Help at hand for new Canberra mums

Posted on 29 June, 2018

Having a baby is one of the most exciting moments in life, but it’s also undeniably hectic.

From the time you find out you’re pregnant to the time your new baby is brought home, it’s a whirlwind of baby proofing, setting up nurseries, visitors, nappy changes, learning how your baby feeds and sleeps – with a heavy dose of exhaustion thrown in for good measure.

That’s not even mentioning the pile of laundry and dishes building up while you’re busy navigating this unfamiliar new world.

Enter Freyja Wild, a new maternity concierge set up by Canberra midwifery student Charlotte Eagling in January.

With her mother and grandmother both working as midwives for over 30 years, Charlotte knew first-hand the difficulty many new mums and dads face in managing the transition into parenthood, particularly if they don’t have a support network around them.

“As a student, I worked with women and families and I saw there was a bit of a gap in the support for women,” she says.

Charlotte Eagling

“When I volunteered in Vietnam I saw how different the birth process is there – they have a strong sense of family and support, and a lot of women in the Canberra community just don’t have that extra support, with family living interstate or they’re quite isolated. I thought with my knowledge and with my mother’s knowledge, it would be great to provide support in this profound and exciting time.”

Services offered span from pre-birth to post-birth, including helping to pack the hospital bag, baby-proofing the house, setting up nurseries, organising birth photographers and lactation consultants, setting up gift registries, household cleaning, pet care, grocery shopping and general errand running.

“The feedback we’ve had so far is that it’s a really welcome support outside the hospital system and that it’s a really nice transition from hospital to home,” says Charlotte.

“It also means that the mum can focus on spending more time with their baby, instead of worrying about the groceries or dishes, or whatever else needs doing. The outcome is that the mum is calmer, and the baby often feeds off that.”

A one-hour home visit starts at $100 per hour, with the first two hours currently free if five hours or more are purchased.

Another part of the business is a boutique online store, with predominantly natural and organic essential baby products.

“I noticed there were a lot of poor quality products saturating the market so I thought it would be good to have good quality baby essentials in the one space,” says Charlotte.

“Our main aim is to make life easier for both mother and baby.”

the essentials

What: Freyja Wild Maternity Concierge
How much: $100 per hour. The service is currently offering a winter deal where the first two hours are free if you purchase five hours or more.
Web: freyjawild.com.au