Pregnancy and Parenting | Whanganui Regional Health Network

Pregnancy & Parenting

Our pregnancy and parenting service offers support and provides advice to expectant parents. It also provides parents in need with support to ensure a healthy start for their family.

How We Can Help

Having a new baby can be an exciting time for a family, and with that sometimes comes fear, challenges, and some uncertainty. Our team are here to help anyone who is looking for support by offering:

6-week transition to parenthood classes

Our 6-week evening classes provide expectant parents with the tools and knowledge to prepare for their journey towards parenthood with others who are on the same journey. Classes are facilitated by our experienced Childbirth Educators with examples, tools and a tour of the maternity suites at Whanganui hospital (subject to availability).

Weekend Classes (2 days per month)

The weekend classes are for expectant mothers who aren't able to attend the 6-week transition to parenthood classes. Weekend classes require expectant parents to attend two sessions a month. These sessions run from 9am to 3.30pm.

Hapū Māmā Day (1 day wānanga with a māori world view focus)

Our hapū māmā day is a full-day haputanga wānanga that has been designed to take hapū māmā and their whānau on a Te Ao Māori journey towards parenthood. Each wānanga is facilitated by our experienced childbirth educators who offer a māori world view prospectus and provide eloquent explanations, examples, and tools to help hapū māmā understand their journey. Hapū Māmā also have an opportunity to tour the maternity suites at Whanganui hospital (subject to availability).

ENROL FOR ONE OF OUR CLASSES HERE!

Enrolment Form

MATERNITY UNIT VIRTUAL TOUR

Take the tour here

Additional support

Safe Sleep: Babies spend a lot of time sleeping therefore it’s important that they have a safe sleep in a safe place. Our team offer safe sleep education for expectant mothers and their whānau. We also offer wahakura and pēpi pods to whānau who would like one.

Healthy Home: If you would like to check whether you have a warm and healthy home or would like tips to improve the health of your home, click here to download the Healthy Home Tips brochure.

Stop Smoking Service: Are you a smoker who is ready to quit? Is there someone in your whānau who is ready to quit smoking? If so, our team can help by offering quit smoking and advocacy support to access additional support services. Click here to learn more.

Little Buds: Is a child car-seat fitting service designed to help whānau to access car seats for hire or purchase. They can also fit your baby's car seat to your car for free. Check them out here

Wahakura Wānanga: Our team supports the facilitation of free rāranga wānanga with hapū māmā and their families. At these wānanga, hapū māmā are not only taught to weave wahakura for their baby, but they will also learn about safe sleep in a co-sleeping environment.

Wānanga are held throughout the region and are dependant on organisation partners therefore if you would like to attend a wānanga, please get in touch with our team.

For māmā who already have wahakura, our team can provide bedding packs and can even check to ensure the bedding is fitted correctly and safely for baby. Give us a call!

If you or someone you know is expecting a baby and needs a little or a lot of support, don’t hesitate to contact our team on 0800 123 010.