After the birth of your baby
Breastfeeding is best for you and your baby, but it isn’t always easy. It takes time and practice. It can take up to six weeks for you and your baby to learn the skill of breastfeeding.
The maternity midwives and community child and family health nurses will help you with any breastfeeding concerns.
Further Information and support on breastfeeding can be found:
After the birth of your baby, you will be asked if you wish for your baby to have vaccinations, medicines and screening tests performed as a part of routine postnatal care of the newborn.
These include:
- administration of Vitamin K or Konakion
- administration of the Hepatitis B Immunisation
- Newborn screening test or spot test
- SWISH (State-wide infant screening for hearing)
Information on NSW Childhood Vaccination can be found:
After the birth of your baby you’ll be given a Newborn Child Declaration form. This form can be used in person at a Medicare office or uploaded to your online Medicare account to generate your baby’s Medicare number.
If you loose your form that’s O.K, you can still submit an application through your myGov account.
You have 60 days from the birth of your baby to register with NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages. Registering your baby is free and is now done online.
Following birth all parents of children born in NSW receive a free copy of the Blue Book. The Blue Book has valuable information about a child’s health and development. (For more information about NSW Blue Book Link: Blue Book – Pregnancy and the first five years (nsw.gov.au)
Child health and development checks are important because most of your child’s brain structure is developed before they turn 5 years old. These early days set the foundation for how well they will do in school and right through their lives.