Home Birth Canterbury

24/02/2026

Our friends at PIPs are hosting a cloth nappy workshop. Highly recommend! Head along to learn more!

24/02/2026

Congratulations! You just got a positive pregnancy test! You're interested in a home birth.

What should you do?

1. Organise your midwifery care. Here in New Zealand, you are entitled to free midwifery care with a LMC (lead maternity carer) during your pregnancy. You can get midwife recommendations from the Home Birth Canterbury website, from friends, or just find someone on the Find My Midwife website. If you have an idea at this early point of your birth preferences, try to find a midwife with a philosophy that feels like it aligns with your wishes. Not all midwives approach the same situation the same way!

2. Start thinking about the food you eat. You may want to consider avoiding certain foods (uncooked fish etc etc). You may also want to consider aiming for 100g of protein in a day, eating lots of green leafy vegetables and lots of nuts and seeds, a diet high in choline and iron and calcium and all the good stuff your baby needs- this will set you up for success in pregnancy. Think about what supplements you may want to take. A resource for pregnancy food is the book Real Food For Pregnancy by Lily Nichols. Can also look at the Brewer diet for ideas.

3. Start learning more about pregnancy and birth. Hop on to the Home Birth Canterbury website for a list of excellent books to read and podcasts to listen to throughout pregnancy.

4. Come along to Home Birth Canterbury monthly circles and get to know some like minded women and families!

5. Sign up for an antenatal class. Home Birth Focus are an excellent option for antenatal education right here in Christchurch that will give you lots of tools and support for your home birth plans.

6. Protect your peace. Read, listen to and fill your mind with positive home birth stories. Don't allow negativity and fear to steal your peace. Talk to your baby, sing to your baby, pray over him or her and the birth. Go deep and go inward. Learn hypnobirthing if that's your jam.

7. Plan your birth. Think about what you want your birth space to be like, what people you want to be present, and how you want it to feel.

8. And then surrender. Hold your plans and dreams with open hands and trust that your baby will write their own birth story. Feel peace with knowing that whatever comes, it will be okay. Feel empowered to make whatever decisions are right for you and your family, and allow your intuition to rise to the surface. Breathe deeply. You are doing amazing!

22/02/2026

We have a mum in our community in search of donor breast milk. If anyone can help, please message this page. Thank you!

19/02/2026

I was interviewed by Jordyn from the Kiwi Birth Tales podcast this week!

I shared my first unplanned, unassisted home birth story, and then my second two planned home birth stories.
We talked about Home Birth Canterbury a little bit and about breastfeeding and postpartum and all sorts!

Have you had a listen? Let me know what you thought!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HL68LjJDQ0mvD4rRyA54M?si=QLjA2gTVQBCEpybqfkuDtg

17/02/2026

What would you do differently if you had the chance to do your last home birth again?

16/02/2026

This workshop is being run by a speech and language therapist who is interested in encouraging speech in babies. Head along if you're interested!

11/02/2026

Are you looking for a little extra income & you are passionate about home birth & savvy with social media?
Home Birth Aotearoa are looking to hire someone. Get in touch with them if you're keen. :)

Would you like to work for Home Birth Aotearoa from home?
- Social Media Administrator Vacancy

We have an opening in our administration team for a Social Media Administrator, and we’d love to hear from someone with a heart for homebirth who would like to journey with us.

This is a contracting role for 2 hours per week, paid at the Living Wage rate for contractors.

Please note - you would be joining the Trust during an interim period, with the current interim Trust focused on running election processes and onboarding a new Trust around June. Following this, you will continue in the role supporting the newly established Trust.

We are seeking expressions of interest from people who are:
· Passionate about homebirth
· Well organised with strong communication skills
· Able to maintain weekly social media content and engagement
· Skilled in digital design and able to create resources, posters and other material as needed.
· Available to support HBAT with specific social media activities as requested

Please share this through your networks and help us find our next HBA team member.

For more information, a full position description, or to submit your CV and cover letter, please contact Nicola or Cushla at (admin@homebirth.org.nz](mailto:admin@homebirth.org.nz).
email is back up and running after a temporary drop out! Thanks for your patience.

09/02/2026

Our next community circle for all the beautiful home birth chats is at St Albans Park playground on Barbadoes St (pictured) which has a fully fenced toddler zone.

10am, Monday 2nd March.

More info on the Facebook event (link in stories, or jump on the Home Birth Canterbury page). Or DM for the link!

We'd love to see you there!
Bring your pregnant bump, your baby, your toddler, older kid or partner. All welcome. 🥰

04/02/2026

Are you in Christchurch, pregnant, and considering a home birth?

Home Birth Focus is an antenatal class in Christchurch run over one Saturday that will prepare you for your home birth & postpartum. You'll receive tools to help you on your journey and meet some other families also on the home birth road. It is only run every couple of months (dates are on the website). First date for 2026 is Feb 21st - get in quick!

Head to www.homebirthclasses.org.nz for more info, or click the link in stories.

03/02/2026

The MSCC do amazing work. Would you consider supporting them?

29/01/2026

Are you ready?

🏘 Home Birth Canterbury monthly meet-ups are BACK!

🕗 When: Monday 2nd Feb 2026 @ 7:30pm (that's this coming Monday!)
🏡 Where: 156 Pages Road, Wainoni (Bonnie's house)
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Who: Anyone! Babies & partners welcome.

See you there!

Any questions, ask in the comments or look at our Facebook event via our FB page 👇