Plunket nurse's return rich with nostalgia

Claire Williamson yesterday met her Plunket nurse Nancy Frampton for the first time in 33 years.

Mrs Williamson, now aged 34 and with two pre-schoolers, Stella and Ruby, still has her Plunket book with the neat handwriting of an N Frampton.

"Mum talked a lot about Nancy and her name is right through my book, so it's nice to meet her at last."

The two women discussed the detailed entries Miss Frampton made in her book: "breastfeeding every four hours, muscle tone and tissue turger, along with the vital growing measurements of the 5cm fontanelle, 34cm chest and 37cm head".

Miss Frampton was the face of Plunket and for 24 years, her visits reassured the mothers of thousands of babies.

Miss Frampton turned 86 last month.

She first trained as a maternity nurse in Wanganui but then went to Kaitaia Hospital where she worked in the chest ward with patients who had TB.

She returned to Wanganui and went down to Dunedin, the birthplace of Plunket founder Sir Truby King, to train as a Plunket nurse.

After training, Miss Frampton had hoped to be posted back to Wanganui but was sent instead to Balclutha.

"They were lovely people and I stayed there for 12 months."

Miss Frampton's next posting was back to the North Island where she was sole charge in Marton and made home visits in the lower Rangitikei to babies in Bulls and Hunterville.

In June 1967, a year before she retired, Miss Frampton returned to Wanganui and made her home visits to the baby named Claire at Turakina.

As a rural Plunket nurse, Miss Frampton travelled out as far as Hunterville, leaving at 8am and getting back when all her visits were over. Mrs Williamson is now also a Plunket volunteer who says she loves giving back to the organisation.

"And now it is supporting me as a mum with my own children.

"When I was a first-time mum, getting that practical support and reassurance from someone who knows what they are talking about, especially around sleeping patterns, was so valuable."