Online Antenatal Night for Parents Expecting Twins or Triplets Date: 23rd April, 2026 Time: 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM (2 hours approx.) Location: Online (MS Teams) Audience: Expectant parents of multiples (twins/triplets) Host: Ballarat and District Multiple Birth Association 🕢 7:30 – 7:35 PM – Welcome and Housekeeping (Krista) Brief overview of the session Speaker introductions How to ask questions (e.g., via chat or Q&A box) 🩺 7:35 – 7:50 PM – Pregnancy & Birth with Multiples Speaker: Obstetrician (Lachie Brennan)  Monitoring and care for twin/triplet pregnancies Birth planning: vaginal vs C-section for multiples Common scenarios at Ballarat Base Hospital Preparing for early delivery or special care needs 🧠 7:50 – 8:05 PM – Support in Special Care & Emotional Wellbeing Speaker: Maggie Lloyd - Life's Little Treasures What to expect if your babies need special care/NICU Emotional impact on parents – what’s normal and what help is available Support services offered during and after hospital stay Practical assistance and financial/social support pathways 🏡 8:05 – 8:20 PM – Maternal & Child Health Services Postpartum Speaker: Maternal Child Health Nurse How the MCH service supports families with multiples Home visits, sleep & settling help, sleep school referrals Ongoing care, group sessions and emotional support Referrals to specialised help if needed 🤱 8:20 – 8:30 PM – Peer Breastfeeding Support for Multiples Speaker: Volunteer (Jo) from the Australian Breastfeeding Association – Ballarat Group Overview of ABA services and support in Ballarat  Local and online breastfeeding support for multiple birth families Importance of connecting with others going through the same experience 🍼 8:30 – 8:40 PM – Feeding Twins and Triplets: What You Need to Know Speaker: Annette Auld, Lactation Consultant Breastfeeding logistics with multiples Expressing, tandem feeding, and combo feeding Managing expectations and building support early When and how to seek help SCN – support for feeding in SCN and/or formula feeding  👶 8:40 – 8:50 PM – Lived Experience: Birthing and Parenting Multiples in Ballarat Speaker: Local Parent of Twins or Triplets (McNamara Family) Real-life story of pregnancy, birth, and early weeks Coping tips and practical hacks Reflections: what helped, what surprised them, and advice for new parents ❓ 8:50 – 9:05 PM – Live Q&A Panel All speakers return for a group Q&A Questions taken live via chat or pre-submitted at registration Address common concerns around birth, feeding, special care, and support 🧾 9:05 – 9:30 PM – Optional Networking & Resources Stay online for informal chat Resource links shared in chat: Multiple Birth Association ABA resources for twins/triplets MCH contact information Hospital booklets and support info Option to join the BDMBA as members 

This year's Multiple Birth Awareness Week them is Connected. Supported. Stronger. Join us for our online Parent night to learn more about support networks available locally.  We have a guest speaker from Grampians Health Early Parenting Centre.  RSVP essential for link to MS Teams

This year's Multiple Birth Awareness Week them is Connected. Supported. Stronger. We're meeting up at the park for a play and to connect with other multiple birth parents.  BYO picnic, rug or chairs. There will be games, treats and lots of fun!

BDMBA invites you to our end of year Christmas celebration! Join us as we celebrate the highs and lows of 2025 with our beautiful multiple birth community while sharing in some family friendly activities including a petting zoo, face-painting, craft and of course a visit from Santa Claus himself! Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.  Location: Russell Square Date: Sunday 23rd, November Time: 1pm - 3pm This event is free for all current BDMBA members but RSVP is essential - please purchase your FREE ticket via the link.  We can't wait to see you there!

Let's celebrate Multiple Birth Awareness Week in style!!! Join us at Ballarat's newest play space - the Creative Play & Art Centre. Explore the many sensory rooms and play-based experiences that CPAC has to offer in this 90 min session packed full of fun!  Member families recieive FREE entry for 2 adults & 2 kids (any additional kids $20 each). Non-Member Families can purchase tickets at the discounted rate of $20 per child and $5 per adult. RSVP by 11th March

  Sarah McKinnon is mum to 18 year old twins and their older brother. Sarah was an active member of the BDMBA in her children's early years and has presented to the antenatal events on Coping with Multiples. Sarah also happens to be a clinical psychologist who works in our local public health service. Sarah will talk a little about navigating the healthcare and education systems with multiples using some of her knowledge as a psychologist and some of her knowledge as a parent. This will be followed by a Q&A session when Sarah will be joined by her friend Jane Walsh, mum to triplets. Sarah and Jane will be able to talk to their own experiences of juggling multiples through their childhood and adolescence and hopefully provide some tips and strategies they found helpful (and those that were maybe not so helpful!).  This is event will be held in person at Russell Square & will also be live-streamed. The event is free for all BDMBA members but you must register your attendance please. Non-members are invited to join in also at a small cost of $10 per attendee. We can't wait to share this valuable session with all our Mulitple Birth families!  

Join us for a jolly ole time to celebrat Christmas with a visit from Santa, Dazzling Dan the Magic Man, face painting, craft activities and lots more. Afternoon tea will be provide. Please purchase your FREE tickets via TIDY HQ (please note this is a members only event). 

Join us for our EPIC annual BDMBA Halloween Disco! Spooky fun, food and games! Dress up in your favourite costume to try and win the prize for best dressed.  When: Sunday 27th October 3-5PM  Where: Russell Square Hall, Brown Hill VIC Who: All families with multiples across Ballarat and Districts How much: FREE Please RSVP via TidyHQ by Sunday 20th October. 

Are you expecting twins? Triplets or more? The Ballarat and District Multiple Births Association are proud to present this antenatal program designed especially for expectant parents of multiples.  Sessions are held over two nights with guest presenters from a range of fields including: obstetrician, anaesthetist, midwife, lactation consultant, physiotherapist, MCHN and parents of multiples. Date: Thursday 26th September & Thursday 3rd October Time: 6:30pm (approx. 2.5 hrs) Cost: FREE of charge Where: Russell Square, Stawell Street North, Brown Hill

Join us for this free online session next Wednesday at 7:30pm to discover how Carer Gateway may be able to support you and your family! Registrations are essential via the QR code or this link: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=eM9tBRNMgU6Cehdryw7xbRgPHvr4pU9Dlmv4D1JCWg5UNTIxMkM4N1pRRDFFUjBBUjlIMzBLWjZONS4u&origin=QRCode&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2biikCDOl98mJSjmWlPDIW6a0lhwvi4AwYSm6M1OhiYOeU7cHu_fRDuXs_aem_AcV5NS6OegXZEs3_MizGSoWeP-ugVtb5o0-pYCCHCG96V1EJq5D5KEDAeeNCrLYIu9HUoaKKZoNsJkwdnbiACmZU Carer Gateway is a free service funded by the Australian Government to support unpaid carers. It provides a range of free support and local services to give carers the help they need, improve their wellbeing, skills, and knowledge. Carer Gateway services can include, but are not limited to, counselling, coaching, help at home, assistance with shopping and transport to medical appointments, support groups, and emergency and planned respite care. Services are free and available in-person, online or over the phone.

Join us for our MBAW Family Day for 2024 to celebrate "Multiples Unfiltered"! BYO snacks and picnic. There will be a face painter, entertainment and jumping castle! We can't wait to see you there! 

FREE parent information session with Zach Anderson from Uplift Therapy.  Some topics that will be covered in this sessions include: ● Childhood brain development  ● Attachment theory and how is plays a fundamental role in childhood years ● Latest research around sensory preferences for multiple birth children ● Nature vs nurture debate and how it can effect a child of multiple births ● Importance of building strong and individual identitys ● What is regulation and how it impacts on everyday life and routines for our children and us as parents All parents of Multiples Welcome. RSVP is essential.