We are so excited to announce that families in the South Coast region can now access after-discharge support, with our new NurtureGroup, a free support and playgroup opening in Nowra.This will provides a welcoming space to connect, share experiences and gain support from others who understand. Because at Miracle Babies Foundation, we are in this together, now and for the road ahead.
Miracle Babies Foundation NurtureGroup's are a free play and support group, offering a safe and secure environment for children from birth to starting school, who have been impacted by a premature or sick birth with time in a neonatal unit or who have a prenatal anomaly, injury or condition diagnosed in the first 5 years of life resulting in ongoing medical challenges.
Our first Nowra NurtureGroup session will be on the 21 March 2026, facilitated by our newest team member Mike, a miracle dad who has experienced the neonatal journey firsthand. This will be the first NurtureGroup faciliated by a miracle dad, bringing a powerful perspective of support for families.
Nowra NurtureGroup Details
Saturdays Fortnightly, 10.00am-12.00pm
North Nowra Community Centre 7 Hood Close, North Nowra
We recently sat down with Mike to learn more about his experience and his passion for facilitating a new NurtureGroup in the South Coast region.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
MIKE:My name is Mike and I’m a dad of three. I have two stepsons, aged 16 and 8, and our youngest, Antony, who was born at 34 weeks last July. I’m originally from Auckland and moved to the Shoalhaven just before the pandemic. I work as a paediatric occupational therapist and love both being a dad and supporting families in the community.
Can you please share a little about your NICU experience?
MIKE: It was something else. We were at the SCU at Wollongong Private, and the team there were phenomena but It took a few days to register what had happened. I was working at 2 and by 6 I was a dad, two hours away from home. It was very strange becoming a dad for the first time and having such limited chances to have physical contact with him, so I took every opportunity to change a nappy because some days that was all the contact I could get. No feeling will ever match the confusion of that first night, with Antony surrounded by tubes and wires in the nursery, my wife bed bound after the C-section, and the adrenaline from the crazy day slowly wearing off. II had no idea where I should be or who I was supposed to be taking care of but I’m so grateful for the team in the Neonatal unit.
What were some of the best moments and the toughest challenges your family faced during your time in the Neonatal Unit?
MIKE: The best moments for me were every time a tube or wire was removed, and seeing my wife hold and then feed him for the first time were also real highlights. Our toughest challenge was being away from our 7-year-old, who stayed with his grandparents because the hospital was a couple of hours from home. I think we were in shock for most of our stay. Even now, somehow I seem to notice the clock at 18:28 every night, that was four minutes after birth, when I was following the team doing resuscitation on my baby and taken to the Special Care Nursery, while leaving my wife behind on the table. My body just seems to know that time. I don’t think I really registered everything once I got home and had to go back to work, and it all caught up with me later while I was filming a game show in Melbourne. I remember going a bit manic and, in my head while trying to answer questions, realising I was experiencing postnatal depression. I really hope that episode never gets aired, but being on that show made me realise I needed to do something for premmie parents in the Shoalhaven.
We would love to know — what made you reach out to us for a NurtureGroup in Nowra?
MIKE: On our drive home from Wollongong, I quickly realised there were very limited supports back home for parents like us. Through my work, I then met more families who shared that other parents around them didn’t really understand what they had been through. I felt like I was in a position to do something, and I hope I can support other parents by helping create a space for them in Nowra, and maybe even set up something further south in the future.
As you step into facilitating your first session, what are you most looking forward to?
MIKE: I really just want to see parents who understand the neonatal journey connecting with each other. Through my work I’ve learned the true meaning of family and how vital support is, and I hope this group can provide that for parents and carers.
We would love if you could share some photos of you and your son, Antony.
Thank you, Mike, for sharing your experience. We are so pleased to welcome you to the Miracle Babies team as we continue working to improve, support and enhance the lives of those impacted by premature or sick birth.
If you are interested in attending our Nowra NurtureGroup or any other around Australia, please click the link below.
REGISTER FOR A NURTUREGROUP
