Manaaki Midwives

25/02/2026

Is It Labour… Or Just Practice? 👀
Practice contractions are a very normal part of pregnancy. True labour builds, strengthens and finds a rhythm. If you’re unsure — call your midwife 🤍
What did YOUR early labour feel like? 👇🏽

23/02/2026

Mum Club Wellington is coming out to the Hutt!

Check out this awesome baby play pop up where you can get out the house, meet other like minded parents while your little one enjoys some sensory play! How cool is that?

Linked event below ↘️
https://events.humanitix.com/host/mum-club?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAb21jcAQIwk9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA81NjcwNjczNDMzNTI0MjcAAacP0XRwta6_iJ5ngw2n59LZRXV7KLhRawYTf0zXyb8k1klhxrkiEaQEVp0XjQ_aem_qsIVkZjCRBKDvrtPW2oBiQ

Mum Club wlgtn - Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mumclub.wlg?igsh=MWRoNTQyejZoN2pjNQ==

18/02/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1bVEDJAGDz/

Talofa, Ni sa bula vi naka Families.

We are glad to offer our ONLINE sessions for our Pregnant Mums and their Spouses starting tomorrow night.

Please leave a comment here if you are keen to be part of the sessions. Please note we also offer onsite classes and weekend classes.

February / March 2026, (2hrs) ONLINE

1. TUESDAY 17TH, February , (7-9PM)
2. TUESDAY 24TH, February (7-9PM)
3. TUESDAY 3TH, March (7-9 PM)
4. TUESDAY 10TH, March (7-9 PM)
5. TUESDAY 17TH, March (7-9 PM)
6. TUESDAY 24TH, March (7-9PM)

Please register at Kupega o Moana website or contact number, 04 390 0077.

12/02/2026

When I tell people I’m a midwife, they’re often surprised at how much we actually do 🤍

In Aotearoa, midwives can be your Lead Maternity Carer — which means we provide and coordinate your care through pregnancy, birth and postpartum.

And yes — for eligible people in NZ, it’s fully funded.

As both a midwife and a mum, I truly believe continuity of care makes such a difference 🤍

Did you know this about NZ maternity care?
💫

05/02/2026

We are excited to have Britney starting her final year placement with Jade (LMC) from the 2nd March - 26th April 💫

At Manaaki Midwives we love supporting and guiding our future midwives that is why Britney will also be back with Shari later in the year to finish out her final year of study before becoming a New Graduate Midwife next year!! You may catch Britney at and running clinics during her placement dates above, alongside postnatal visits with consent and for those that are happy, at the birth too!

Students can be involved as much or as little as each whānau decide and are thoroughly supported and guided by us here at Manaaki in all they do!
We appreciate those who are taking the time to consider student involvement or happy for Britney to be involved throughout your hapūtanga (pregnancy) 💚

Looking forward to having you on board Britney! 💫

01/02/2026

Happy Monday 💫
There is lots of stop and go traffic stops around clinic and through the Hutt lately with the Melling link project so please allow for some potential time in traffic when coming to your appointments! We understand this isn't always ideal . Daly Street isnt effected at present and parking remains available out the front as normal :)

19/01/2026

Did someone say more LMCs across the Hutt Valley?
Check out these wonderful wahine joining the LMC workforce here in the Hutt from the 1st February!

Very exciting that we will have more options for whānau across the region when it comes to midwifery care and providers! You will find a few of them on find your midwife already but otherwise contact info in the post! 💚💫

13/01/2026

💚💫 Hunters post-dates induction and forceps delivery 💫💚

Thank you to the whānau for sharing!

"On 24 September 2023, at 1pm, I was admitted to hospital for induction, 9 days past my due date! Our little man was clearly in no rush to make his entrance! Monitoring began at 2pm, and the balloon was inserted at 6:49pm. It came out on its own at 11:49pm, and by just after midnight I was experiencing mild contractions. I was assessed at 12:05am and was already 4cm dilated.

Contractions intensified quickly. I received an epidural at 1:30am, and by 3am I had progressed to 7cm. Shortly after, I began contracting every three minutes. Around 3:40am, I developed a sudden temperature spike, and Hunter’s heart rate rose to 195bpm, so terbutaline was given to slow the contractions while they worked to stabilise my temperature.

Once everything settled and was normal again, labour was restarted with syntocin via a drip at 5:45am. I received an epidural top-up at 8:30am and reached full dilation by 12pm. I pushed for an hour before obstetrics were called in and reviewed me and observed a further 30 minutes of pushing assisted by my midwife Jade.

With Hunter still not descending and his heart rate becoming a higher than they liked, the team prepared and consented me for an assisted delivery. Forceps were placed, an episiotomy was performed, and our little man finally arrived at 3:03pm on 25 September 2023, weighing 7.7lb.

I used three tanks of gas and two bags of the epidural, but was up in a wheelchair and walking within the hour. Hunter spent his first night in SCBU as he needed some help with his breathing post the birth, and after two nights in hospital, we went home, our hearts overflowing with love.

A massive, heartfelt thank you to my incredible midwife, Jade, for her unwavering support, guidance, and care throughout the entire journey. I truly couldn’t have done it without you! ✨️🩵"

If you have had a birth experience supported by any of our team at Manaaki Midwives and would love to share, We would love to hear it! Normalising all the differing birth stories one by one 💚💫

13/01/2026

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTZepaTkvey/?igsh=cjNhZ3V5bmxxNnox

19/12/2025

As the year comes to a close, We at Manaaki Midwives want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! To current clients, old clients and our colleagues across the board we hope you have a safe Christmas and take time to fill your cup! Thank you for letting us support and work alongside yous - forever grateful.

198 families supported this year into bringing there pēpi earthside, including a few sets of twins in there between the 4 of us! 👶

Its been a year, Roll on 2026 and what's ahead for the team here at Manaaki!

- Jade, Gemma, Hayley and Shari 💚

14/11/2025

Thank you to the whānau for sharing the wonderful home birth of Elsie Joy! ✨💚

From the moment Jade answered my email and said she would take me on (despite my due date being a week and a half before Christmas) I knew she was going to be the perfect fit to have deliver our baby in our home.

I joked the whole pregnancy that I would do everything I could to go into labour early so she didn’t have to worry about a Christmas delivery………

Well the 23rd of December rolled around and still no sign of baby (41+ 3) so I text Jade at 8:30 my plans to try midwives brew. By 9 am had drunk the entire thing (gross but nice?!).

9:20 I had my bloody show which upon reflection makes me think labour was likely to have been that day, midwives brew or not. However it definitely seemed to get things cranking. Yikes is all I can say.

9:50 Our firstborn was picked up by some beautiful family members (my contractions were 3 minutes apart and 1 minute long but didn’t feel intense enough yet. Josh (Husband) started filling the birth pool.

10:30 I climbed into the pool and after 2 MASSIVE contractions, Josh suggested we call Jade. On the call I told Jade I wasn’t feeling pushy but the contractions were intense (totally down playing the reality!!!!!!!) however the beauty of having a midwife walk alongside your entire pregnancy meant that she knew I was closer to baby time that I realised. She reassured me and said I was doing great then talked to Josh saying she would finish with her client in clinic and be round asap.

11:00 After getting too hot in the birth pool I moved to the lounge to labour on the ground, crunching ice like crazy to try cool down. At this point my groans changed enough that Josh and I looked at each other like “oh snap. Where are the midwives”😅

11:09 My waters broke (with my son my waters broke and he was born 10 minutes later) so this added to Joshs hidden panic that the midwives weren’t here yet.

Thankfully before Josh changed his vocation to midwife, arriving 1 minute after the assistant midwife (11:12), Jade breezed in the door and said “hi darling I’m here, you’re doing so well” and wow the relief that brought was unbelievable. After several contractions and coaching from Jade, Elsie was caught by Josh at 11:20.

After the whirlwind of a fast labour and delivery, I struggled a bit with bleeding and shock, however Jade was sooo calm and helped in every way she could to get me and Elsie as comfortable as possible while doing fundal massage to get my bleeding under control. The professionalism of Jade, her ability to command the room with peace and assuredness, and her beautiful caring nature and support for mamas, babies, and their whānau is truely a divine gifting. Thank you so much Jade 💓

- Thank you guys for sharing your special moments bringing Elsie earthside, if you're had a birthing experience with any of the Manaaki Midwives you're happy to share. Please get in touch, lets normalise birth together! 💚✨

23/10/2025

Thank you to Petra for sharing the birth story of little Juno with us! A beautiful homebirth of her second pēpi supported by Manaaki Midwives Lizz and Shari! 💚🌴

"Juno’s birth story really begins with her sister Indigo’s birth 4 years earlier. Indigo’s birth was long, spanning several days, and didn’t follow the typical progression I’d learnt about in birth classes. Eventually a home birth turned into an intervention heavy hospital birth and SCBU stay. I was grateful that although things weren’t going to plan it never felt scary, and the decisions we made along the way felt right for the circumstances (which I credit to my great midwife), but I still hoped for a different experience second time around.

On the 12th of August I went to bed experiencing mild cramps, and slept until 3am when they got a bit more intense and I had to get up and moving. At 5.30 I texted Lizz saying I was in early labour so she was ready for a call later that day. Within minutes of sending that message my contractions went from 10 minutes apart to 3 minutes, and less than an hour later we were calling her to come! It was so quick we weren’t able to get the pool set up, so I got into the bath and had Joel pour water on my back through contractions. I focused on affirmations, and anecdotes that had stuck with me from Ina May’s book.

I felt like everything was going amazingly, but didn’t let myself believe it until Lizz did my first check at 7.20am and I was already at 8cm! I continued to labour in the bath until I was fully dilated, then chose to get out because I couldn’t get comfortable in the positions that would be safe to birth her. At Lizz’s suggestion I spent a few contractions on the toilet which finally broke my waters, then came into our bedroom and soon felt the urge to push. I really enjoyed the switch as I felt I was in control of my body again and I could influence how fast she came. Juno was born at 9.46, making active labour a speedy 4 hours.

Having her on my chest and watching her crawl to my breast was a moment I had dreamed of! After 20 minutes we were still waiting on the placenta so Lizz had me stand up to help it out. That was when Juno first successfully latched, which felt such funny timing as I was a bit preoccupied! I had a couple of small tears which Lizz stitched on our bed. By lunch time we were alone just the three of us, enjoying a few hours of quiet before picking Indigo up from daycare and introducing her to her new sister.

I could not have asked for a more perfect experience, down to the smallest details. Lizz did an amazing job keeping me calm, and had great suggestions which helped avoid even minor interventions. I am so grateful to have had both birth experiences, which left me feeling empowered and proud in different ways"

Photo credit: Stacey Lake Photography