Yarning with the Deadly Nannas about safe practices and trauma affecting Aboriginal perinatal parents: Healing the past by nurturing the future (HPNF) research

The Healing the Past by Nurturing the Future (HPNF) project aims to co-design safe, acceptable and feasible strategies for parents in the perinatal period (pregnancy to two years after birth), who have experienced trauma. An integral aspect of the project involved yarning with the Deadly Nannas, a senior group of Aboriginal grandmothers, to guide safety and the development of engagement with Aboriginal parents. A group of eight Deadly Nannas were consulted in Murray Bridge, South Australia in July 2018, utilising safe and creative methods of qualitative enquiry. Eight themes were identified from thematic analysis: a continuous trauma cycle in Aboriginal communities; service-need gap is getting wider not closing; fear of the child protection system; importance of nurturing the resilience of Aboriginal parents with support; importance of acknowledging the difficulties of becoming and being a parent; strong nannas also need care and support; parental education and learning is critical; and empowering by safe and creative engagement. Findings will inform the development of key strategies for the HPNF project to work safely and effectively with Aboriginal parents.