This is your sixth key age and stage visit with a maternal and child health nurse in your local area.
Maternal and child health nurses work in partnership with families to care for babies and young children until they start school. The service is free for all Victorian families.
You will visit a maternal and child health nurse at 10 key ages and stages from birth to three and a half years.
Your nurse can help you with things like breastfeeding and feeding your child; sleep and settling, making sure your child is growing, learning and developing well; being a parent and looking after yourself.
What happens at my eight month maternal and child health visit?
At this visit, your baby's growth, health and development will be reviewed. You will also be asked to answer My Health, Learning and Development – green book. It is under the Parents' Evaluation of Development Status (PEDS) section. Try to complete these questions before your visit.
This visit will focus on:
addressing the PEDS questions in your green book.
poisons information.
preventing injuries.
taking care of your child's teeth.
being sun smart (learning how to protect your child from the sun).
At this key age and stage, your baby is learning about their world by touching, tasting, smelling, listening, watching and moving around. They need lots of floor play and time on their tummy in a safe place. They might be:
sitting up by themselves, rolling and crawling
putting toys in their mouth
becoming a little worried about new faces
babbling or copying sounds you make
looking closely at objects.
What to tell your nurse
Please tell the nurse if your baby is:
NOT enjoying eye contact with you
NOT interested in sounds
NOT babbling
NOT able to roll.
Activity ideas for this age and stage
Try some of these ideas to help your baby learn and develop:
play peek-a-boo
play on the floor with them
take them for a walk outside and talk about what you see
visit a local playgroup
read aloud and share stories.
How often should I visit?
You will be asked to see your maternal and child health nurse at 10 key ages and stages in your child’s health, learning and development. These include:
Families can access the service at other times by telephone or through a centre visit. Most centres offer a range of times when families can access the service. They typically operate through scheduled appointments, open consultation sessions and some after-hours appointments.
This page has been produced in consultation with and approved
by:
Content disclaimer
Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website.
