Emily Writes: How childbirth works, according to a man

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

The Bulletin: Greens give Nats parliamentary gift

Kia ora, good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Greens do a Parliamentary deal with National, maternity care faces growing crisis, and Hamilton’s mayor hits out at Kirikiriroa coverage. The Greens will give the bulk of their Parliamentary questions to the National Party for the rest of the term. Leader James Shaw made the announcement … Read more

When love aint enough: Are we about to lose another rural maternity centre?

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

Midwives in their own words: ‘We are only human’

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