HealthInfo Canterbury
Community support for mental illness during & after pregnancy
The following community groups can offer you practical support.
Bellyful
Phone: 027-519-5986 or 0508-235-5938
Website: www.bellyful.org.nz
How can it help?
- Volunteers deliver meals to families with new babies aged up to 3 months, and families struggling with illness, particularly those lacking a good support network.
- The service is available within Christchurch and the Selwyn District.
- If you live north of the Waimakariri, you can collect or arrange the collection of frozen meals from Harewood.
Plunket Parent and Infant Relationship Service (PPAIRS)
Phone: 021-408-940 or 022-014-0969
Email: ppairs.canterbury@plunket.org.nz
See the PPAIRS pamphlet for more information.
How can it help?
- The service offers a relationship-focused service to help parents understand the emotional needs of their infant or young child, through recognising the child's emotional cues, and the parents' response to those cues.
- It offers a group course (at 5 Twigger St, Addington) or home visits.
- Plunket nurses deliver the service.
Plunket Postnatal Adjustment Programme
Phone: (03) 365-1646
Website: www.plunket.org.nz
Ask you GP for a referral or call the number above.
How can it help?
- The service can do assessments at home to see how well you're coping.
- It provides follow-up phone support.
- It has group programmes.
Pregnancy Help
Phone: (03) 385-0556
Website: www.pregnancyhelp.org.nz/canterbury
How can it help?
- The service offers phone support.
- It runs a mother-to-mother group.
- It offers practical help with maternity and baby clothing and equipment.
- It provides information, advice and advocacy.
- It has a drop-in centre.
St John of God Waipuna – Young Parents Development
Phone: (03) 386-2159
Website: www.sjog.org.nz
Parenting support, social work and education for young parents under 25.
How can it help?
- The service runs antenatal classes.
- It has a breastfeeding support group.
- It can provide infant massage to promote soothing and sleep.
- It runs groups for parents of infants and preschoolers to improve parent-child relationships.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Endorsed by Consultant Psychiatrist, Mothers and Babies Service, Canterbury DHB. Page created August 2017.
Review key: HIHMI-138165
