Find Your Centre In Ours
The Waiting Room
Amenities
distilled water & snacks
bathrooms (gender neutral, special access, male & female)
bottle warmers for preparing formula
private & semi-private breastfeeding rooms
air conditioning
change tables stocked with baby wipes & nappies
Breastfeeding friendly
Baby Steps is an accredited Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace with the Australian Breastfeeding Association.
Breastfeeding is welcome in every space of the centre. For families or mothers who prefer privacy, we also offer private breastfeeding spaces.
We welcome all brains
With guidance from AutismWA, we have made neuroinclusive accommodations to our centre, accommodating sensory needs through:
- Curating the sounds, colours, smells and lights in our waiting room
- Communicating expected loud noises and providing quiet spaces to retreat
- Providing tablets for interactive play for minds that require extra stimulation to be calm
- Using clear, concise communication and practising patience
Mindful play
All toys in our play area are chosen to inspire open minded and exploratory play in children of all ages and abilities. We select toys made of natural materials for their sustainability and sensory variety, and pre-loved Lego kindly donated by the community. We also provide a range of drawing tools of various textures and colours to encourage children to express their creativity on our drawing table.
The Waiting Game
We understand intimately the frustration that comes from waiting to see the doctor. While the inconvenience it causes may be minor, the ripple effect it can have on family life (like a baby’s feeding and sleep schedule) only adds to the challenges already faced by parents.
Why the wait?
Are patients booking the right appointments?
Are doctors taking too long?
Is there a better way of managing their schedule?
Does community need outweigh supply?
The Great Wait is a nationwide problem in general practice that doesn’t seem to be improving.
So, what are we doing about it?
Baby Steps is treating this issue with the seriousness it deserves. We are implementing the following strategies to shorten wait times:
- Streamlining the booking process by allocating set lengths to appointments and making it easier for patients to access and book these services online
- Grouping similar appointments and clinics together for efficiency
- Educating patients (and doctors) on appointment types and what they can cover, thereby managing patient and doctor expectations
We want to offer an elite patient experience, which means less waiting. But…
Parenting is hard.
Many of the patients at Baby Steps are in crisis. Some are experiencing sleep deprivation that comes with raising a newborn. Some feel desperate and burnt out managing their child’s challenging behaviour. Others have personal mental health struggles, and many experience postnatal anxiety and depression. Best practice compels us to give anyone experiencing these issues more time and care.
There is a delicate balance between offering that extra bit of support and respecting the time of everyone in our centre. We strive to find that balance and in the meantime, if you have to wait a little bit longer than expected, we thank you for your understanding.
