Manaaki Midwives

14/11/2025

Thank you to the whānau for sharing the wonderful home birth of Elsie Joy! ✨💚

From the moment Jade answered my email and said she would take me on (despite my due date being a week and a half before Christmas) I knew she was going to be the perfect fit to have deliver our baby in our home.

I joked the whole pregnancy that I would do everything I could to go into labour early so she didn’t have to worry about a Christmas delivery………

Well the 23rd of December rolled around and still no sign of baby (41+ 3) so I text Jade at 8:30 my plans to try midwives brew. By 9 am had drunk the entire thing (gross but nice?!).

9:20 I had my bloody show which upon reflection makes me think labour was likely to have been that day, midwives brew or not. However it definitely seemed to get things cranking. Yikes is all I can say.

9:50 Our firstborn was picked up by some beautiful family members (my contractions were 3 minutes apart and 1 minute long but didn’t feel intense enough yet. Josh (Husband) started filling the birth pool.

10:30 I climbed into the pool and after 2 MASSIVE contractions, Josh suggested we call Jade. On the call I told Jade I wasn’t feeling pushy but the contractions were intense (totally down playing the reality!!!!!!!) however the beauty of having a midwife walk alongside your entire pregnancy meant that she knew I was closer to baby time that I realised. She reassured me and said I was doing great then talked to Josh saying she would finish with her client in clinic and be round asap.

11:00 After getting too hot in the birth pool I moved to the lounge to labour on the ground, crunching ice like crazy to try cool down. At this point my groans changed enough that Josh and I looked at each other like “oh snap. Where are the midwives”😅

11:09 My waters broke (with my son my waters broke and he was born 10 minutes later) so this added to Joshs hidden panic that the midwives weren’t here yet.

Thankfully before Josh changed his vocation to midwife, arriving 1 minute after the assistant midwife (11:12), Jade breezed in the door and said “hi darling I’m here, you’re doing so well” and wow the relief that brought was unbelievable. After several contractions and coaching from Jade, Elsie was caught by Josh at 11:20.

After the whirlwind of a fast labour and delivery, I struggled a bit with bleeding and shock, however Jade was sooo calm and helped in every way she could to get me and Elsie as comfortable as possible while doing fundal massage to get my bleeding under control. The professionalism of Jade, her ability to command the room with peace and assuredness, and her beautiful caring nature and support for mamas, babies, and their whānau is truely a divine gifting. Thank you so much Jade 💓

- Thank you guys for sharing your special moments bringing Elsie earthside, if you're had a birthing experience with any of the Manaaki Midwives you're happy to share. Please get in touch, lets normalise birth together! 💚✨

23/10/2025

Thank you to Petra for sharing the birth story of little Juno with us! A beautiful homebirth of her second pēpi supported by Manaaki Midwives Lizz and Shari! 💚🌴

"Juno’s birth story really begins with her sister Indigo’s birth 4 years earlier. Indigo’s birth was long, spanning several days, and didn’t follow the typical progression I’d learnt about in birth classes. Eventually a home birth turned into an intervention heavy hospital birth and SCBU stay. I was grateful that although things weren’t going to plan it never felt scary, and the decisions we made along the way felt right for the circumstances (which I credit to my great midwife), but I still hoped for a different experience second time around.

On the 12th of August I went to bed experiencing mild cramps, and slept until 3am when they got a bit more intense and I had to get up and moving. At 5.30 I texted Lizz saying I was in early labour so she was ready for a call later that day. Within minutes of sending that message my contractions went from 10 minutes apart to 3 minutes, and less than an hour later we were calling her to come! It was so quick we weren’t able to get the pool set up, so I got into the bath and had Joel pour water on my back through contractions. I focused on affirmations, and anecdotes that had stuck with me from Ina May’s book.

I felt like everything was going amazingly, but didn’t let myself believe it until Lizz did my first check at 7.20am and I was already at 8cm! I continued to labour in the bath until I was fully dilated, then chose to get out because I couldn’t get comfortable in the positions that would be safe to birth her. At Lizz’s suggestion I spent a few contractions on the toilet which finally broke my waters, then came into our bedroom and soon felt the urge to push. I really enjoyed the switch as I felt I was in control of my body again and I could influence how fast she came. Juno was born at 9.46, making active labour a speedy 4 hours.

Having her on my chest and watching her crawl to my breast was a moment I had dreamed of! After 20 minutes we were still waiting on the placenta so Lizz had me stand up to help it out. That was when Juno first successfully latched, which felt such funny timing as I was a bit preoccupied! I had a couple of small tears which Lizz stitched on our bed. By lunch time we were alone just the three of us, enjoying a few hours of quiet before picking Indigo up from daycare and introducing her to her new sister.

I could not have asked for a more perfect experience, down to the smallest details. Lizz did an amazing job keeping me calm, and had great suggestions which helped avoid even minor interventions. I am so grateful to have had both birth experiences, which left me feeling empowered and proud in different ways"

Photo credit: Stacey Lake Photography

06/10/2025

Starting this november in Te Awakairangi how great does this look ⤵️

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CwurJRuqn/

30/09/2025

Can you help the wonderful team at Oxytocin Squad with some donations for Hutt Whanau? ⤵️

This Friday we have one of our quarterly newborn baby pack sessions where we sort and pack donated items for newborns in need at Hutt Hospital. An email has gone out to all the baby packing volunteers registered on our infoodle database. If you are interested in receiving these emails please check out our site https://oxytocintrust.org.nz/newborn-baby-packs/ or dm us here.

We are always in need of items to fill these packs so if you have some handmedowns sitting in the boot of the car you’ve forgotten to drop off to a clothing bin (iykyk 😂) give us a shout and we will take them off your hands!

25/09/2025

Looking for a relaxed mums + toddlers music playgroup, check out this one in Upper Hutt on Saturdays! ⤵️

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BbBBBuMcn/

🎶 Saturday Music Playgroup at Greenstone Doors - Upper Hutt 🪇

Fun, relaxed music sessions for preschoolers!

🗓️ Saturdays | 💰 Koha to Greenstone Doors

📍 Just come when it suits – no commitment!

To find out more information and register please email office@greenstonedoors.co.nz

21/09/2025

✨ Calling all Hutt Valley pregnant mama! Debrin is on the hunt for the below to photograph in her studio. Can you help? ⬇️

https://www.facebook.com/share/16zaELn1Ef/

Looking for a pregnant woman who would like to work with me on a creative portrait session. This project needs someone comfortable with their body in front of the camera. Ideally, you would be 30 weeks +/- at the time of the session.
As a thank you, you would receive a matted 8x10 print.
Please get in touch if you would like to find out more.

15/09/2025

Manaaki Midwives update below, You may have noticed that Lizz is no longer on Findyourmidwife.

That is because she has made a decision to step away from LMC Midwife life from Jan 2026

It is not a goodbye, just a see you soon with her exploring some other avenues of midwifery and still being a kick ass Midwife alongside our core (hospital) midwifery sisters.

The team here at Manaaki is sad to see her leave but we are looking forward to hopefully welcoming her back in 2027 if the stars allign 😊

Lizz has sorted alternative LMC care for all effected clients and will be notified accordingly.

Jade and Shari will become a direct back up partners, and Gemma an Hayley as they are at present. We will continue to rotate every second weekend off between colleagues as we have done so to date so you may have the potential to meet other Midwives in Manaaki alongside your primary Midwife.

You will be missed Lizz ❤️💚
Go well 💐

- Jade, Shari, Gemma an Hayley!

14/09/2025

Did you know we have 4x main Well Child providers across the Hutt Valley?

These slides are specific to Hutt Valley providers as each area across aotearoa has different providers.

Majority of Wellchild providers across the Hutt will commence care from 5-weeks (around the same time you have been discharged from Midwifery care) they will see you till pepi (baby) is 5 years old and specifically in the Hutt they all bar GP do a mixture of home visits and clinic visits.

All amazing services and providers across the Hutt with an array of experience and services from
- Health checks for pepi
- Immunisation support
- Quit Smoking support
- Whanau play groups

And more!

* of course as per everything, you have the right to decline the choice of any Wellchild provider *
Just let your lead maternity carer know! 💚🌳

07/09/2025

Happy fathers day from the team at Manaaki Midwives we hope your day has been filled with aroha and you've been celebrated today! 💚🌱

05/09/2025

An excellent free antenatal class for pasifika families! ⤵️

This is a special sessions for those parents who can't make it to classes during the week and Saturday. If you are pregnant or know someone who is and need these sessions please share it out to them.

31/08/2025

Newborn Metabolic Screening information simplified ⤵️

29/08/2025

✨✨The team here at Manaaki Midwives is fully booked from Jan - June 2026 already!!

July bookings open now, Just a reminder Hayley is on annual leave in July so due to this won't be taking clients till 6th August onwards.

Check out findyourmidwife.co.nz for individual availability or contact our page to kōrero further! 💚