MCH Appointments

Two women on a couch kissing an ecstatic baby.

Our Maternal and Child Health (MCH) service is free for all families with children from birth to five years living in Kingston.

You will visit a maternal and child health nurse at 10 key ages and stages from birth to three and a half years. 

Each appointment gives you an opportunity to talk about your child’s development, concerns you have and your parenting journey. 

Information shared during these visits is securely recorded in your child’s electronic health record.

Home visit

Congratulations on the birth of your baby!

One of our Maternal and Child Health nurses will be in touch to arrange a home visit. This will be within the first few days of you getting home from the hospital. 

During this visit, you can expect to talk about:

  • safe sleeping
  • home safety
  • immunisations
  • feeding your baby
  • family and wellbeing
  • play and learning.

Learn more about the home visit.

Appointment schedule (key ages and stages)

After the initial home visit, most families will visit their local MCH centre for future appointments.

The nurse will check your child's health, growth and development, and can give you information about:

  • infant feeding and nutrition (including breastfeeding)
  • sleep and settling strategies
  • child behaviour and development
  • family health and wellbeing
  • safety and injury prevention
  • immunisation
  • emotional wellbeing of new parents.

You can learn more about each of the key ages and stages and what to expect at each appointment on the Better Health website using the links below:

Please contact us on 1300 764 807 if you:

  • have not received a call within a week of giving birth
  • have not met with us at a key stage (as listed above)
  • have questions or would like to request additional appointments
  • are new to the City of Kingston and have a family with young children.

Book an appointment

If you are worried about your child’s health or development, contact us to discuss whether an additional appointment is recommended:

Immunisations

To book an immunisation appointment, see Immunisation.