Coming to Tweddle

What to expect

A letter from a mum talking about her experiences coming to Tweddle

 I was excited, relieved and a little bit anxious when I found out my daughter Esther and I had a place in Tweddle’s Residential Stay program. Esther was 10 months old and waking up to 7 times a night. With a 3 year old as well to look after, I wasn’t doing great. I was exhausted, had little patience, and felt teary, angry or stressed most of the time. Plus, the lack of sleep meant my post-natal depression and anxiety were getting worse.

I went to see my GP and she suggested a stay at Tweddle. I was really reluctant – I’d heard of sleep schools and wasn’t keen. Wouldn’t it mean I’d have to leave my baby on her own to cry for hours? Would I be allowed to comfort her? How would this treatment damage her? Despite this, I asked my GP to put in a referral because I was desperate.

When I found out we had a place I prepared myself as much as I could before coming in. I looked at Tweddle’s website and Facebook page. These reassured me that Tweddle are experts on infant mental health and wouldn’t advocate doing anything which could damage Esther.

I also came in to see the unit the week before and found everyone so kind – and was surprised at how beautiful the rooms were! On the Monday morning of our stay, I felt excited and nervous.

Read the rest of Jen’s letter here.

In this video we show you around Tweddle.

https://vimeo.com/user87590812/review/281219160/59e23a7cab

Asking for help

This can be a very difficult process – who to talk to? Will they judge you? What will happen next?  It is ok to ask for help if there is anything making life with your baby difficult, or if you are worried about anything.

For many parents the issue may be easily fixed by talking to people in their support network and getting some extra help at home.  For other parents it might be a more complex situation.  The best person to talk to is your Maternal and Child Health Nurse or your GP – they will assist you to work out what will help.  You can also self-refer if you would like to contact Tweddle.

Contacting Tweddle

You can either self-refer and contact Tweddle directly or you can speak with your GP or Maternal and Child Health Nurse. Once you have been in touch with Tweddle, a time that suits you will be organised for a Tweddle Clinician to call you.

Her job is to understand your situation by asking you some questions over the phone.  This information will help her to know which Tweddle program best suits your needs.

If you are eligible for a funded program the Duty Worker will book you into the Assessment and Intake process to determine the program best suited to you.  Both you and your partner will be encouraged to attend the program.  The Assessment and Intake Worker will let you know the timelines for admission as well as the possibility of an earlier ‘standby’ admission if there is a cancellation.

If you have questions about the care of your baby/child please call your Maternal and Child Health Nurse or the Maternal and Child Health Line 13 22 29 for advice.

Your information

Once you are booked into the Tweddle program such as the Residential Program or Day Stay Program you will receive some information by email or mail for you to complete and bring with you on the day of admission:

• Registration Form
• Parent Agreement and Consent Form
• Information about Tweddle programs
• Payment of fee for the disposal of disposable nappies 

Certificate of Attendance

Tweddle is very keen for both parents or important support people to attend the program as it benefits the whole family.  Please contact Tweddle before your admission date to request a Certificate of Attendance for your employer to enable both you and your partner to attend.  

Coming into Tweddle Programs

Knowing you are coming into a Tweddle program can seem like a huge relief or it can feel a bit scary, either way you are likely to be feeling very tired and anxious.

The Pre-admission Information tells you what to pack and bring, as well as other important health information. 

Residential and Day Stay Programs

Day of Admission

Don’t forget to bring the completed paperwork on the day of your admission.

We understand how hard it might be to get to Tweddle on time, especially if you are coming from a distance.  Just let reception know if you are running late.  You will be welcomed whenever you get to Tweddle, we appreciate the effort you have made to come.

Click on the links below to learn more about the program you will be accessing:

Residential Program
Day Stay Programs
In-Home Service
Infant and Perinatal Psychology Service
Childbirth Education
Parenting Assessment and Skills Development
MyTime
Working Out Dads