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Gidget Foundation Australia

Gidget Foundation Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that exists to support the emotional wellbeing of expectant and new parents, to ensure they receive timely, appropriate and specialist care. GFA provides a range of clinical treatment programs including individual psychological consultations via face-to-face or telehealth and a peer support group.

Vision and mission

Vision: A community that values the emotional wellbeing of expectant and new parents by providing specialist care, connection and support.

Mission: Gidget Foundation Australia exists to support the emotional wellbeing of expectant and new parents to ensure they receive timely, appropriate and specialist care.

How Gidget Foundation Australia can help

Gidget Foundation Australia provides clinical treatment programs for expectant and new parents:

Gidget House provides free individual psychological counselling sessions (a maximum of 10 sessions) for expectant and new parents, delivered face-to-face from various locations in NSW, QLD, VIC, TAS and WA.

Start Talking is a national service providing free telehealth psychological counselling services (a maximum of 10 sessions) for expectant and new parents delivered via a video call service.

Gidget Virtual Village is a private, moderated Facebook peer support group, connecting expectant and new parents with Gidget Foundation Australia and each other.

Information lines / help lines

  • Call 1300 851 758 Mon to Fri 9am – 5pm AEST

Recommended links

Last reviewed: March 2024

Information from this partner

Found 27 results

Parenting Videos

Gidget Foundation Australia provides video resources for expectant and new parents covering a range of topics such as grief and loss, support for new dads, Bunny Book readings, packing for birth and resilience.

Read more on Gidget Foundation Australia website

Symptoms and Risk Factors

It is important to remember that some anxiety and worries, and some changes in routine around eating and sleeping, are normal aspects of adjusting to parenthood. However, the following list includes symptoms that can have a significant impact on quality of life and functioning. If a parent experiences several of these symptoms over a two-week period or more and affecting daily life, they may be vulnerable to, or experiencing, a depressive or anxious episode.

Read more on Gidget Foundation Australia website

Bereavement

Grief can affect emotional, social, physical, spiritual/religious and mental wellbeing. Grief is not a set of finite stages, instead it comes and goes over a lifetime, reducing in intensity over several months or years but re-emerging at particular times or milestones. It involves varied, complex and sometimes conflicting emotions that may come up suddenly and unexpectedly.

Read more on Gidget Foundation Australia website

Managing Stress and Prioritising Emotional Wellbeing

New parents navigate a significant life transition, involving changes that are physical, psychological, emotional and financial. Some stress in early parenthood is very normal because it involves so many new experiences and change unlike any other time in a person’s life.

Read more on Gidget Foundation Australia website

Managing Birth Trauma

For many parents, a baby’s birth is a positive and awe-inspiring experience. However, some parents find it traumatic, even if their baby is healthy and well. Going through a birth involves momentous physiological and psychological changes in a rapid time frame.

Read more on Gidget Foundation Australia website

Pregnancy for Partners & Non-Birth Parents

For partners, pregnancy can be an exciting time, filled with anticipation for the future. It can also present some challenges. Roles can change, more pressures come to the fore, and relationships can face adjustments which can be quite unsettling. Perinatal depression and anxiety can be experienced by partners as well.

Read more on Gidget Foundation Australia website

Managing Advice

It is common for a baby’s arrival to trigger an influx of advice from family and peers on everything from sleep to feeding routines. Some of this advice may be welcome and useful. At other times, it may feel overwhelming or confusing. Most advice comes from people who want to help or feel useful. However, if a lot of different advice comes from different sources, new parents sometimes lose track of how they wish to care for their child.

Read more on Gidget Foundation Australia website

When to Seek Help

It is never too soon to ask for help. Mental health struggles range from mild, moderate, to severe. Even if you think your experience is mild, it can still be beneficial to receive help early rather than waiting it out to see if things get better. Perinatal mental health professionals are there to support new parents and their families across many circumstances and help them adjust to parenthood.

Read more on Gidget Foundation Australia website

Expectant Parents from First Nations Communities

Parents-to-be from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities may be looking for pregnancy care that is culturally safe and sensitive.An experience of cultural safety leads to better outcomes during pregnancy and childbirth. Some expectant parents may seek specialist health services, called Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS), during pregnancy to help them receive this care (there are more than 300 clinics around Australia). To find a list of ACCHS clinics, go to www.naccho.org.au.

Read more on Gidget Foundation Australia website

Trauma Triggers During Pregnancy

Many people who have experienced past trauma manage the transition through a pregnancy and adjustment to parenthood, utilising their coping skills, resilience, and supportive people around them. Some people who have experienced trauma may need additional support during pregnancy.

Read more on Gidget Foundation Australia website

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Need further advice or guidance from our maternal child health nurses?

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