A local playgroup dedicated to supporting the parents of prematurely born babies has found success building community while breaking barriers and stigma.
The Benevolent Society’s Brown Plains Early Years Centre runs a weekly premmies playgroup that aims to support parents and create “positive interaction”.
Child development specialist Jodi McMurtrie said interactions with other parents away from doctors was essential.
She said parents with premmie babies shared a range of emotions and struggles, including fear, feelings of helplessness, unmet expectations, shock, confusion and disruption to routine.
“As well as inherent separation from their baby while in NICU,” Ms McMurtrie said.
“Families are able to meet in a setting which is play-based and not a medical setting.
“This enables the families to relax and enjoy their child whilst learning how to support growth and development alongside others.”
She said there was a stigma surrounding the struggles of being the parent to a premmie.
“There is not enough information known or understood within the wider community,” Ms McMurtrie said.
There are 27,000 babies born prematurely each year in Australia and more than 15 million globally.
Ms McMurtrie said there had been a strong positive response from the playgroup’s parents.
“They feel accepted and understood when they are in a group with families who have similar experiences,” she said.
“They express how grateful they are having found this group and being part of it.
“They have increased support and have built great relationships which extend outside the weekly playgroup.
“Parents say that they feel accepted and are not judged for how their babies are growing and developing, and that they feel like they belong.”
The playgroup is play-based, and provides families access to a health nurse, occupational therapist, NDIS early learning and RACQ’s ‘Kids in Cars’ program.
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