My baby is here - top tips for those first few days

Becoming a new parent is a wonderful experience but can be stressful and overwhelming at times. Babies need gentle care and handling - time to adjust to being in their new world.

Wherever you choose to give birth to your baby (at home or in hospital) it is important to know that there is always a midwife (your LMC or at the hospital) available at the end of the phone, or who can come and visit you to help you with any concerns or questions you have.

It is important to realise that your baby is completely relying on you and your partner for all that he/she needs. It is also vital that as new parents you take time to rest and sleep when you get the chance.

Bellyful

Bellyful Napier is a not for profit organisation, run wholly by volunteers from the Napier region. We provide meals to families with a newborn baby and to families with a member that has a serious illness. 

The ingredients are purchased with money donated by local sponsors and supporters, or fundraised. All food is prepared by volunteers at a ‘cookathon’ held in commercial kitchen premises provided by community organisations. Meals are always delivered frozen, ready for popping in the freezer or reheating. Bellyful can provide gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian meals on request. 

WHO IS BELLYFUL FOR? 

  1. Bellyful’s first criteria is that families we support don’t have others available to do what we do – cook and deliver free meals eg. families new to the area, families with little or no family / community support.

  2. The second criteria is that the family must fall into one of these categories:
    • Have a new baby (generally under three months old – but that’s not set in stone eg. if the mother has PND, has twins / triplets, other children – we can help for longer or at a later stage than the 3 months old if needed)
    • Have a young family and someone in that family unit has a serious or terminal illness.
We welcome self-referrals from families.

There is no financial assessment involved. Bellyful isn’t a service that provides meals on a financial need but on an emotional need for support - providing practical support for those families who wouldn’t have that support otherwise.

WAYS TO MAKE A REFERRAL


Please note: We currently only deliver to Napier areas (areas between Eskdale and Haumoana/Waiohiki/Puketapu).