Heart & Hands Midwifery

17/05/2024

Hope everyone is enjoying this sunshine today!!
Please be aware there have been 2 confirmed and 2 probable cases of whooping cough locally.
Whooping cough is particularly nasty for infants and can be fatal. Our best protection is immunisation.
Make sure your little ones are up to date and if you are pregnant please get your free booster- this protects you and will give your baby some protection when they are born.

Whooping cough vax is recommended after 16 weeks pregnancy and is free to Hapu mama.
You can get from your GP, /some pharmacies and we have an awesome drop in vax clinic for Hapu mama & children, 295 Palmerston Rd, any time on weekdays from 9am-4pm- no appointment needed.

By immunising the mother in pregnancy, the baby can be protected from whooping cough in two ways:

1. By the antibodies produced by mother following immunisation and passed to baby across the placenta

2. The mother is protected from catching whooping cough and passing it to her baby

03/05/2024

Hapu mumma aqua classes- water is great in pregnancy!

11/03/2024

It’s that time of year again for my friendly public service announcement! 😂
If you are in the trying to get pregnant/planning pregnancy stage please consider taking a break for the next 6 weeks!
If you have your period right now or over the next month you will be due around Christmas or over the new years holiday period.
It’s a crazy time of year and you will have very limited options in terms of finding a midwife as midwives also need to plan a bit of time with their whanau on top of us having a shortage of midwives locally. ❤️ briar

**have included a picture of my kitten cause he’s so darn cute and everyone needs cuteness 😂

07/03/2024

13/10/2023

PUBLIC HEALTH WARNING: Biotoxin warning for East Cape region

New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) is advising the public not to collect or consume shellfish gathered from near Tolaga Bay due to the presence of toxins.

“Routine tests on mussels from Tolaga Bay have shown levels of paralytic shellfish toxins over the safe limit,” says NZFS deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle. “The warning extends from Tatapouri Point just north of Gisborne, up to Koutunui Point in Tokamaru Bay.

“Please do not gather and eat shellfish from this area because anyone doing so could get sick.

“Cooking the shellfish does not remove the toxin, so shellfish from this area should not be eaten.”

Symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning usually appear within 10 minutes to 3 hours of eating and may include:
• numbness and a tingling (prickly feeling) around the mouth, face, hands, and feet
• difficulty swallowing or breathing
• dizziness and headache
• nausea and vomiting
• diarrhoea
• paralysis and respiratory failure and, in severe cases, death.

Pāua, crab and crayfish may still be eaten if the gut has been completely removed prior to cooking, as toxins accumulate in the gut. If the gut is not removed, its contents could contaminate the meat during the cooking process.

NZFS has had no notifications of associated illness.

If anyone becomes ill after eating shellfish from an area where a public health warning has been issued, phone Healthline for advice on 0800 61 11 16, or seek medical attention immediately. You are also advised to contact your nearest public health unit and keep any leftover shellfish in case it can be tested.

“NZFS is monitoring shellfish in the region and will notify the public of any changes to the situation,” says Mr Arbuckle.

Commercially harvested shellfish – sold in shops and supermarkets or exported – is subject to strict water and flesh monitoring programmes by NZFS to ensure they are safe to eat.

A public health warning remains in place in the Queen Charlotte Sound due to high levels of Diarrhetic Shellfish Toxins.

More information can be found here: http://spr.ly/6187upPC5

05/10/2023

Just a heads up! As the June 2024 bookings start to roll in (I know right! How is that even possible… the year is going so fast!) I need to lock in my annual leave for next year. I will be taking 6 weeks off to recharge my batteries & spend time with my family from the start of July.

During this time I won’t be taking any bookings (as I won’t be here lol). Colleen will be but if you are wanting me (Briar) to be your midwife and you are of the planning persuasion you might want to adjust your conception plans 😂 and just cause I’m a nerd, I’ve done the calculations for you- a baby conceived after the 7th of November will be due when I’m back 🙌😂

❤️❤️

22/08/2023

Huge Clearance Sale!! Shop closing this Friday!
Don’t miss out on your last chance to catch amazing bargains with our store wide clearance sale of a whopping 40% everything including books, crystals, Lammington socks, Absolute Essential oils, Haaka, Weleda and so much more! This is an incredible saving so get in quickly.
Instore and online (discount automatically applied at checkout)

Shop online at www.heartandhands.co.nz or in store at 92B De Lautour Road, Gisborne.

Open Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm. Everyone is welcome!

14/08/2023

Huge Clearance Sale!!
I’ve come to the decision to close our little shop (no, the Midwifery isn’t going anywhere, just the retail shop) so we are having a store wide clearance sale of a whopping 40% everything. This is an incredible saving so get in quickly.
Instore and online (discount automatically applied at checkout)

Shop online at www.heartandhands.co.nz or in store at 92B De Lautour Road, Gisborne.

Open Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm. Everyone is welcome!

10/05/2023

Last minute Mother Day Shopping? We’ve got you covered with a beautiful selection of interesting gifts perfect for mum.
We’ve also got 20 % off sale on a selection of items (instore only) so pop in and have a browse!

Shop online at www.heartandhands.co.nz or in store at 92B De Lautour Road, Gisborne.

Open Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm. Everyone is welcome!