New Zealand: Plunket Colleagues

We have arrived in New Zealand, where the Kiwis explain that they enjoy all four seasons, often in one day! 

We’ve run out of superlatives—awesome, majestic, spectacular—for the sights before us. And, though we are on our way to HUG Your Baby gigs, we take time for a train ride along Otago’s Taieri Gorge and a boat trip on chilly, yet spell-binding Milford Sound. It’s easy to find a place for my efforts at water coloring while Jim laps around yet another glacial lake. 

We are rested and in the “Ready Zone” for three upcoming HUG presentations in a country known not only for its natural beauty but also for its outstanding standard of care for young families and their babies.

Read HERE about the Plunket work in New Zealand,  a entury-old, and internationally acclaimed, parent support and education organization.

During our visit to New Zealand I had the great privilege of meeting in Wellington with leadership from the national office of Plunket. Their General Manager graciously arranged a meeting with their National Parenting Education Advisor, their National S.K.I.P Leader, and their Clinical Advisor. This was a powerhouse gathering of experience and commitment to supporting young families! 

I loved the “Parenting Threads” that weave through Plunket’s materials and services: “The Relationship Heart, “Conscious Parenting,” “The Confident Parent,” and “The Capable Baby.” Two parent educators were especially interested in the family-friendly language used in HUG trainings and have been registered to see what HUG Your Baby’s online course might offer Kiwi families. (Photo L-R: Bridgid Wilkinson [National Perinatal Educator]' Regan Mayo [Leader of SKIP], and Allison Jamieson [Plunket Clinical Advisor]).

98% of newborns in New Zealand receive care by Plunket nurses and parent educators. HUG Your Baby is hoping to give this Plunket Bear a BIG HUG! Each region in New Zealand  contributed a quilt piece depicting their region and the people they serve.