of course, pain can’t be discredited, and if pain doesn’t ease then it should be investigated).

Swipe along to see some of the other key things to look for that may suggest you need an X-ray.

⭐️ GRAB YOUR FRIENDS!!
⭐️ DRAG YOUR PARTNER ALONG!!
⭐️ GET NANNY EDUCATED!!

Buy 2 x Tickets to the September First Years Workshop and save $$$$$

Promo code 20off2 to receive $20 off

I absolutely ADORE seeing families come along to a first years workshop, supporting the next generation as they start their own families.

And I absolutely ADORE seeing them learn current, evidence based, family first aid! (Even if if is a pre requisite of babysitting their grandbabies 🫣😜)

Wee.
For a natural thing that everyone has to do, it really can tell health professionals so much about your child’s wellbeing.

🚽 Dark urine can mean it’s concentrated, a sign a dehydration
🚽 Periods where your child doesn’t wee in a 6-8 hour period are considered a red flag for dehydration
🚽 Excessive urination can also indicate medical conditions like infection or diabetes, which require further investigation
🚽 If your child is in a nappy and have less than half of their normal wet nappies they should be seen in hospital
🚽 Smelly urine could indicate a dehydration or a urine infection

🚑 HUNTER FAMILIES 🚑
Come and learn baby and child first aid and sickness recognition in this 3 hour course. We cover what you need to know as a family with a baby or child.

What do we cover?
🚑 CPR, Choking, Burns and all the normal first aid essentials
🦠 understand sickness
🚩red flags - when and where to seek help

✅ Experienced trainer - Paramedic Specialist, Educator and First Aid Trainer, with almost 15 years practical exposure.
✅ Mother of 2 young children.
✅ Local, family owned business (not a chain/franchise).
✅ Baby Friendly/Feeding Friendly.
✅ Take home goodies

It’s one of the most distressing situations I’ve been in, having to hold my son through medical procedures while he screamed, hyperventilated and practically passed out from stress. IV cannulas, oxygen, medications.

They may be necessary at times, but darn it’s heartbreaking as a parent. Unfortunately I don’t have a simple answer for this one, but these tips may help you out in your time of need.

Do you have a tip for other parents? DROP it in a comment below.

1. Play. Play with ice packs….play medicine syringes with water/cordials…. pretend to give teddy an oxygen mask… these things can help take away the uncertainty or fear of your child is familiar with the process through play.

2. The children’s hospitals, like the John Hunter, actually have specialised paediatric OT’s who can help you with play/toys, distraction techniques and support for you. ASK for them before a medical procedure (if it’s not life threatening).

3. Don’t lie about pain. If you have older children, it is better to explain why it’s needed in simple terms, and explain that any pain from the procedure will only last a short period of time. Reassure them that it’s safe, they are safe.

4. While it is a last resort and shouldn’t be used unless absolutely necessary, sometimes we do need to hold our children for life saving treatment that they simple don’t want. Consider safe holding positions, which can be found by researching “comfort hold” techniques.

Pushing myself out of my comfort zone was a goal of mine this year….
✅ I am presenting at a national first aid conference in Cairns in August, and this is definitely one of those nerve racking, intimidating things that will push the edge of my comfort zone. But, if I can share some of the things I’ve learned in my almost 15 year paramedic career, as well as decade in training first aid, then it’s something I’ll give my all to.

Do you know what I love most about my private in home bookings?

The family support that is shown when whole families come along. Siblings, grandparents, friends. They say it takes a village and it’s so great to be a part of setting up this village with practical, evidence based skills and information on managing sick and injured children. And what better way to make sure Nan and pop are current and up to date with their knowledge!

My private in home bookings don’t cost any extra than the public workshops (minimum numbers are required) and I don’t charge travel fees.

DM or email to enquire.

☎️ Do you know how to call for help in Australia? ☎️

000 (Triple Zero) is the standard emergency service phone number. This will get you Ambulance, Fire or Police.

112 is the number you can call from a mobile phone. It’s no “better” than 000, but it can be used overseas in many countries if you don’t know their emergency number.

106 is the number best used for those with hearing or speech impairment that a normal phone call would be difficult for. This number can ONLY be used with a special TTY phone, and diverts to a system with a ‘relay’ officer or text interpreter.

Emergency Plus is an app which you can use to access any of the emergency services. This app has the ability to pin your exact location to send help to you. This is beneficial if you don’t know where you are. It’s also good as a backup if you call 000 but the call takers are busy and can’t answer your call.

At the beginning of each First Years Workshop, I ask the group what their why is… their reason for attending. I’m overwhelmed with how many parents come to us at around that 6 month age when they realise they are so anxious to start solids and fear choking.

If this sounds like you, come along and feel confident in recognising choking, versus gagging… the first aid for choking is simple, but super effective in removing airway obstructions.

Whooping Cough can be really serious especially in young babies. Their breathing often requires significant effort, the coughing spells tire their immature breathing muscles and the distinctive cough can lead to periods of apnoea, where they don’t breathe at all for periods of time. The best way to protect your family is to vaccinate and stay away when unwell. Whooping cough can appear mild in adults and you may not even know that you have it.
🚩Breathing Problems 🚩 should always be assessed straight away by a medical professional. Learn the signs and be confident to recognise a sick child.

At a First Years Workshop, we look at all the normal first aid stuff, including CPR.. but we look at it specifically focusing on babies and children.
Even if you’ve done first aid for years at work, trainers brush over baby CPR because it’s uncommon. I’ll teach you not only what to do, but to understand the basic why behind it, so you can act quickly with confidence in a wide variety of situations… specific for your family.

🚨 New Workshop Dates 🚨
Learn baby & child first aid with simple, practical advice from a paramedic, health educator and mum of two. Baby friendly session that will equip you for accidents, injury and illness within your family.
www.firstyearsfirstaid.com.au

Swipe ⏭️ to see some do’s, do nots and some red flags for minor wounds.

Did you know that some specialist paramedics can provide stitches for some wounds? It may save you a trip to the emergency department.

“Empowering young heroes! 🌟
This little one is diving into the world of first aid, learning how to help others in need.
Or… could it be that mum just needed a still model for head bandaging so the manikin replaced the live patient actor 😅

I don’t have many words for this.
Just gratitude that I took the leap to follow my passion for passing on my knowledge and experience to other mums.

☑️ PRIVATE BOOKINGS ☑️
The perfect way to get friends or family together in the comfort of your own home. This workshop option is reasonably priced with no extra travel fee. The convenience of your own home works for friends groups and families, especially if there are multiple little ones around. SWIPE to see how I can help you get practical, hands on experience with a Velcro bubba 😍

🚑 Relaxed environment, let the kids crawl and the babies feed
🚑 Only 6 or more people to confirm booking
🚑 All you need is space, and a TV to hook up to
🚑 Everyone buys their own “ticket”, so no need to organise everyone else

SWIPE for my advice about figuring out what virus your little one has…..

🦠 Spoiler 🦠
It’s not about WHICH virus, it’s about WHAT symptoms.
It makes no difference if the culprit is rhinovirus, Covid, influenza or RSV.

Instead, focus on empowered, confident decisions on when to seek help.

🚩Breathing Problems
🚩Dehydration
🚩Floppy or Listless
🚩Non Blanching Rash

Are you guilty of DOOMSCROLLING / DR GOOGLE ?
I describe these and show you what they look like in the face to face FIRST YEARS FIRST AID WORKSHOP

🚑 NEWCASTLE & LAKE MACQUARIE FAMILIES 🚑

🚩First Aid and Simple Sickness Information 🚩
Come to a FIRST YEARS FIRST AID WORKSHOP and learn with a Local Mum, Paramedic and First Aid Trainer.

Covering from newborn through to bigger kids, find out why the reviews rave about the important practical information covered in this 3 hour face to face workshop. Book Now via the WEBSITE www.firstyearsfirstaid.com.au

🔥 BURNS are no joke 🔥
70% of burns that attend hospital are children/toddlers.

Not only are they incredibly painful, but they cause swelling, fluid loss, infection and can be a cause of major complications leading to months in hospital.
First aid is crucial for this EMERGENCY. What you do in the first few minutes MATTERS!

Call 000 for painful burns, burns bigger than the palm of the patients hand, burns to face, neck, airway or chest, burns with smoke inhalation, chemical/electrical burns and severe burns with blistering/skin damage.

First, you need cool running water for TWENTY MINUTES. Ideally, between 8-25 degrees (cool tap water is perfect). If you can do so without breaking blisters, remove clothing as it will trap heat. Hopefully Paramedics will be there by now, but if not, apply cling wrap loosely on top of the burn, careful not to ‘wrap’ the limb as swelling will occur. This protects it from infection and fluid loss.

DO NOT apply ice, creams, lotions or burn aid gels (even the ones in your first aid kit). Water is all you need.

Proud to partner with an amazing RTO which allows me to also provide accredited first aid certificates.

If you work around babies or children and need a first aid certificate, I can come to your workplace and provide practical specific training - a first aid certificate with a little extra. Message to enquire.

‼️ Daycares and Baby Based Businesses ‼️
This one is for you.

We are proud to say that we offer accredited first aid training as well as our 5 star rated First Years Workshops.

What this means is that our trainer can come to your child care centre/ELC and run a First Aid course…..plus a bit extra.
I tailor the HLTAID012 (Provide First Aid in Education and Care) course to include some of the First Years Workshop information on red flag recognition and other illnesses that children face that aren’t in a typical first aid course. Email to enquire.

YES! We offer PRIVATE IN HOME workshops.

All you need is a lounge room, and a group of 6 people or more. This is a great option for mothers groups, families or friends.

Get the grandparents together before Bub arrives and make sure your VILLAGE are all calm and capable to care for your baby should the worst happen. It makes such a difference to all be on the same page. EMAIL for availability… I usually only offer one or two private bookings a month. I’m now booking for May-July.

But what does “Blanch” mean?

Certain types of rashes are ‘non blanching’ which means they won’t fade. Press down on your arm skin now. See how if turns white before returning to normal colour? If you do this over most rashes, the reddening should fade temporarily.

If the spots remain despite pressing on then with your hand or a clear glass that you can see through, it may indicate serious disease like Meningococcal, and you should call for help immediately if you see this. DO NOT wait for the rash to turn purple or spread, it may be too late.

⭐️ Reviews like this mean the world ⭐️

📞Who ya gunna call 📞

Sometimes it’s just knowing what’s available to you. There are SO many options for advice, assessment and treatment for your family. These are a few of the more commonly known options that I discuss in the First Years Workshop.

I’ve spent 14 years as a Paramedic and 6 years as a Mum finding out the others 🤱🏽

🚑 As always, 000/112/EmergencyPlus App should be your first call in serious sickness or injury 🚑

SWIPE ⏭️ to read an information sheet about REACH.

NSW Health recognises that sometimes, even health professionals miss things. At the end of the day we are human too, and kids can be hard to assess.

🚩Parental Concern is the number red flag 🚩

Please trust that you know your baby best, and if you’re concerned, follow REACH if you don’t feel your medical team is on the same page as you.

⚡️⚡️Seeking feedback on moving public workshops to an improved location in West Wallsend versus the current site at Elermore Vale. Is the new area too far for you to travel? Your input is greatly appreciated ⚡️ ⚡️

Comment Below ⬇️