FAQs
Frequently asked questions answered by our founder, Amanda.
What are your qualifications?
Some of us are trained clinicians, but if not, we are in professions that require us to have training in difficult conversations and we are all mandatory reporters. We are a peer support service based off lived experience. I see posts on our local mums Facebook group daily requesting help or someone to chat to. We are no different - people will reach out for informal help regardless.
Is this safe?
First of all, we are fully insured. We simply come in to chat, and encourage you to have these conversations with your midwife, social worker, nurse etc. All we do is drink coffee, listen and help mothers develop trust for the professionals caring for them. This is a social visit, not a clinical one. We always refer back to professionals.
Isn't somebody else doing this?
I had both of my babies in NSW, so had no idea about what was available in QLD. We are aware of a service that provides nappy bags to mothers in hospital with essentials, but we are totally different in every aspect except for the backpack itself. The bag's contents, what we do, and the way we run are all totally different. We're actually considering switching to gift bags instead of the nappy bag in order to make us 100% different with no room for confusion.
You provide formula... are you anti breastfeeding?
Do you give advice?
This is a tricky one to answer... Short answer is, no. The purpose of what we do is to build mum's trust in the healthcare professionals who are there to help them. I know I was really reluctant to open up to midwives and social workers when I was unwell with my babies, and what would have helped me was having another mum who has been through it to talk to. What we do is bring mum a coffee, and help point her in the direction of where to get help, and really emphasise the importance of getting professional help before they go home with bub. Clinicians, we are on your side!
No way! In fact, all of us have done a mix of both. We simply understand that it's not something all mothers can, or want to do, and we are happy to provide a brand that I personally love for mums to try if they request it. It's a few sachets, not a whole tin - it's not that deep. Having said that, if we are asked to leave formula out of bags in a hospital, we will not include lactation supplies either out of principle. I firmly believe that feeding debates contribute a great deal to decline in mental health (based off anecdotal evidence - our experiences) so if I can't support a mother feeding her baby by simply giving a few sachets of formula, I will leave out breastfeeding supplies in that hospital too, just to be fair. But don't worry! We still have PLENTY of goodies in these bags even without feeding supplies.
Why do you bring a bag if that's not the focus?
Because it's an ice breaker! I'm a gifts person, gifts are my love language, so walking into a room with a coffee to chat about mental health seems a bit daunting, but instead walking in with a bag of boujee goodies makes it feel more like a push-present than a mental health service. Nothing in this bag is considered an 'essential' (unless you're me and like the finer things) so it's not there to help you in a crisis; it's luxe, it's special, it's fancy - it's there to simply make you feel good! I've chosen these things with the intention to give you the little bit of luxury I enjoyed with my babies! It's good for your mental health to treat yourself - let us do it for you!
How can I help?
The biggest help we can get is financial support. We are based in regional towns, so don't have that big recognition that major cities get. If you can donate, please do so. We would be so grateful! As for volunteers, keep an eye out on our social media and we will post when we have capacity!
I want to feel loved, but I don't want to talk...
That's fine! We can drop and run. Absolutely no judgement here at all. I know what it's like to need to reach out to know I'm supported, but also have no desire or social battery to communicate. We can drop it at your door and you can reach out when you're ready.