Pre and post-natal care services for all families.
Pouches Parent & Child Health Service is part of Brunker Road Medical Centre and provides individualised physical and mental health care to families pre and post natal. Our aim is to provide a service which offers continuity and is responsive to your family's changing needs throughout the early years. A service which is responsive to you and one you can access when you need it.
Antenatal care is based on preparation for delivery and the transition to parenthood.
Pouches offers support and guidance through the initiation and maintenance of breast feeding, while keeping the well being of the family in mind.
Pouches offers support and guidance through the use of formula feeding, supporting individual decisions and focusing on the nutritional needs of the baby, while keeping the well being of the family in mind.
Post natal care supports families with new babies up to school age and offers support around all issues.
Pouches has special focus on attachment based interactions, supporting emotional regulation for parent and child.
Pouches has an attachment based model for promoting self settle skills aiding sleep and settling in children of all ages.
Pouches works closely with families experiencing challenging behaviours using the Circle of Security model of parenting.
Pouches is comprised of experienced GPs, Specialist nurse, Midwife and a Psychiatrist, we have access to Obstetrician/Gynaecologist with Ultrasound and antenatal screening and to specialised Perinatal Psychology.
We take a multidisciplinary team approach towards the physical and mental health care, education and support of young families.
Pouches accepts self referrals from families in need of support - simply call us 49523700 to book an appointment.
Referrals can also be made from GPs, specialists and the Public Health system.
Our Services
Antenatal Care
Shared Antenatal care with GP’s of Brunker Road General Practice and the Antenatal clinic is available.
Classes
Due to COVID-19 classes are currently suspended.
However individual consultations remain available for all requirements either via zoom or face to face.
Covid restrictions and social distancing is observed during all consultations
Classes in baby massage, sleep and feeding will be available through Pouches. The schedule will be regularly revised and updated so please check with our staff for details regarding times and costs.
General Practice
Pouches GP’s are able to provide support to your usual GP in a wide range of areas, and particularly in the Mental Health care of Families.
Pregnancy Scanning
Dr Galal is an Ob/Gyn Specialist based in Brunker Road Medical Centre and provides Pregnancy Scanning services which include early pregnancy assessment, nuchal scans and first trimester screening for pre eclampsia risk assessment and to assess the risk for chromosomal abnormalities such as Down’s syndrome, morphology scans for fetal structures, growth and fetal wellbeing scans, assessment of fetal weight and assessment of cervical length for the risk of preterm labour.
Gynaecological Scanning
Dr Galal provides Gynaecological scanning services for assessment of uterus, ovaries and pelvis to exclude any abnormalities which could be causing or contributing to women’s gynaecological symptoms.
Psychiatry
Dr Catherine Faerhrmann is an experienced Psychiatrist with special interest in the provision of care during the perinatal period.
This time can be associated with a change in pre existing, or an emerging mental illness.
Immunisations
All Antenatal and Childhood immunisations are available through Brunker Rd General Practice.
Mental Health
Having a baby is a time of significant change. Most new mothers manage this well with support, however, some will need additional help. Pouches provides access to a multidisciplinary team of experienced nurses, GP's with skills in mental health and a Psychiatrist.
Pouches has access to an Obstetric Specialist and Perinatal Psychology services.
Pouches Home Assessments
If you are a patient of Brunker Rd General Practice, Home Visits will be available for Antenatal & Postnatal Care by our GP’s and Nurses, where necessary or appropriate. There will be a fee involved. Please check with our staff.
Nurse Specialist Consultations
Individual consultations are offered for any issues around family and child health and wellbeing.
Please contact us for further information.
RN Sarah Galal and RN Ruth Scott are available to discuss, please call 49523700
Circumcision
Dr Milton Sales and Dr Steven Lindsay perform circumcision at Brunker Road Medical Centre. Babies need to be from 2-8 weeks of age. The ring method of circumcision is performed under local anaesthetic. Please contact us for further information.
Contraception
Advice regarding the many methods of contraception is available through Pouches and Brunker Road General Practice or if required, our gynaecologist Dr Mohamed Galal.
Pouches recognises that each new baby is completely unique, they have never been here before and have distinctly individual needs from any other baby. Each baby has their own unique cues to help us to understand their needs.
Pouches encourages and supports parents to allow themselves
time to understand these cues, realising that parents are allowed to get their responses wrong on the journey to getting them right and learning to understand each other most of the time.
Spending time in the early weeks and months learning these cues will establish a solid foundation in which your baby feels understood and their emotional and physical needs responded to.
Classes
Classes are currently suspended due to COVID-19.
Please access individual consultations for information and support.
As classes become possible they will be published on our Facebook page.
Classes in baby massage, sleep and feeding will be available through Pouches. The schedule will be regularly revised and updated so please check with our staff for details regarding times and costs.
Baby Massage
Early interactions of touch, voice, tone and facial expression are essential elements in the development of neural connections, behavioural and emotional regulation and the infants attachment to their primary care givers.
Touch is the babies first language, the reassurance that is gained through touch allows them to adjust their senses to the new and unfamiliar world. It helps parents discover their babies likes and dislikes, to observe how they communicate and to develop strategies to utilise at difficult times. Massage is known to help improve digestion, promote sleep, ease pain and support parent infant attachment.
Our baby massage is an opportunity to develop the language of touch, to meet other parents with babies of similar age and allow you to access health professionals on a regular basis to address any needs and concerns you may have.
Feeding
Classes will be held around the areas of breast feeding, problems with breast feeding, formula feeding and when to introduce solids.
Latest guidelines suggest introducing solid foods between 4-6 months. Some of the signs that your
baby could be ready to introduce solids are, intently watching you eat, copying chewing actions,
reaching for food, waking more frequently.
Evidence suggests great benefits in allowing babies to handle food from a young age. Feeling
textures, experimenting and making friends with the food is a precursor to healthy eating habits.
We will help to simplify to process of introducing your baby to solid foods, while responding to your
babies needs and cues.
Sleeping and Settling Individual Consultations
Babies need between 8-21 hours of sleep per day. Every baby is unique and their needs for sleep vary greatly. We will help you learn to recognise cues, develop strategies to aid sleep and help you to develop an attachment based plan which is individual to your baby and your needs.
Our experienced Specialist Nurse will discuss methods for settling your baby, how to read your baby’s tired signs and how to get maximum rest yourself.
Our team
Sarah Galal
Registered Nurse
Sarah completed her midwifery certificate and registered general nurse training in the UK before
going on to obtain a Bachelor Degree in Community Health from the University of Wales, UK. She
has been practising in parent and child health for the last 21 years both in the UK and in Australia.
Sarah has been a part of Pouches for over 4 years and previously worked as a clinician in the HNE Parent and Infant Mental Health services.
Dr Mark de Souza
General Practitioner
Dr de Souza completed his undergraduate training at the University of New South Wales. He finished his postgraduate training in Newcastle and is a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
He has been a part of Brunker Road General Practice since 1996. His interests include community based whole person care, mental health and end of life care.
Dr Hilary Butt
General Practitioner
Dr Butt is an experienced GP of nearly 30 years. She graduated from UNSW and did her postgraduate training for General Practice in Newcastle. She has worked for the Airforce, the Newcastle Blood Bank, & several practices in Newcastle.
She has worked as a VMO-GP at the John Hunter Hospital for more than 17 years, in the public antenatal clinics.
She is passionate about Antenatal & postnatal care and is very excited about the opportunity to support Families in Newcastle with the opening of Pouches.
Dr Catherine Faerhmann
Psychiatrist
Dr Cath Faehrmann is a psychiatrist with over 25 years experience. One of her most fulfilling roles was as a visiting psychiatrist at John Hunter Hospital with the ACE Team. During that time she was assessing and managing women with antenatal and postnatal depression and anxiety. Since the closure of that service, there has been a gap in mental health care for women.
Dr Faehrmann is delighted to be working with mothers and babies again through the Pouches Service at Brunker Road General Practice.
Dr Milton Sales
General Practitioner
Dr Milton Sales is a GP with 20 yrs of delivering babies and experience in women's health, caring for mothers and babies and postnatal depression. He performs circumcision under local anaesthetic and inserts Mirena IUDs and Implanon contraception.
Dr Mohamed Galal
Obstetrician Gynaecologist
Dr Mohamed Galal is a specialist Obstetrician Gynaecologist who performs the full range of Obstetric and Gynaecological scanning. He provides Gynaecological consultations and surgery.
Dr Bridget Daniel
General Practitioner
Dr Bridget Daniel is a GP with an interest in Pregnancy care. She works in the Antenatal Clinic at John Hunter Hospital, and provides shared care for pregnancy.
She is very experienced in women's health.
Ruth Scott RN
Registered Nurse
Ruth Scott, RN is a Trained Midwife and Tresillian Nurse. She has had extensive experience with child and family nursing with a focus on Feeding Settling and issues of early parenting. Ruth has working in Childhood immunisation for decades.
Contact us
Our Address
Newcastle Healthcare
1/282 Brunker Road
Adamstown NSW 2289
P: (02) 4032 2255
F: (02) 4956 2658
Opening Hours
Monday – Thursday 08:00AM – 8:00PM
Friday - 08:00AM - 6:00PM
Saturday 09:00AM – 4:00PM
Appointments are necessary