Maternal and child health - visit 3 - four week visit
Maternal and child health - visit 3 - four week visit
What happens at my four week maternal and child health visit?
This visit will focus on:
safe sleeping
feeding your baby (includes breastfeeding and bottle feeding)
the
health and wellbeing of the whole family
how play helps learning and development
immunisations
safety
where to find
parenting information
registering your baby’s
birth
External Link
hearing screen
–
the
Victorian Infant Hearing Screen Program
(VIHSP)
External Link
. Check the newborn hearing screen section of your ‘green book’ to see if it has been completed.
Remember, you and your nurse can talk about other issues or concerns if they arise.
Tip sheets for this visit
Register a
birth
External Link
, Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria.
Raising Children
Network
- External Link
the Australian parenting website.
What is my baby doing at this key age and stage?
Even at this very young age, your baby is learning. Everything they see, hear and touch helps their brain grow and develop. They might be:
watching familiar faces when being fed to or talked to
lifting their head briefly and turn it from side to side when on their tummy
shutting their eyes to bright light
responding to your voice
moving their lips and tongue when you talk to them.
What to tell your nurse
Please tell the nurse if your baby is:
NOT making any sounds
NOT beginning to watch faces
NOT responding to bright lights
NOT moving both arms and legs.
Activity ideas for this key age and stage
Try some of these ideas to help your baby learn and develop:
copy their sounds and expressions
give them some tummy time on your lap, chest or on a rolled up towel
sing songs and rhymes to them
look into their eyes, smile and chat with them
share stories and read aloud.
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
.
NURSE-ON-CALL
Tel.
1300 60 60 24
– for expert health advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week