Labour of love
For Tauranga midwife Natasha Rawiri , weaving her first wahakura ( safe sleeping space ) for baby was a labour of love .
Natasha has been a midwife for 19 years . A huge focus in her present role as a Midwife Coordinator - Safe Sleep & Smoke Cessation is educating mums and their whānau about keeping baby safe .
It is through this role that Natasha learnt to weave the wahakura .
Natasha runs the Ūkaipo programme with the Western BOP Primary Health Organisation . This programme for pregnant women who smoke is designed to support them to become smokefree . And at the same time they learn to weave their own wahakura with the support of Te Kupenga Hauora .
“ I ’ ve supported many mothers on this programme . For many mums it is a natural desire to want to keep their newborn close to them at all times . I ’ ve seen how great the wahakura is at fulfilling that need while keeping baby safe . I always wanted to have a go at weaving one myself .”
It took Natasha two full days to weave the wahakura with the “ very patient ” guidance of skilled kairaranga ( weaver ) Donna Leef from Te Kupenga Hauora .
She wove the last piece of flax for the wahakura around the same time as Tauranga mum Ata-Reta Wikeepa gave birth to her first child , baby girl Te-Atarangi , born seven weeks premature .
Due to the early arrival of baby Te-Atarangi , Mum , partner and baby spent several weeks in the Special Care Baby Unit in hospital and Natasha got to know them well . So she offered them the wahakura .
“ It ’ s traditional that you give away your first wahakura and I had just met this wonderful young couple having their first baby so it just seemed right .”
Mum Ata-Reta is thrilled with the gift . She had planned to get a wahakura for her baby , to be close to her at all times , but because her baby was born early she didn ’ t have the time to organise one .
“ She ’ s the best thing that has ever happened to me and I ’ m so excited to be her mother . It ’ s a wonderful feeling and to be able to have her sleep next to her parents and in a
Recent outbreaks and rising cases of vaccine preventable diseases such as measles , mumps , and whooping cough across New Zealand has Toi Te Ora – Public Health Service worried .
There has been a prolonged mumps outbreak since early 2017 , centred on the Auckland region , but with several confirmed cases reported in the Bay of Plenty . There have also been confirmed cases of measles locally , and a national increase in the number of whooping cough cases ( pertussis ). Local cases show that these diseases are a present and ongoing risk in our community .
Prevention of outbreaks of these serious
Mum Ata-Reta Wikeepa cradles her baby Te-Atarangi in the wahakura made by Midwife Natasha Rawiri ( right ).
safe sleep space is great . She ’ s close enough to breastfeed and it means I don ’ t have to get up in the night .”
Wahakura or Pepi-Pods are a portable safe sleeping space for babies up to four to six months . They are designed to provide a safe sleeping environment for babies in a makeshift setting or away from home .
To keep your babies ( pepe ) of all ages safe during sleep always follow the P . E . P . E . message :
PLACE baby in his or her own bed , face clear of loose bedding and NO pillows , hats , bibs and soft toys
ELIMINATE exposure to smoking , alcohol and drug use , and have a smokefree family , home and car
POSITION baby flat and on the back as their drive to breathe works best in this position
ENCOURAGE and support mum to breastfeed to help protect baby .
Earlier this month the Government announced plans to invest an extra $ 2-million into the National Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy ( SUDI ) Prevention Programme . A portion of this funding will go towards wahakura or pepipods for families who need them .
The BOPDHB holds Wahakura Wananga in the Eastern Bay and the Western Bay to encourage people to learn the art of weaving wahakura for babies . To find out more contact Raewyn Lucas on 07 579 8091 .
infectious diseases relies on having good local uptake of immunisation , particularly amongst our children . When most children are fully immunised ( 95 %) the chances of significant outbreaks are greatly reduced . Immunisation coverage for New Zealand children at two years of age is 93 % for the three month period ending March 2017 . In the Bay of Plenty it is only 90 %.
Worryingly , recent months have seen a gradual decline in childhood immunisation rates , particularly in younger children , with children fully immunised at 8 months of age drifting down over the past year to only 86 %.
Front row from left : Carla Te Runa , Caroline Steens ( class facilitator , EBPHA ), Te Ao Pare McKee , Karli Rowe ( Community Dietitian , EBPHA ), Ani Tai . Back row : Ane West and son , Liz Munro .
How much sugar is in that drink ?
Just how much sugar is in drinks was a big eye opener for people attending a Diabetes Self-Management class held in Opotiki recently .
In an effort to educate people about the impact nutrition has on diabetes and heart disease , the Eastern Bay Primary Health Alliance ( EBPHA ) holds regular classes at the Whakatōhea Trust Board .
EBPHA Class Facilitator Caroline Steens says a lot of people don ’ t have any idea how much sugar is hidden in popular fizzy , fruit and sports drinks . “ Pouring raw sugar into cups beside these drinks showing how much sugar they contain ; is a real eye opener . “
The World Health Organisation ( WHO ) recommends that adults should consume less than about six teaspoons of sugar per day , and children less than three to four teaspoons of sugar per day . A can of fizzy drink contains around nine teaspoons of sugar .
For people like Carla Te Runa , learning
The District Health Board is concerned about this and is bringing in new approaches to ensure children get the opportunity to be protected .
“ Parents need to be aware that these serious illnesses are occurring in our community , and the only sure way of reducing their risk is to check that their children are up to date with their immunisations ,” says Dr Jim Miller , Medical Officer of Health .
“ I wouldn ’ t be relying on others being immune , with uptake at our local levels ,” says Dr Miller .
Childhood immunisations are free and it about the hidden sugar is the motivation she needed to make some lifestyle changes .
“ I ’ ve had diabetes since 1999 and it ’ s not a good thing to have . I come to the classes to get more education about diabetes . I learnt heaps from the sugar game and was amazed by how much sugar was in the drinks , especially coke . From now on my son and I will only be drinking water .”
Evidence shows having too much sugar increases the risk of becoming overweight , tooth decay , developing diabetes , cardiovascular disease and some cancers .
The Ministry of Health recommends limiting the amount of sugary drinks that you have , making plain water your first choice .
Eastern Bay Primary Health Alliance delivers regular classes throughout the Eastern Bay of Plenty to support people to understand more about Diabetes and Heart Disease .
To find out more about these classes contact Caroline Steens on 07 306 2331 .
Make sure your family is fully immunised to protect them from preventable diseases such as measles , mumps and whooping cough .
Concerns raised over dropping immunisation rates
is never too late to catch up . Parents can contact their local medical centre for an appointment for their child or to discuss immunisation . Childhood immunisations are free .