Ōhua Midwives

16/11/2025

In Te Reo Māori, whenua means both the placenta and the land, showing the connection between life and mother earth.

During hapūtanga, the whenua (placenta) nourishes, protects, and sustains pēpi. It is their first home, their source of kai, oxygen, and safety as they grow. Just as the land provides for us throughout our lives, the whenua provides for pēpi before they take their first breath.

After birth many whānau choose to bury the placenta back into the land. The placenta is traditionally placed in an ipu whenua made from natural materials like uku (clay) or harakeke (flax) and buried in a special place, often beneath a native tree at your tūrangawaewae. This practice symbolises returning your pēpi first home to Papatūānuku, grounding them spiritually and physically to the place they come from. If you are unable to facilitate a burial on your tūrangawaewae, you can bury it in another location that holds significance for you and your whānau. This ensures the practice remains meaningful and connected to your own whakapapa and values.🌿

26/10/2025

First moments as a whānau, when everything slows down and yet feels overwhelmingly full at once🤍

19/10/2025

He aha te “baby blues”?💭

23/09/2025

It was a great pleasure to host our visiting midwife colleagues from New Zealand! 🌿

We had an amazing afternoon comparing practice policies and government influences on the ability of midwives to thrive or not. We also talked about our midwife origin stories and our goals to keep expanding midwifery in our communities.

We are forever grateful for their gift of sacred birth protection from their Māori culture. We loved meeting you and hope to see you sometime again! 🤍✨

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06/09/2025

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URGENT ! Calling for donors. Our stocks are very low and the need just keeps on increasing.
Do you know a breast feeding mother who would be keen to donate some milk to help other babies? If so call us on 03 375 6281 ext 9020 and leave us a message. One of our volunteers will call back

20/08/2025

Talking about SUDI isn’t easy, but prevention is powerful. Let’s talk about safe sleep and why it’s important 🫶🏽

10/08/2025

You know we deliver babies but did you know this…☕️🤣👀

07/08/2025

Ngā mihi to everyone supporting us as we navigate through our careers of being Māori Midwives. This kaupapa is for the future of our pēpi, our whānau, our whenua. ✨🤍

A group of midwives in Te Wai Pounamu are on a mission of reclamation, empowering wāhine and whānau by embedding te ao Māori into every part of their practice.

Full story ⬇️

28/07/2025

Over time, our pounamu can absorb the energy of a people, places and events. Cleansing helps restore it’s mauri and release any energy it may carry. This is why we cleanse them in the moana. To reset it’s wairua, ready to carry new stories🌿🌊