News

International recognition for MDAS antenatal program

Mon, 21 May 2018 11:31:00

An innovative Mallee District Aboriginal Services program that strengthens relationships between Koori parents and their babies before and after birth will be showcased at an international symposium later this month.

The project, “Wondering from the womb: Antenatal yarning from bub’s perspective”, was developed by the MDAS Early Years team and local Community members over two years and works to enhance bonding between a baby and its parents by taking a baby’s perspective on development, learning and experiences.
MDAS lead practitioner Kathy Crouch will be delivering three presentations on the successful program and its associated work, at the 17th World Congress of the World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH) in Rome from May 26.
The development of the “Wondering From The Womb” resource was previously presented to the conference in 2015, as was its predecessor, the award-winning MDAS “Bumps to Babes and Beyond” program in 2014.
Ms Crouch said her presentation would outline how the locally-developed yarning resources and new born observations are being used to increase conversations between parents and their babies.
“Wondering From the Womb is really about innovative ways to build early relationships for babies and their support systems,” Ms Crouch said.
“There will be nearly 2000 delegates attending the congress from around the world and it’ll be exciting to share our experiences with other cultures and communities who are also using new born observations in non-clinical settings,” she said.
Ms Crouch said there would also be a poster presentation on the impact of how MDAS’s locally developed in-house training was helping staff across the organisation work more effectively.
“Wondering from the womb has gone beyond simply being for families during the ante natal and post-natal period – we also work with MDAS staff to help to increase their empathy for the families they are supporting in our community,” Ms Crouch said.
“We’ve turned the Wondering From The Womb resource into a sharing space for staff which introduces them to different key theories and thoughts that can assist families heal. These theories are drawn from trauma-informed and attachment-led perspectives.”
The third MDAS presentation at the congress will be an interactive workshop on building relationships around pregnant couples, and the use of the Wondering From the Womb approach to increase the conversation, reflection and experiences of pregnancy and birth.
Ms Crouch said Wondering From the Womb had been an innovative approach because it uses an unborn baby’s narrative to prompt reflection and connection to the wisdom of past, present and future.
“Our three presentations will showcase different aspects of the beautiful ways a baby’s own wisdom can influence parenting, self-understanding, healing and communication,” Ms Crouch said.
“Our presentations will also honor the work our frontline staff do in supporting families in community and getting families engaged in a wide array of MDAS services.”