Bellies to Babies Antenatal & Postnatal Classes with Janine Gard
Congratulations, I am so excited for you. You are about to embark on one of life's most exciting journeys - becoming a parent.
Our fun, friendly, and supportive Antenatal & Postnatal Classes are designed to help you and your partner prepare mentally, emotionally, and physically for your incredible journey ahead. My mission has always been to be here for all, and for all to be comfortable, safe, secure, included, informed and empowered. Bellies to Babies Antenatal Classes provide antenatal education, with a range of options to suit everyone. My classes are fun, friendly, informative and impartial, you will come away with lots of information and hints and tips and all your questions answered (curly ones included!). Antenatal education is a crucial component of antenatal care. There are many excellent reasons, especially for those experiencing the surprises, curiosity and fears of pregnancy for the first time. They help you, and your partner prepare yourselves mentally, emotionally and physically for your journey to parenthood. Making connections with other parents due around the same time as yourselves is equally important - I will help you create a great support network. Check out our 5 star reviews on Facebook and Google. I'd love you to join me, sign up today :)
Janine x
11/11/2025
New Dates Released – Maternity Ward Guided Tours!
Feeling a little unsure about what to expect at the hospital?
Come join me for a relaxed, friendly guided tour of the maternity ward and see exactly where your baby’s story will begin.
We’ll wander through the labour and postnatal rooms, chat about how to make your space feel calm and personal, and I’ll share plenty of little hints and tips to help you feel more confident and prepared for the big day.
This isn’t just a walk-through — it’s about easing nerves, answering your questions, and turning the unknown into something familiar and reassuring.
Tours are around 45 minutes. Everyone’s welcome, and a koha is appreciated.
Spaces are limited, so don’t wait — book your spot now! info@belliestobabies.co.nz
09/11/2025
If you’ve been wanting to join our Baby Sensory & Massage classes but couldn’t commit to the full six weeks — this is your moment!
A special 3-week series starts this Wednesday, designed to give you and your little one a taste of all the connection, calm, and joy these sessions bring.
Each week, you’ll enjoy gentle baby massage, sensory play, bonding time, and simple ways to support your baby’s development — all while soaking up a lovely atmosphere of laughter, learning, and community.
It’s a chance to slow down, spend quality time with your baby, and meet other parents who are right there in the thick of it with you.
💛 Starts: This Wednesday
💛 Duration: 3 weeks
💛 Cost: $75 (special short-course rate)
💛 Spaces: Limited — these will fill quickly!
Come along, connect, and create some gorgeous memories with your baby.
Message me to book your spot today.
09/11/2025
What a absolutely stunning weekend we had!!!
I meet 10 expectant parents, eager to learn everything they could to support each other through their labour and birth and parenting journey.
Gosh, we laughed, we had amazing conversations about different topics and we shared experiences and stories.
These boutique weekend classes are great, we cover a load of important topics over the two days. Parents come away with more confidence, tools, helpful hints and tips, knowing they have options and ready for birth and parenting.
Due in the new year? Get in touch today to secure your space in the upcoming boutique weekend classes.🩷
03/11/2025
Have you ever noticed how your baby lights up with just a gentle touch or the sparkle of something new?
Those tiny moments of curiosity and connection are what shape your baby’s world — and that’s exactly what Cuddle & Connect is all about.
This beautiful 6-week course blends baby massage and sensory play to create calm, joyful moments for you and your little one.
Each week you’ll learn soothing massage techniques to help your baby relax, sleep better, and ease colic or tummy troubles — alongside sensory experiences filled with colour, texture, bubbles, music, and movement.
But it’s not just for babies. These sessions give you space to pause, slow down, and connect — with your baby, and with other parents who “get it.”
💛 For babies from newborn to crawling
💛 6-week course combining massage + sensory play
💛 Baby-led, relaxed environment
💛 Weekly take-home summaries with massage and play ideas
Every cuddle strengthens your bond. Every play sparks discovery.
Come down to the Napier Plunket Hub on the first Wednesday of every month to have your car seats checked!
Clinics run from 9am-11.30am
Car seat expert and technician, Kelly, will be there to answer all your car seat pātai (questions) and ensure your seats are safe and correctly installed
Thank you to RoadSafe Hawke's Bay for providing such a important service to our community!
Let's keep our tamariki safe when out and about on our roads!
22/10/2025
If you can't get hold of your LMC....
Please reach out if you have concerns.
12/10/2025
I am strong and capable.
Sometimes we all need that gentle reminder, especially during pregnancy, birth, and those early baby days when everything feels a little overwhelming.
This affirmation isn’t just about physical strength — it’s about emotional strength too. The kind that keeps you going when you’re tired, uncertain, or second-guessing yourself.
You’ve got this.
Your body knows what to do.
And you are so much stronger and more capable than you think.
Take a deep breath, repeat it to yourself, and believe it.
I am strong and capable.
If you love this reminder, you’ll adore my full set of Birth Affirmations — designed to lift you up, calm your mind, and help you feel confident and prepared for birth.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of standing beside hundreds of families as they prepare to welcome their little one. Every class brings something new — laughter, learning, questions, and those beautiful “aha” moments when everything just clicks.
Being a birth educator isn’t just about teaching facts; it’s about holding space, building confidence, and reminding parents they already have everything they need within them.
It’s truly an honour to do this work — and honestly, there’s nothing else I’d rather do.
07/10/2025
Did you know this used to be totally normal?
For years, babies were often lifted by their ankles and held upside down right after birth.
Some were even given a few little “spanks” on the bottom to make them cry!
Why did they do that?
Back then, it was believed that:
• Babies needed to cry straight away to clear their lungs
• Holding them upside down would “drain fluids”
• A quick smack would “kickstart” breathing
What we know now:
• Babies naturally begin breathing on their own—no dangling or spanking needed
• The safest, most comforting place for a newborn is skin-to-skin on their parent’s chest
• Quiet, calm breathing is perfectly healthy
Today’s birth care focuses on:
Skin-to-skin contact
Delayed cord clamping
Allowing babies to adjust gently and naturally
No hanging. No spanking.
Just trust the process—and the power of connection.
Times have changed, and thankfully so.
It’s amazing to look back and see how far we’ve come!
If you love learning these little birth facts, give this post a like or share it with someone who would too.
07/10/2025
Ever wish you could just slow down and soak up the little moments with your baby?
That’s exactly what Cuddle & Connect - Baby Sensory & Massage classes are designed for — time to connect, explore, and simply be together.
Each week, we dive into gentle play and baby massage that encourages your little one’s curiosity through touch, sound, and movement. You’ll learn ways to support their development — and yourself — in a calm, supportive environment surrounded by other parents who get it.
As one mum shared, “It was such special one-on-one time with my baby, and a lovely chance to connect with other parents too.”
If this sounds like something your heart (and your baby) would love, come and join us for the next round.
Because sometimes the most meaningful moments are the simplest ones.
Being a new mum isn’t always easy. If you’re feeling anxious, down, or just not yourself, you don’t have to go through it alone.
Our Post Natal Adjustment Programme (PNAP) is free for māmā with babies under 1, offering practical tools, a safe space, and the support of others who understand.
Our next programme is about to start in Napier, and there are still a couple of spaces available.
🤍Starts 31 October, runs for 6 weeks
🤍Fridays 9.30am-12.30pm
🤍 Baby is welcome
🤍 Free programme
Come and join our small, supportive group led by experienced facilitators. Register your interest or find out more at 👉weavehb.org.nz/events-courses/post-natal-adjustment-programme/
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Bellies to Babies Antenatal & Postnatal Classes with Janine Gard posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Contact The Practice
Send a message to Bellies to Babies Antenatal & Postnatal Classes with Janine Gard:
You are at the beginning of such an exciting journey......
From Bellies to Babies Antenatal Classes provides face to face antenatal education throughout Hawke’s Bay, along with LIVE, interactive online classes available from Cape Reinga to Bluff in the comfort of your own home. My classes are fun, friendly, informative and impartial, you will come away with lots of information and hints and tips and all your questions answered.
Hey there, if we haven’t met yet, I’m Janine - a Diploma Qualified Birth Educator (qualified in 2005 with Aoraki Polytechnic), a mum, an artist and lover of flowers and plants (61 plants and counting)!
I have 15+ years of experience in facilitating and teaching Antenatal Education to parents-to-be in the public and private sectors. During this time I have had the pleasure of educating over 3000 parents wanting to know all their options during labour, birth and parenting.
I am passionate about giving you all the information you need to make informed choices, and how to create a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment for you to labour and birth in. Contact doesn’t stop when classes finish either, I feel it is important to continue the friendship, support and encouragement after baby is born - I love baby snuggles too! I keep in contact with all my classes and catch up with them during the year.
With lots of different class options, there’s something suitable for you. Mainstream 6 week classes are held throughout the year in Napier, Hastings and Havelock North, Private Consultations - One on One sessions, Boutique Weekend Classes are held in Napier and Havelock North throughout the year and LIVE interactive online 5 week classes throughout the year and available to everyone in New Zealand.
Please feel free to contact me directly for more information.
Bookings are essential, my classes are very popular and do fill up quickly, so please make contact early in your pregnancy to secure your place (after 14 weeks).
I am also an Internationally Qualified Baby Massage Instructor. Teaching parents a combination of Indian and Swedish massage strokes, reflexology and gentle yoga stretches to help support you and your baby.
