Tweddle now operates a fee based in-home early parenting service, Tweddle@Home. The Program manager is Alison Campbell, a very experienced maternal and child health nurse.
Alison says ‘Tweddle @ Home provides your family with convenient, quick access to expert one-on-one support and advice, tailored to your individual needs, in the relaxed privacy of your own home. Families often identify one area of most concern such as night time waking but we find that we generally need to look at the whole 24 hours and take into consideration feeds, day sleeping and play. Strategies used for overnight are the same as practiced during the day. With a home visit we are also able to provide insights into things such as cot/bedding arrangement, bedroom configuration and meal/feed time behavior that many parents find helpful.
We recognise that families have very different needs.
Some may be a little confused or overwhelmed in the early months
Others are generally happy with how things are going but the prospect of returning to work or thoughts about the next baby, has them wanting advise about a concern or two
Then there are those parents who feel they have 'tried everything' and are looking for some added insights and supports
Parents are commonly concerned about feeding, sleeping and settling difficulties or behaviour issues, just to name a few. Whatever the case maybe, Tweddle @ Home can help.
You can access the service by calling Tweddle during business hours. We will discuss your needs with you, what the service provides; the cost and arrange a time when an experienced maternal and child health nurse consultant will visit.
A home visit is organised for the first available opportunity that is mutually acceptable to both you and the consultant. Emphasis is on a quick response with a visit scheduled within two working days.
The cost is $345.00 for a package which includes:
A. One 2 1/2 hour home visit including:
A detailed discussion around your individual parents' concerns. Areas explored will generally include:
What's normal at this age - what can you expect?
Is there a way to develop the flow of your day?
Support and insight into specific areas of concerns for example feeding and sleep and settling difficulties.
Spending time discussing any other normal parenting concerns or questions that come up.
Where possible the nurse will provide practical ‘hands-on' guidance.
B. Your choice of one copy from the following list of educational resources:Tweddle Sleep Right Sleep Tight DVD, Breastfeeding for Beginners DVD,Tweddle Sleep Right Sleep Tight book and Tweddle Eat Right Don't Fight book. The DVDs retail @ $35 and the books @$26. Families find these very useful for follow-up information and to share with partners and extended families.
C. A 30 minute follow-up telephone conversation within the next week to check in for support, to see how things are going and answer any questions.
Demand for Tweddle@Home has continually increased. We now have an expanded team and are therefore able to respond with a visit within 2-3 business days of parents calling. Increasing awareness across the maternal and child health nurse network and advertising in The Age and Melbourne Child and has helped spread the word.
We are very pleased to add that Twedddle@Home may be covered by some health fund Member Support Programs, if it is lieu of an inpatient stay. The Member Support Program funds currently include ahm, Australian Unity, Credicare, GU Health, Manchester Unity (not all levels of cover), Navy Health, Teachers Federation Health & Teachers Union Health.
Our team is thrilled with the results and enjoying a lot of personal satisfaction in the messages we're consistently receiving from our families.
Alison Campbell.
Satisfaction continues to be very high with glowing reports from clients in their feedback:
This is an excellent service. We were able to discuss difficulties we were having with both our children - doing this in our own home was relaxed and involved little stress for our toddler. He really enjoyed having Barb here and was sad she had left when he woke up. Anne, mother of 2 (6mths and 2 ½ yrs old),
Dear Leonie
Ebony was having short day sleeps and wakeful overnight. I tried everything...changing her nappy, cuddles, feeding, was she teething.... I felt powerless and didn't know what to do to get her back to sleep, particularly overnight. I was a bit concerned about only 2 ½ hours but was surprised how useful it was. The follow-up phone call and information supplied was also really good.
I feel more in control and Ebony is now sleeping much better.Thank you, Rebecca, mother of Ebony 8 months
Dear Leonie
Hope you are well! Things are still going great on our end. I must admit I was also a bit skeptical about the impact a 2.5 hour session would have on Bills sleeping pattern. And yes, I was pleasantly surprised.
After our session, Spiro and I gained the confidence to allow Bill to learn how to self settle. And the results were great. Within 3 days Bill went from going to bed at 8:30pm, waking up approximately every 2-4 hours through the night and waking up for the day anywhere between 4:30am to 6:00am, to going to bed at 7:00pm and sleeping through to 6:00am or 7:00am. Not only that, but Bills day sleeps went from 40 mins to approximately 1.5 hours.It's been great, and I truly believe that with a bit of persistence at the start it can work for everyone.Good luck with the program in the future.Kind regards Katerina (Spiro & Bill)
"Best thing we ever did for our child and ourselves. Just can't believe we left it so long to address all our sleep problems." Mother of 15 month old.
"The consultation helped my daughter sleep better from the first day. The package exceeded my expectations." Mother of 6 month old.
"At the time I wasn't confident the technique was working but the nurse was sure it would start to work soon if we stuck at it and she was right." Mother of 5 month old.
"Theprogram gives parents ideas and enables them to follow through - it gives them resources to refresh when in doubt. So it covers aspects when you are alone. I cannot think of ways the session can be improved. It was concise and addressed the issues. Perfect in my opinion." Second time mother of 14 month old.
My husband even thanked me for deciding to pick up the phone and make the call for help as we both feel like functioning people again and he is going to work rested and motivated, not exhausted and run down!! Parents of 9mth old and 2 ½ yr old.
Enquires welcome.Ring Tweddle@Home direct on 8387 0658 or via Tweddle reception on 9689 1577.
