Empowering
NEW ZEALAND WOMEN

Whakamanatia ngā wāhine katoa o Aotearoa

We would like all women to know they have the right to receive their funded inpatient postnatal care and are able to make their own choice about where they receive it.

Did you feel you had long enough in hospital after birth?  Did you know that you are entitled to receive up to 48 hours postnatal care? 

We'd love to hear your story

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ABOUT US

Mothers Matter is about empowering women to make an informed choice about their postnatal care. 

WHO WE ARE

Mothers Matter is a collaboration of committed individuals, health professionals and parents who are united in a common goal to have a nationwide discussion around the importance of postnatal care and ensure all women understand they have the choice to receive the care and support that they are entitled to.

CHLOE WRIGHT

Chloe Wright is the founder and architect of Mothers Matter, which seeks to achieve for women what is rightfully theirs: 48 hours postnatal care and the support they need to thrive after giving birth.

Chloe is also CEO and Co-founder of the Wright Family Foundation, which is assisting organisations across the country to enable people to reach their full potential, and Founder and Director of Birthing Centre, establishing four primary birthing facilities in Tauranga, Palmerston North, Lower Hutt and South Auckland over the past five years in order to push for equitable, quality maternity care and choice for women in these communities.

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“The 48 hours after birth are a precious window of opportunity for mothers and their babies and whanau. It is a time of critical bonding and determinate of future wellbeing, which must be honoured. So, it is with energy that we need to unite to solve the escalating crisis relating to maternity and postnatal care for mothers and babies across the country.

The only way to solve it is to put the mother back at the centre of care and that requires pressure on the DHBs and the Government who claim to care about mental health in this country. Our current maternal suicide rate is seven times that of the UK per capita and Maori women are over-represented. If we look after mothers, their babies and families also thrive, paying dividends for future generations.

Mothers are currently funded for, need and have a right to 48 hours of postnatal care and we must start to demand it before more harm is done. We support Louise Upston MP’s private members bill to take this a step further and bring in legislation for a 3-day-stay postnatally.”

My Story- ELLEN CHISHOLM

It was a truly horrible birth experience, and a horrible situation at the hospital.

I have never been more drained in my life, physically, emotionally and mentally and the treatment I received triggered severe anxiety which led to postnatal depression.

TELL US YOUR STORY

WHY POSTNATAL
CARE MATTERS

Giving birth is a profound physiological, mental and emotional experience.

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The first 48 hours following the delivery of a baby can be particularly hard, when it should be the most exciting time as the journey of parenthood begins.

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It is the time that deserves the most amount of care and support.

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We know every mother is different and we know that some mothers will be comfortable leaving the hospital within the 48-hour postnatal period to which she’s entitled to receive.

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But we also believe, to make an informed choice about what is best for themselves, their baby and family, women need information. They need information about the health and well-being benefits that come from receiving up to 48 hours postnatal care in a supportive environment and dedicated maternal facility and they need to know what they’re entitled to.

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So, what makes the first 48 hours so important?

Becoming a mum or dad, whether or not it’s your first time, is a big transition.

Giving parents the tools to make the right decisions and the opportunity to form a loving, nurturing attachment with their baby is at the heart of postnatal care.

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The first 48 hours after birth often sets a pattern of interaction that will serve the child and parent for a lifetime. Without a good, loving bond or attachment, children are less likely to grow up to become happy, independent and resilient adults.

An impaired parent–child relationship can contribute to the development of behavioural, social or learning difficulties in children and make it more difficult for them to fulfil their full potential and become resilient in the face of life’s challenges.

While birth is a defining moment, it’s also an emotionally tumultuous time as many women are vulnerable to psychological problems including anxiety, depression and adjustment disorders.

There is an idealistic expectation that a woman knows what to do when she becomes a mum, and she has an innate knowledge on how to be a parent. Many women experience the ‘baby blues’, a perfectly normal feeling that is triggered by physical changes and emotional factors – the transition from mum to be to actual mum requires a special type of care and support that can only come from trained, dedicated professionals.

The vast majority of women who give birth every year in New Zealand experience no medical complications. However, many new mothers can endure dangerous and even life-threatening complications that can have a long-term negative impact on them, their baby and family. Receiving the appropriate postnatal care, support and management in a dedicated maternal facility can alleviate and possibly prevent the many treatable conditions that can arise from giving birth.

For these reasons, and so many more, receiving up to 48 hours postnatal care in the right facility is critically important.