Māori women are far more likely to experience perinatal distress. Reclaiming traditional practices has helped many wahine Māori find better mental health outcomes, writes Arihia Latham. The story of Hine-tītama, the guardian of the dawn, becoming Hine-nui-te-pō, the atua of death, resonates with my experiences of becoming a mother. She was the child of Tāne-mahuta … Read more
For those mothers who gave birth by non-elective Caesarean section, feelings of sadness – even of failure – can be overwhelming, writes Janice Sharan. I’m sitting next to my 15-month-old. He’s sleeping peacefully, his mop of dark hair damp with sweat, lips pursed and his chest rising and falling as he takes calm breaths. He … Read more
The impact of pregnancy and birth on the body is immense, yet we rarely discuss the ways it impacts women’s lives, says Emily Writes. Before writing this piece on pregnancy and postpartum body changes I ran a short survey that I shared in a small Facebook group. Within half a day I had more than … Read more
A patronising, snide and all-round awful opinion column tried to guilt the celebrity couple for giving birth at home, and Emily Writes is not having it. If you ever want to write an opinion column, I’m pretty sure I’ve found the absolute best way to end it if you know full well it’s a piece … Read more
Following a roadside birth in an ambulance, the Southern DHB chief said it is ‘important for mothers and midwives to plan well ahead of their delivery’. Emily Writes wanted to find out more about how pregnancy works, so she asked a man who knows. Here at The Spinoff, we had our first piece on the wonderful … Read more
Deep breaths, in and out: Emily Writes has you. There’s so much advice out there about how to have the perfect birth. There are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of books; many, many blogs by experts whose qualifications are “gave birth once” or “haven’t given birth but have lots of opinions” or my personal … Read more
As part of our series on the midwifery crisis, The Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes asked midwives to share what’s gone wrong, and how they believe the crisis can be solved. It’s coming up to a year since I interviewed dozens of midwives about their experiences working in one of the toughest, most under-paid and … Read more
Hyperemesis gravidarum is a terrible, debilitating illness that few people understand. It’s more than morning sickness and it takes an immense toll on a pregnant mother. Wellington mother Wendy Harper shares her hyperemesis story. Two years ago at Easter, I planted a whole lot of tulip bulbs outside my bedroom. I hoped I would be … Read more
When this mother gave birth, her daughter was unable to breathe on her own – for 11 long, agonising minutes. These days she has a different attitude to the developmental milestones that many parents take for granted. The author of this piece asked to be anonymous for her daughter’s privacy. I’ve always found the concept … Read more
Lumsden Maternity Centre in rural Southland, where Bill English was born, is in imminent danger of closure. Southerner Victoria Crockford explains why it would be a devastating loss for the community. I must admit, I really questioned myself the day that the pigs broke into a multi-million dollar building site down the road. Pinky and … Read more
Angela Cuming gave birth to twins in Northern Ireland, under the British National Health Service. She reflects on the difference of care she received there compared to her oldest child’s birth in New Zealand. When my identical twin boys were born via c-section the doctors had me walk, crying and in pain, into the operating … Read more
Cassia Mor talks to women about sex after babies – the good, the bad and the in-between. I talked to 10 women about sex after childbirth and the differences in their responses were quite amazing. It became clear that for these women – like me – so many factors came into play in their journey back … Read more
On Monday we published a piece in which midwives spoke out. They talked about how exhausted they are, how they’re underpaid and overworked and underappreciated. Today we share the responses we received from politicians, and from NZ’s main midwives organisation. Following Monday’s story, we heard again and again from readers who were shocked by the … Read more
New Zealand’s midwife shortage has been in the news a lot in the past week – but the working conditions of midwives has been an issue for much, much longer. Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes asked midwives to talk about why they do the vital work that they do. It’s a job few would sign … Read more
What happens when your baby is born and you don’t feel anything? Nadine Millar shares her story of waiting for the feelings to come. I was 24 when I had my first baby. I’d just started Uni and it seemed like a good use of time. I wrote assignments while he slept, substituted text books for … Read more
Having sex can be daunting after childbirth for most mothers. But what do you do when it doesn’t get easier? Cassia Mor writes about her quest to finally have sex without pain. I thought the recovery from my child’s birth would be easier than the birth itself. I was wrong. My baby was born by … Read more
Birth trauma is a very real issue in New Zealand. Francesca Jones shares the story of her daughter’s birth and insists we realise we must approach this issue differently to protect vulnerable mothers. Content warning: This post is an account of birth trauma and contains a graphic depiction of a near-fatal birth. We share these stories on … Read more
This month on our parenting podcast: a brutally honest and funny discussion of the repercussions – both physical and mental – of pregnancy, birth and parenting. This is The Spinoff Parents podcast, Dear Mamas, a straight-talking parenting podcast with Holly Walker and Emily Writes. Our brilliant and talented sponsors are Little Big Crate. Little Big … Read more
There are plenty of drawbacks to living in the back of beyond, but for expectant mothers, at least, there’s one big plus: rural maternity units. Southlander Victoria Crockford explains why giving birth in one is a ‘privilege and a pleasure’ – and why their continued existence is under threat. I’m going to have my second … Read more
Giving birth can be a traumatic experience for some women and when that happens recovery can take a long time. Dana Chandler-Brown writes about her personal experience of birth trauma, and why we should be doing more to support mothers going through it. This post talks about birth trauma, a very real issue in New … Read more