Pregnancy and Parenting

Nau mai, haera mai! Welcome to the Whanganui Regional Health Network's Pregnancy and Parenting service. Here you will find information and support that will help you prepare for pregnancy and how to care for your new arrival. Learn about the benefits of healthy pregnancy and how to maintain it by connecting to community services who will support whanau/families.

Pregnancy and parenting classes are facilitated by qualified childbirth educators. These are available for all pregnant women and their support person.

We have Monday and Thursday evening classes or Sunday day classes, which run in Wanganui. Classes are also available in Taihape and depending on demand, may run in Waimarino and Marton.

Topics include;

Pregnancy

Being healthy and well – avoiding smoking, alcohol and drugs; keeping up immunisation during pregnancy
Eating well and being active
Scans and screening during pregnancy
Pregnancy discomforts – which are common and which are warning signs
Preparing to be a parent
Preparing your home for baby – what clothing, furniture and bedding you need for baby
Preparing for labour and birth – including healthy exercise and what to pack for the hospital or preparing for a home birth

Labour and birth

Options for where to give birth
The stages of labour – the signs and stages of labour
Labour coping skills
Role of the father/support person during labour
Managing pain
Possible complications and how these might be managed

The first few weeks after baby is born

Skin-to-skin contact straight after the birth
Your body after the birth
Vitamin K and newborn screening
Caring for your baby – bonding with them, settling them to sleep, responding to their cries
Safe sleep
Postnatal depression
Enrolling baby with a General Practice (doctor and practice nurse) and a Well Child Tamariki Ora service
Immunisation and the National Immunisation Register