Birth Rite Midwives

23/09/2025

Today, there has been some media coverage around the use of panadol (and equivalent medications) in pregnancy and the claim that these cause neurodivergence.

First, we want to send aroha to the neurodivergent community, and their whānau, who may be distressed by this claim 💙
Please know we see you and support you, just as you are, and we fully support your needs in pregnancy, childbirth and beyond 💙

Also, and importantly, many, many sources conclude that panadol use in pregnancy is safe - one of the most recent studies included over 2million people.

If you are concerned by, or have questions around, the use of any medication during pregnancy, please talk to a trusted health care practitioner - your LMC, Dr., Plunket Nurse or Kai awhina 💙

You can also call Healthline - 0800 611 116 - to discuss your concerns 💙

Arohanui,
The Birth Trauma Aotearoa team x
ETA: You are welcome to comment, however, please ensure these are kind and respectful 💙
ETA 2: We are turning off commenting now as we've only very small team able to moderate - we welcome respectful discussion and encourage respectful kōrero in other spaces 💙

04/09/2025

🌟 Rangatahi whānau, we’re just getting started! 🌟

Tūpuna Parenting is here - a relaxed space to kōrero, share, and learn together about parenting the Māori way. No pressure, no perfect, just tips, stories, and support for you and your pēpi.

Spots are limited, so get ready to jump in!



More Information: https://www.tiwanaservices.co.nz/mura-noho-wnanga
Book Online: https://events.humanitix.com/tupuna-parenting
Tūpuna Parenting Website: https://www.tupunaparenting.maori.nz

12/08/2025

Across nearly every Indigenous culture around the world, the placenta has been considered sacred, powerful, and deeply connected to the child’s soul, the Earth, and the spiritual world. NOT waste

Modern Western obstetrics often treats the placenta as medical waste, unless it’s being sent to pathology, pharmaceuticals, or biotech.

It’s routinely yanked out, discarded, and disrespected even though it’s the literal organ that kept the baby alive.

Indigenous people did not treat the placenta as waste.

Western medicine did.

And that mindset, the one that views powerful parts of birth as disposable, is deeply colonial.

Things you can do with your placenta:

🧶 Bury it
• Often done with ceremony or intention (under a tree, with a blessing, or near home).
• Common in Indigenous cultures worldwide to symbolize connection to land and ancestry.
🧶. Honor it with ritual
• Paint with it (placenta prints), offer prayers, include in naming ceremonies, etc.
🧶. Keep it with the baby (Lotus birth)
• Allowing the umbilical cord and placenta to remain attached until it naturally detaches (typically 3–10 days).
🧶Placenta prints
• Using blood or paint to make a “tree of life” imprint on paper.
🧶Preserve the cord
• Dried and shaped into a heart, spiral, or word like “love.” A keepsake of connection.
🧶Dry and encapsulate it
• Steamed or raw-prepared capsules consumed postpartum (believed by some to aid recovery, mood, and milk supply).
🧶Make a tincture
• Alcohol-based extract for long-term emotional or hormonal support.
🧶Turn it into jewelry
• Using dehydrated, powdered placenta in resin to make beads, pendants, or rings.
🧶Plant it under a tree or in a garden
• Fertilizes the earth and marks the child’s life with growth and rootedness.
🧶Compost it
• If burial isn’t an option, composting returns its nutrients to the soil.
🧶Examine or photograph it
• Some people keep it short-term to study its structure, appreciate its form, or teach others about placental function.

What are some things you have done with your placenta?

08/08/2025

Did you know we are trying to build up our birth story collection on our website? (We'd love yours!)

Recently I wrote up the story of my third baby Luke's birth. It was very hard to cut it down short so I have posted it in full on the Home Birth Canterbury website and just linked it here. Grab a cup of tea and enjoy the story. It's got twists and turns- a potentially posterior baby, prodromal labour, and overall a lot of feelings of empowerment!

https://www.canterburyhomebirth.org.nz/post/a-potentially-posterior-baby-luke-s-birth-story

Photo credit: my sweet midwife Sarah Herod

- Bonnie

08/08/2025

🩹👶❤️ Reminder: FREE Infant First Aid & CPR – Next Tuesday at Ūkaipō

Kia ora whānau!

Just a quick reminder that our FREE Infant First Aid & CPR session is happening next Tuesday, 12th of August, during our usual Ūkaipō gathering.

🗓 When: 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
📍 Where: Room 1, Phillipstown Community Hub

Learn practical skills like infant CPR, managing choking, and basic first aid, all in a relaxed, whānau-friendly space.

💬 RSVP: Comment “Yes please!” or send us a DM so we can prepare for you and your pēpi.

We’re excited to see you there! 🌿

07/08/2025

15/06/2025

05/06/2025

https://youtu.be/idPl1qskzZ4?feature=shared

This is Tapiki & Whiri - the sixth and final phase in Raranga, our video series following the journey of creating a wahakura. Follow the series to learn, ref...

05/06/2025

https://youtu.be/t6jY4QzmK6U?feature=shared

This is Ngā Kokonga - the fifth phase in Raranga, our video series following the journey of creating a wahakura. Follow the series to learn, reflect, and ho...

05/06/2025

https://youtu.be/ufJAxgd2cPM?feature=shared

This is Hauhake — the first phase in Raranga, our video series following the journey of creating a wahakura.Follow the series to learn, reflect, and honour t...

29/04/2025

🌿 Pāpātanga Antenatal Education 🌿

Kia ora e te whānau! A quick update—our Pāpātanga Antenatal Education session has a new schedule! Previously running from 6pm–8pm, we’re now moving to 7pm–9pm.

📍 We will be located at Room 1, Phillipstown Community Hub, 39 Nursery Road

Are you an expectant parent? Join us in a wānanga tailored for pāpā—facilitated by pāpā, for pāpā. Let’s connect, learn, and prepare for the journey ahead together!

✨ This week’s session will be held on Thursday, May 1st from 10am-2pm! See you there whānau.

📝 Registration: Scan the QR code in the image to register