Support Services

Sometimes being a parent can feel isolating and overwhelming. Sheila Kitzinger made this quote about what it is like to be a mother “to take on one of the most emotionally and intellectually demanding, exasperating, strenuous, anxiety-arousing and deeply satisfying tasks that any human being can undertake” this applies also to fathers.
There may be times when you need some support or know of someone else who dose, the following is a list of some of the services available.

Barnardos
Family support for families under stress. Family counselling for families coping with grief or crisis. Services for children who are distressed or disadvantaged.

www.barnardos.org.nz

Child Abuse Prevention Services NZ Inc
CAPS New Zealand members believe that the wellbeing of the child is linked to the wellbeing of the family and members will cooperate nationally to prevent the abuse of children. CAPS NZ agencies work nationally to protect children through support and services to parents, caregivers and children.
National Co-ordinator (04) 801 2704
24 hour 0800 helpline 0800 228737

Child, Youth and Family
This site is a focus for promoting the well-being and safety of children and supporting positive parenting. Child, Youth and Family is part of a network of agencies aiming to build an environment where child abuse is not tolerated.
phone 0508 FAMILY (0508 326 459)
www.cyf.govt.nz

Family and Community Services
Family and Community Services is a new service of the Ministry of Social Development. Its role is to lead government and non-government organisations to work collaboratively to strengthen family support services and make them more effective for families.
www.familyservices.govt.nz

Family Assistance
Working for Families is a package that is designed to make it easier to work and raise a family. It pays extra money to many thousands of New Zealand families.
Call: Work and Income on 0800 774 004
to find out more about the Accommodation and Childcare Assistance.
Monday – Friday, 7am – 8pm, Saturday 8am – 1pm.
www.workingforfamilies.govt.nz

Mothers Network (NZ) Inc
Mothers Network (NZ) Inc is a National Network of enthusiastic, dedicated women working together to provide a stimulating environment for mothers to communicate and express themselves. Motherhood can be a very isolating experience and our aim is to bring new mothers together to share these and other experiences – and kill the myths!
Mothers Network (NZ) Incorporated
Incorporating New Mother Support Groups
PO Box 6142 Wellington 6030
Phone: 0800 80 MUMS (0800 80 6867)
www.mothersnetwork.co.nz

New Zealand Multiple Birth Association
In New Zealand more than 700 sets of twins, 15 sets of triplets and on average one set of quadruplets are born each year.
If you are expecting, or raising multiples, the New Zealand Multiple Birth Association can help you.

New Zealand Multiple Birth Association
PO Box 1258 Wellington
Phone: 0800 4 TWINS ETC
www.nzmba.info

Parent Help Wellington
24-hour confidential telephone support service for parents and care givers ph 499-9994
Face-to-face-counselling (Wgtn, Lower Hutt and Porirua)
Information and referral
0800 number (0800 56 88 56) nationwide.

Parenting with Confidence
We’re a community organisation dedicated to making life better for parents and their kids. Try our hot tips search if you are looking for a creative parenting or relationship tip.
Phone: (64 9) 524 0025 Fax: (64 9) 524 0029
Postal PO Box 37-708
Parnell, Auckland
Email pwc@parenting.org.nz

Pregnancy Help
Pregnancy Help supports the well being of Pregnant and recently pregnant women, New mothers and their families/whanau, With care, concern and confidentiality.
Email: pregnancyhelp@xtra.co.nz

Presbyterian Support Central
For almost a century, Presbyterian Support Central has been offering quality care to young and old alike throughout the region. We are best known for our elderly care services, and for our family and counselling services.
Our mission is:
“In response to the teachings of Christ we will provide social services that effectively meet the needs of those we help”.
44 Wigan Street, Wellington
Postal Address PO Box 9246, Wellington 6031
Phone 04 801 6284

Samaritans
24 hour telephone supportive listening service.
0800 726 666

TABS
Becoming a mother can put women under considerable psychological pressure. Post-natal (or post-partum) depression (PND or PPD) is a well-known and very common experience. Potentially much longer lasting and insidious, however, is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) arising from events before, during, after or throughout the whole of the birth experience.
P O Box 18002, Glen Innes, Auckland
Email: sue@tabs.org.nz

Send information on web sites that you find helpful to Helen@babywebnz.org
Or see www.babywebnz.org
By Helen Pulford

Babies

I have had it said to me that babies are all the same. I disagree with this they are all individual human beings with their own unique appearance and personality. They do generally have similar physical needs and development which is good to have some knowledge about.

Newborns sleep a lot; on average 16.5 hrs per day and the rest of the time is mainly spent feeding and getting cuddles. This little person is taking in a lot about their environment and is learning about him or herself, for example they have to learn that their hand is actually attached to them and all the things they can do with it. Their eyesight isn’t that great at birth, they can only see about 20-30cm and see things in black and white. So it will take awhile before they appreciate it if you have painted up a nursery room in bright colours. Observe to see that they are following objects that are close to them. They have adult vision at three months and their eye colour can change. Their hair colour can also change, so your grey/blue-eyed baby with blonde hair may become a burette with brown eyes.
Hearing is often better than yours; as it hasn’t been damaged by loud noise. Signs that they can hear are turning their heads towards noise and getting a fright with a loud bang.
Babies are putting weight on, doubling their weight at 6 months and tripling by a year, consider an adult trying to do that! They have little stomachs; an average size baby’s stomach (3.5kg) at birth only holds 20-30mls. Thus they need to feed often, including during the night.
Some babies will sleep through the night by 6 weeks (for 6-8hrs) but not many!

With breastfeeding it will take time to feel confident, it is a skill and it takes you and the baby time to learn how to do this. If you are having problems Plunket Karitane centres, La Leche League or a Lactation consultant’s ph 0800 4 Lactation, can help.

Babies normally cry on average 1-4 hrs in total each day. At the start it can feel like quess work working out why they are crying. This is how babies communicate that they want something. It is hard for parents to listen to their baby cry. With time you get to know your baby and start to work out what they may want. If unsure work down a list, could they be hungry, tired, wet/dirty, bored or want a cuddle. If they cry a lot it may be due to colic, if you are concerned always have them checked by a health professional in case it is related to a health problem. From 2-3 months they will start responding to you more with smiles and baby noises (coos, squeals and laughs).

In the first month three months they are learning to hold their head up, this is an important part in the process of learning to walk. They may even start doing baby push-ups from 3 months onwards. This is why it is important to have an awake tummy time on the floor. From around 5 months of age they learn to roll over, but sometimes they can do this from 3 months of age, so never think it is safe to leave your baby on a high surface, because you never know when they may learn to roll. A mayor reason for admissions of children to hospital is falls. A baby falling off a table is like you falling off the roof of your house.

There are a hundred and one books written on babies. I try to avoid any books that read like instruction manuals. There is helpful information in the Well Child Tamariki Ora Health book, and this is free from your LMC (Lead Maternity Carer) or Plunket nurse.
Also www.babycentre.com has a lot of information. BabyCenter is an online resource for expectant and new parents, filled with parenting information. You can have emails sent to you from this site each week with guidelines re your child development.

There will be conflicting advice re the care of your baby but remember to trust yourself you are their parent and you know this baby better than anyone else. The health professional may know more about health concerns, but you know more about your own baby if you look after them more than anyone else. Everyone has an opinion on parenting, your opinion is more important than anyone else’s when it comes to your child.

Let your child also teach you, you will learn from them and talk to other new parents about any helpful hints they have.