Karitane Film Helps Settle Sleepless Bubs

Type: Member Profiles and Obituaries Subject: Members Tips
1 October 2004

Parents battling to get their babies to sleep will be relieved to know a group of Karitane nurses-turned-filmmakers is here to help make the task a little easier.

Nurse manager Kate Mejaha, CNC Debbie Nemeth and nurse educator Monica Hughes had no experience in filmmaking, but managed to create an educational video that's being judged at the New York Film and Video Awards.

Sleepless and unsettled babies are one of the greatest causes of stress for parents, but for a long time there was not much take-home advice for parents.

'Parents told us they would like Karitane to produce something they could take home,' said nurse manager Kate Mejaha. 'Many services were using an older video from America that didn't reflect our more flexible approach.'

Controversy about 'controlled crying' has meant many other organisations have shied away from creating educational material about settling babies.

CNC Debbie Nemeth said Karitane favours a 'comfort settling' approach. 'People often focus on the negative aspects of a baby crying,' she said. 'If you take a flexible approach and you're making sure the baby's needs are met, you can help meet parent's needs also.'

The video was funded by Karitane, shot by the nurses and edited by a production company.

'We wanted to follow a parent and child's story from go to whoa, and show what the outcome was for them,' said Debbie.

The families' stories were totally unscripted. 'You can't give a script to a baby anyway,' said Debbie.

They also used a range of clients from different ethnic backgrounds. 'We wanted to reflect Australia's cultural mix, which is often lacking in other videos,' said Kate.

The finished product, titled Asleep at last: a guide to settling babies 6-18 months was launched by Health Minister Morris Iemma at Karitane's 10 year anniversary of service to South Western Sydney.

But Debbie said the real reward was the feedback from parents. 'The parents said they could relate to it, that it was really practical, but what they really loved was that there was a variety of techniques reflecting the fact that different things work for different people,' she said.

SWSAHS public relations agreed to help promote the video, and it's already received some publicity in Western Sydney papers and parenting magazines. There's even talk of producing another one.

'I think the second time around it will be easier. It's been a huge learning curve but we really enjoyed it,' said Kate. 'When you're passionate about something it really helps the cause.'

Asleep at last! a guide to settling babies 6-18 months

Asleep at last is a 20-minute video that provides parents with practical strategies for helping infants learn to soothe themselves to sleep, and helps parents identify their baby's sleep needs.

To order your copy, call Karitane on 9794 1800, or email Karitane.online@swsahs.nsw.gov.au

Join the NSW Nurses' Association

If you're a nurse in NSW, then this is your union.
Nurses must have a strong, active & relevant union to ensure ongoing improvements in their working lives.

Reasons to Join Join Now

Pay your Fees Online