Pregnancy, Newborns, Feeding Baby

Safe car seats saves lives

Keeping pēpi safe on the move

If you give birth in a hospital or birthing centre you will need a car seat to drive pēpi home safely. It’s a good idea to practise fitting your car seat before the birth.

Car seats can be a confusing business – once you’ve More…

Pregnancy, Newborns, Feeding Baby

Foremilk and Hindmilk

Foremilk, hindmilk…it’s all breastmilk!

When you have your baby, in fact even when you’re pregnant, you’ll find that everyone has advice for you… and it doesn’t always match what you are doing, or how you want to do things. This can lead to a lot of confusion and often leaves More…

Newborns, Becoming a Parent

The importance of sleep for new parents

In the weeks and days leading up to the arrival of our baby or babies, much of the focus is on The Birth. In reality, the birth experience is usually complete within a day (or two) and then, without the assistance of any divine guidebook or intervention, we are left More…

Newborns, Your Growing Baby

Protecting your baby from too much noise

Your baby’s ears are delicate and more susceptible to hearing loss than an adult’s. The muscles that protect babies’ hearing are not fully developed.

Sound is similar to warmth. Too little warmth and baby is cold; too much and they overheat. We want them right in the middle, where whānau, More…

Labour Journey

Māori birthing traditions

Customs, cultural practices and beliefs of tangata whenua during hapūtanga and whakawhānau

In Te Ao Māori, health can be understood by the concept Te Whare Tapa Whā. The wharenui symbolises the four dimensions of wellbeing. These cornerstones are taha tinana (physical wellbeing), taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing), taha whānau (family wellbeing), More…

Newborns, Becoming a Parent

Entering the wild world of Parenthood

In the months since your pregnancy journey began, how many times have you wished for an instruction manual? As a brand-new mother, Pip Findlay, would have loved one.

Like many expectant mothers, Pip focused on the ‘finish line’ of the birth, placing a lot less emphasis on the postpartum period More…

Becoming a Parent

Looking after your pelvic floor

For most women, having a baby is a wonderful experience, and in New Zealand we are lucky to have good support through pregnancy and during the first weeks after childbirth.

The reality though, is that as time goes on many women struggle to regain strength and function of the More…

Labour Journey

Dads and antenatal classes

Partners and childbirth education

It isn’t uncommon for dads to wonder if they really need to go to antenatal (childbirth education) classes with their partner. Surely all the women will be sitting cross-legged on the floor panting through breathing exercises and chanting. Do I really need to endure THAT?!

We have news More…