Jo Clarke - Midwife

04/05/2026

02/05/2026

Skin to skin ★ kiri ki te kiri straight after birth
🤱Boosts breastfeeding
👶Stabilizes baby
❤️Enhances bonding

01/05/2026

We’re so pleased to share that MaryAnne is now offering free MMR immunisations (measles, mumps & rubella) for postpartum wāhine who require a booster 💜

Rubella immunity is routinely checked with your antenatal bloods so you may already know if you’re not immune. If that’s the case, having the MMR vaccine after birth helps protect you and any future pēpi from these infections.

✨ Rubella (German measles) is usually a mild illness causing a rash, swollen glands, joint pain or feeling unwell. However, during pregnancy it may cause serious harm to developing pēpi, including:
• Blindness
• Deafness
• Heart defects
• Brain damage

That’s why protecting yourself before a future pregnancy is so important.

✨ The MMR vaccine also protects against:
• Measles – highly contagious and can cause serious illness
• Mumps – can lead to complications like meningitis

✨ What you need to know:
• You’ll need a copy of your first antenatal blood results (or you can give consent for MaryAnne to access these - most people can find them via the Expect client portal, or ask their midwife for a copy)
• The vaccine can be given anytime after birth, whenever it best suits you and your whānau
• This is a free service available through our hub

📩 Get in touch with MaryAnne to book or ask any questions - 027 841 1563

24/04/2026

Raspberry leaf tea - or capsules - is one of those things that comes up again and again in pregnancy conversations.

Some women choose to drink it, and swear by it. Others think it doesn't work at all.

But what does the evidence say?

And what can we learn from looking at why there isn't always good evidence on topics like this one?

Find out in my blog post, What's the evidence for raspberry leaf tea?

https://www.sarawickham.com/questions-and-answers/whats-the-evidence-for-raspberry-leaf-tea/

23/04/2026

Free Parenting Education Workshop – Hamilton 📣

Join us for a relaxed and informative evening at Waikato Family Centre, where we’ll explore how movement plays a powerful role in your baby’s brain development and higher-order thinking.
We’re excited to have guest speaker Robyn Polley from NeuroMove sharing practical insights you can actually use at home.

🗓 14 May 2026
⏰ 6:00pm – 7:30pm
📍 4 Radnor Street, Hamilton

Bring your baby and your partner along if you’d like — everyone’s welcome.

✨ This is a great chance to learn, connect, and feel more confident in supporting your child’s development.

📩 RSVP: by texting or email: 027 207 1970
help@waikatofamilycentre.co.nz

20/04/2026

19/04/2026

Whooping cough spreads easily and can cause bad coughing making it very hard for pēpi/babies to breathe. Especially newborn pēpi who haven’t had their 6-week immunisations.

If you’re hapū/pregnant, a free whooping cough vaccine from 13 weeks can protect your pēpi by passing on immunity until they’re old enough for their own immunisations at 6 weeks. Boosters at 4 and 11 years help keep protection strong. Protect your taonga.

Book an immunisation today with your usual doctor, Hauora Māori or Pacific health provider, pharmacy, or online at bookmyvaccine.nz

14/04/2026

In a world where we rush around and try to fit too much in, a baby’s ‘due date’ has come to be seen by some people as a kind of appointment.

Statistically, only 5% of babies are born on their due date and many healthy babies are born before or after this.

I sometimes suggest that people plan to do something nice on their baby’s due date; there’s a really high chance that you’ll be free to do it!

But the important thing to remember is that, on the whole, our bodies and our babies’ bodies know what they’re doing.

If you’d like more information about due dates, induction or birth in general, see https://www.sarawickham.com/iol

16/03/2026

🌟 Wanting to chat with someone about your pregnancy, birth, or postnatal period? Send Hannah a message to schedule a time to see Andrea! Andrea is here at River Ridge East Birth Centre every Tuesday.

Email: hannah@rrebc.co.nz 🌟

12/03/2026

Say it louder for the people at the back 📢: sleep deprivation is so much more than ‘just feeling tired’.

The reality of living with sleep deprivation as a new parent can come as a shock. It might seem like everyone else’s babies sleep more than yours or you may worry that you are doing something wrong, or that there is something wrong with your baby.

In fact, by 12 months, about a third of babies will have never slept all night.

If you’re struggling, please know you’re not alone and you’re not doing anything wrong.

Learn more about sleep deprivation here: https://bit.ly/3DcTYJ6

12/03/2026

Dads matter too…

18/11/2024