Plunket Wanganui hosts course for parents with young babies

Plunket's Your Growing Baby parenting group starts at 10am on Wednesday, March 21, at The Hub on Bates Street. Photo/123RF

Plunket's Your Growing Baby parenting group starts at 10am on Wednesday, March 21, at The Hub on Bates Street.

It is part of the parenting education programme that consists of a series of five courses which are free for all participants.

Your Growing Baby is second in the series, after Your New Baby, and focuses on parenting from six weeks until a baby is rolling or crawling.

Parenting education co-ordinator Dee Hikairo said there were many benefits to attending the course.

"It is to support parent adjustment to the wonder, the changes and the challenges that life with a new baby has brought," she said.

"Plunket's programme, supports New Zealand parents by building their confidence and knowledge in their parenting role."

The session is hosted by Plunket Community Karitāne Tracey Young and runs for two hours every term, sometimes twice a term.

Ms Hikairo said parent support groups such as Plunket's offered the opportunity to discuss feelings around becoming a new parent.

"Normalising some feelings may lessen the sense of inadequacy experienced by some new parents. Many families take the arrival of a new baby in their stride. Others find it more challenging.

"How parents adjust can impact on their baby's early experiences and these experiences in turn provide a foundation for the baby's future health and wellbeing.

"Self-care as a parent can be challenging, especially in the first few months, having opportunities to explore how to do this is important to our health and wellbeing," she said.

The course can accept a minimum of four registrations and a maximum of 12 – the average for Your Growing Baby in Whanganui in 2018 is approximately 10.

To register, visit the Plunket Wanganui Facebook page and click the link in the post.