Breastfeeding a new baby can be a challenging, emotional and difficult journey – but with the right support it can become a beautiful bonding experience for the whole whānau.
For first-time māmā Salem Waters it made all the difference in the world.
“I thought, like a lot of people do, that breastfeeding was just something that happened naturally when you had a baby if you wanted to do it,” she reflects. “I thought your body, and your baby, would just know what to do. But I know now, through personal experience and through talking with other mums, that so many women really struggle at a time when they are at their most vulnerable.”
A Tui Ora kaimahi, Salem was pregnant with her daughter Waiataarere, now almost 1, when she took the opportunity to ask Lesley Smythe, Tiaki Ūkapiō Lactation Service Coordinator, lots of pātai when she saw her at work one day.
“No-one in my immediate family had breastfed and the Internet was throwing up all sorts of conflicting and confusing information, so talking to Lesley was amazing,” she said. “She answered all my questions and gave such great advice, I just felt so safe with her and knew my baby and I were in good hands.”
Lesley encouraged Salem to attend Hapū Wānanga, a two-day course that explores traditional Māori practices regarding pregnancy and birth and features kōrero about everything from baby immunisations to how to set up your home to make sure it’s safe for the new arrival.
“I was really anxious about going and I am so glad I did, I learned so much. I would highly recommend it for any hapū māmā.”
Salem signed up with the Tiaki Ūkapiō Breastfeeding Community Support service and found Lesley’s support invaluable when her daughter was born.
“My midwife was so busy – she was on the phone to another mother in labour when she was delivering Waiataarere – that she didn’t really have time to help me,” she says. “But Lesley was wonderful – she would call and check up on me and send me video clips and links.
“The first few days were really hard, but Lesley was right there for me and Waiataarere. She was also a real support for Dorian, my partner, because pāpā have a very important role to play too.
“It was just so amazing to know we weren’t alone in this, that there was a plan and all I had to do was follow it and everything would be ok.
“Having a baby is supposed to be this amazing magical thing but the reality can be very different. It’s hard work, an emotional rollercoaster – for everyone, not just māmā. And Lesley was there for us.”
A year down the track, Salem is now thinking of becoming breastfeeding advocate volunteer, supporting other women through their breastfeeding journeys.
“I live in Pātea and know that services are often out of reach for people. In some small way, I feel like I’d like to help other struggling māmā and to give back to the community that is Waiataarere’s kainga.
“I want to be able to help new mums make informed decisions about how to feed their pēpi and provide the support they need to make a breastfeeding journey a rewarding and uplifting one.”
Lesley said: “Supporting whānau to breastfeed is such a privilege because I get to see that relationship between mum and baby develop and grow. Those first days and months are so incredibly special, and to be welcomed into a whare to be part of that journey, to awhi and tautoko, is an honour, it really is.”
If you would like to learn more about the Tiaki Ūkapiō Breastfeeding Community Support service please call 0800 TUI ORA (884 672) or email [email protected]. You can also visit www.tuiora.co.nz and click on Our Services.