Maternal and child health - visit 2 - two week visit
Maternal and child health - visit 2 - two week visit
This is usually your first visit to the local
Maternal and Child Health centre
. At this and every other key age and stage visit, you and your nurse will discuss the growth, health and development of your baby.
What happens at my two week maternal and child health visit?
This visit will focus on:
registering your baby’s
birth
External Link
immunisations
feeding your baby (includes breastfeeding and bottle feeding)
how play helps learning and development
safety in the car
safety in the home
family relationships
and wellbeing
hearing screen - the
Victorian Infant Hearing Screen Program
(VIHSP)
External Link
eye
check
- red eye reflex test.
Remember, you and your nurse can talk about other issues or concerns if they come up.
Tip sheets for this visit
Using restraints: Getting it right every trip – A guide to keeping your child
safe,
External Link
Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV)
Babies from birth to crawling: birth to 9
months
External Link
(available in multiple languages), Kidsafe Victoria.
What is my baby doing at this key age and stage?
Even at this very young age, your newborn is ready to learn about the world around them. They might be:
spending lots of time sleeping, feeding and crying
grasping your fingers when you put them in your baby’s hands
getting startled by loud noises
starting to focus on faces
looking into your eyes.
What to tell your nurse
Please tell the nurse if your baby:
is NOT making any sounds
is NOT feeding well.
Activity ideas for this key age and stage
It’s never too early to help your baby learn and develop – you may like to:
talk to them about what you are doing (e.g. “let’s have a nice warm bath now”)
look into their eyes and copy their expressions
cuddle them close to your chest
give them lots of skin to skin contact or try baby massage
talk and sing songs to them.
Have you got your baby bundle?
If you are a first-time parent (after July 2019) and live in Victoria, you may eligible to receive the Victorian Government’s
baby bundle
which contains nursery essentials and key parenting information and resources to support the health, development and wellbeing of your baby.
Tell your maternal and child health nurse if you did not receive one.
How often should I visit?
You will be asked to see your maternal and child health nurse at 10 key ages and stages in your child’s health, learning and development. These include:
following discharge from hospital (
home visit
)
two weeks
four weeks
eight weeks
four months
eight months
one year
18 months
two years
three and a half years
.
Families can access the service at other times by telephone or through a centre visit. Most centres offer a range of times when families can access the service. They typically operate through scheduled appointments, open consultation sessions and some after-hours appointments.
Return to the Maternal and child health services main page
Where to get help
Your local maternal and child health
service
External Link
Your GP (doctor)
Maternal and Child Health Line
Tel:
13 22 29
– available 24 hours a day for the cost of a local call throughout Victoria
Aboriginal Health
Service (VAHS)
External Link
Tel.
03 9419 3000
Parentline
External Link
Tel.
13 22 89
Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS
National)
External Link
Tel.
131 450
– available (24 hours, 7 days a week) for callers who speak other languages.
National Relay
Service
External Link
(24 hours a day, every day) – Speak and listen Tel:
1300 555 727
, TTY Tel:
133 677
, SMS relay Tel:
0423 677 767
.