u/Punrusorth

Hi all

We recently started attending a playgroup at our local community centre with my 14m old & I find it quite awkward being there..

There’s a group of mums who are friendly on the surface.. they smile, say hello, etc... but they mostly stay together in their own circle, chatting w each other. No one really makes an effort to come over & have a conversation with me or get to know us.

The only person I actually talk to much is the organiser, who happens to be Canadian who moved here 10 years ago.

I’m guessing some of these mums may have known each other for years, possibly even from school, as it is a small town.... so naturally they already have established friendships..

What I find strange is that there are also other mums/dads who seem to come by themselves & they don't really seem to talk to each other either. I would have thought a playgroup would be a place where people would naturally try to meet other parents, especially when everyone has young children.. I tried talking to some of the parents who are alone & they seem happy that I talked to them?!

I’m not expecting everyone to become my BFF.. but even just someone saying, “Hey, I don’t think we’ve met before, I’m ___” would make such a difference..

Does anyone else have the same issue with playgroups? Is this normal?!

Hi all

Looking to get a push trike, especially the 8 in 1 Canopy Trike from Kmart for my son's Xmas present. He will be 18 months then.

What is your experience with it? Is it worth it?

Any other push trike recommendations?

Thank you!

I have a 13.5 month old & he has been having a mix of purees & BLW when he was younger. Now that he is older, he has pretty much what we have.

There are times when he coughs or gags & we encourage him to cough it out, which he does. We do not interfere at all & we just keep an eye on him. I know gagging looks scary because they are coughing, gagging, & have their watery eyes, but we know he is safe & it is just their natural reflex working.

We have told my parents about this & yet, every time he gags when he eats (which is not often), they freak out like he is dying. They keep saying that the piece he had is too big (which is not), or that it is too much for him & needs to be softer. My dad even wanted my mum to shove her fingers in to take the food out & my husband had to tell her to stop.

I am so annoyed at this.

Does anyone else find this common with older folks?!

Hi

I'm hoping to reach people with experience in rare diseases, pqediatric neurology, neuro-ophthalmology, or medical genetics.

A baby in Australia was born full-term & completely healthy. She had normal eye movements, was alert, feeding well, & meeting expected milestones.

At 6 weeks of age, everything changed almost overnight. Her eyelids became swollen, and she lost the ability to move her eyes. She was admitted to hospital for 2 months & underwent extensive investigations, including MRI, blood tests, & genetic testing. Everything is normal.

Tests Elena had done:

- 4x MRI (including the most recent one specifically for the orbit muscles and 2x with contrast)

- Lumbar Puncture

- WES genetic testing - full body MRI and ultrasound -EMG performed tested for Botulism

- Liver and Kidney Functions plus several other blood tests to check for infections or any metabolic abnormalities

- Steroid/Pyrastigmine/Metabolic Cocktail/Prednisolne/Fentolin trial - extensive ophthalmology eye structure health exam including pupil dilating drops

- Teller Acuity Cards Test to check vision

The best explanation the family has been given is that this could be caused by a gene that hasn't yet been discovered.

I'm wondering:

\- Has anyone encountered an infant with acute ophthalmoplegia (loss of eye movements) after a completely normal start to life?

\- Are there rare genetic, neuromuscular, mitochondrial, autoimmune, or neuro-ophthalmic conditions that could present like this despite normal MRI & routine testing?

\- Are there international undiagnosed disease programs or specialists with expertise in unexplained pediatric eye movement disorders that the family should consider?

Any ideas, papers, or names of experts would be greatly appreciated. Even if it's a long shot, we're hoping someone may recognize this pattern.

Thank you.

Hi all

Does anyone's bub suffer from eczema? We live in Tasmania, so it is cold now & he has eczema. I am seeing a doctor tomorrow, but I have been moisturising him with epaderm ointment for 3 weeks now, 3-4x a day with no improvement. I used aveeno ointment & QV sting free ointment & those brands made it worse?

I am not asking for medical advise... but I'd like to know what has worked with your bub.

We have tried:

• breastmilk baths

-100% cotton clothing at all times

• 30C baths, lasting 5 mins max

-3-4x moisturising with ointments

-Qv bath oil if not using breastmilk

-bathing him once every 2-3 days

and nothing is working...

I came across a post by Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum claiming that over 6000 studies on maternal separation show babies were not meant to be separated from their mothers & that sleep training is essentially a much more extreme version of the maternal separation used in animal studies.

Her argument is that animal studies separate pups from their mothers for around 3 hours a day, whereas sleep-trained babies are "separated" for around 16 hours a day (naps + overnight)... therefore sleep training may have similar long-term effects on the brain, stress response & emotional development.

I'm trying to understand whether this comparison is scientifically valid???

My questions are:

- Is it appropriate to compare maternal separation paradigms in rodents with human sleep training?

- Are these animal models actually intended to represent normal sleep training, or are they models of neglect or severe early-life stress?

- Does the fact that there are thousands of maternal separation studies strengthen the argument against sleep training, or is that conflating two different areas of research?

- How do developmental psychologists, neuroscientists, or paediatric sleep researchers generally interpret this evidence?

I'm genuinely looking for evidence-based answers rather than opinions. If anyone works in developmental neuroscience, paediatrics, psychology, or sleep research, I'd really appreciate your perspective...

Her post: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1554705206251478&id=100051360410981

Hi all,

I have a 12 month old & he is absolutely delightful.

The first 6 months were hell because he woke up literally every 30mins to an hour. I wasn't living..I was surviving. I isolated myself because I was so exhausted & focused solely on getting as much sleep as I could. Thankfully, sleep training worked & now he sleeps through the night, which has been amazing...

These days, he only wakes if he's unwell, teething, or something is bothering him.

I'd love for my son to have a sibling, but I'm not planning on having another baby anytime soon. I definitely don't want 2 under 2, both for health reasons & because I don't want to be traumatised again, lol. Everyone I know who had 2 under 2 has advised against it..but they mention that as their children got older, they are very close.

It got me thinking... what do you think is the best age gap between siblings?

A surgical registrar died while travelling home from Launceston General Hospital to Hobart after finishing a shift. The drive is approximately 190~ km and it was close to 11pm.

Such a tragic story. I met him in NW Tasmania, and he was a genuinely lovely guy. May he rest in peace.

Hi all

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I am a ED nurse with 6 years experience, prior to that, I was an AIN fot 3 years.

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I am going back to work casual as bub isn't in daycare & I plan to do 1 shift a week. I am so nervous to go back, I feel like I don't know anything anymore & I feel so dumb.

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Anyone in a similar boat?! How did you go? Any tips?

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Hi all

​

I am Eastern Orthodox Christian & will be visiting a low Latin mass service next week. I am lost & I don't know what to expect?

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I veil in Orthodox Churches...should I veil for the Latin Mass? How long is the low church service? What do you do with a feral 12 month old?! In the Orthodox Church, there are no pews, so I stand at the back & get him to crawl around... I know it is different in the Catholic Church.

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Also, do we need to be on time?

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Sorry for these silly questions, I am completely new.

Hi all,

My LO is now 12 months.

I know people often talk about traumatic births, but does anyone here have a traumatic newborn period?

My birth was straightforward...I had a PPH, but it was managed well. I’d say it was more traumatic for my husband than for me.

However, I’ve realised the newborn period was absolutely traumatic for me. My little one would wake up every hour, and the cluster feeding was relentless. He wouldn’t sleep much at all and would cluster feed all night until around 3–5am.

I keep hearing people say their babies cluster feed in the evening, but mine would start around 11pm and go until the early morning hours. I got no sleep at all.

On top of that, the hours of crying while he was trying to pass gas or poop felt unbearable for both my husband and I. We felt like we were losing it at times and would get angry at everything around us. The anxiety was next level because there was no clear solution... I just wanted to run away.

My husband and I ended up sleeping in separate rooms so we could take turns caring for him. I wasn’t really living..just surviving for the first six months until we went to Tresillian and started implementing different sleep training techniques. It was honestly horrifying...and at times, I was scared of myself and what I might do.

I realised I may have PTSD from this when I started crying just thinking about my experience. The other day, I was in a public baby room and another mum was there with a newborn and toddler. When the newborn started crying, I had flashbacks and extreme anxiety and had to leave because it reminded me of my experience.

I absolutely hated the newborn period and I do not miss it at all. I do want another child in the future, but I am horrified thinking about going through the newborn period again. I know it is only a few months, but the few months of torture felt like an eternity!

Can anyone here relate? How do you overcome this?

Edit: I also want to add that my life got so much better past 6 months. He started sleeping well after we sleep trained him. The older he is, the better it has become.

Yes, he has gotten ill, we dealt with teething, seperation anxiety, etc... but I would take that over the newborn period.

Perth paediatrician accused of sexually abusing child patient at workplace identified

The West Australian

By journalists Caleb Runciman and Rhianna Mitchell Thu, 4 June 2026 11:04AM

A Perth paediatrician who treated children with complex behavioural issues has been charged with sexually abusing a young patient and possessing exploitation material.

Chia Liang Saw, 41, has been charged with persistent sexual conduct with a child under 16 and possessing child exploitation material following an investigation by detectives from the WA police child abuse squad.

The West Australian understands the alleged persistent sexual conduct occurred between September 2023 and May this year.

A police spokeswoman said he was charged on Friday, May 29, after he allegedly sexually assaulted a patient at his workplace.

“The accused specialises in behavioural issues affecting children and operates from locations in Midland and Nedlands,” she said.

“Detectives have seized a number of electronic devices and data belonging to the accused, which is undergoing forensic analysis and further investigation.”

The location of the alleged offending cannot be published to ensure the identity of the complainant is protected.

It is understood he has worked at locations including St John of God Midland Hospital as a consultant paediatrician while also previously being employed at Starbloom Paediatrics in Nedlands.

The Starbloom clinic removed Dr Siaw from their website recently, which The West Australian has verified through a reverse search.

Online records state Dr Saw contributed to more than a dozen studies in the paediatric field. He is also listed as a senior adjunct clinical lecturer at Curtin University.

His LinkedIn profiles says he has a special interest in neonatology and developmental paediatrics.

“As a consultant paediatrician at St John of God Health Care, Dr Saw provides high-quality care to children and families in a compassionate and holistic manner,” it reads.

“Dr Saw is passionate about providing optimum standard of care through evidence-based practice, innovation, and research collaboration.

“He continues to make a positive difference in the lives of his patients and the community.”

St John of God Midland, Starblooms and Curtin University were approached for comment.

WA Police said any report into alleged sexual assaults were “treated serious and handled with sensitivity and care”.

Detectives urge anyone with information regarding the alleged assault or similar incidents to contact crime stoppers on 1800 333 000 or by making a report online.

Reports of sexual abuse can be made to police by calling 131 444 or by accessing the secure Safe2Say reporting service.

....

According to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), he completed a Bachelor of Medicine/ Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at the International Medical University, Malaysia, in 2008.

Hi all

I am getting PPL directly from centrelink and I have a question regarding tax. I kept my tax at 10% for the PPL & I have been earning PPL 2 days a week since July 2025...however, when I look at the ATO app, there is no mention of getting tax payment from centrelink? Is this normal?