Source: Waikato District Health Board
Mothercraft, based at Waikato hospital, celebrated its 50th anniversary this month, commemorating the mothers, caregivers, and clinicians who have been part of the service.
Mothercraft is a residential service supporting mothers and caregivers of babies up to one year old who are experiencing difficulties. The service covers the Te Manawa Taki region. The most common concerns relate to difficulties with feeding, sleeping, or crying.
Referrals to Mothercraft come from a variety of services including general practitioners, Tamariki Ora, Plunket nurses, midwives, pediatricians, newborn intensive care units, and paediatricians.
The service offers intensive assessment, education and support to babies and mothers/caregivers admitted on Mondays, remaining in the unit to have full-time support from the team, and then discharged the following Friday. It is staffed by a nursing team who works with a multidisciplinary team that includes doctors, dietitians, social workers, maternal mental health, kaitiaki, a speech-language therapist, and lactation consultants.
Mothercraft is located on the Waikato Hospital campus near the Regional Renal Center and Hockin Building, in a historic Lockwood building that has a homely feel, with communal lounges and dining areas.
The residential facility was founded by the late Elsa Wood, who was a Karitane Nurse and at the time a hospital board member, along with other supporters of the initiative. In the beginning, funding came from a massive community fundraising effort, with huge support from the Lions Club[NW1] , and slowly, became a full-fledged part of the hospital services.
The service is currently being reviewed to make sure we can continue to offer the best possible support for our mums and babies, and furthermore if there are opportunities to enhance the service.
