TODDLER IN TOW Keeping Porirua parents in "the know" on what our city has on offer!
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Support & Services in Porirua

A directory of classes, services and supportive organisations for parents, from antenatal classes to car seat hireage and toy libraries.
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Sweet Dreams Sleep Consultants

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Bellyful

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Bellyful is the new parenting organisation on the block, committed to helping parents through difficult times by providing them with meals. Any parent knows how difficult those first few months can be with a newborn baby, and many mums with new babies find that the most difficult time of the day is dinner time; especially if you have other children that need feeding. I love the fact thisorganisation is all about mums helping other mums.

Do you know someone who may need assistance form the Bellyful team? Bellyful support families with babies under 3 months old who are struggling to get dinner on the table whilst juggling a newborn or are new to the area and therefore don't know many people in the community. They also support those families in crisis who have a child or parent in Hospital, have a terminal or very ill child or are going through a very difficult time due to personal circumstances.

The Bellyful vounteers make and freeze meals and when called upon, one of them will hand deliver one of these meals. As we mums know, that meal can be a real sanity saver! All of the ingredients they use are donated by businesses or people in the local community and meals are provided at no cost to those that receive them.

If you know someone who might need Bellyful's assistance or you would like to help out with this fantastic organisation please get in touch. There are so many ways to be involved, whether it be through cooking and delivering food, donating supermarket vouchers or fresh produce, or getting your business involved as a financial sponsor.

Contact Tracie: tracie.lane@bellyful.org.nz  
www.bellyful.org.nz
Facebook Page

Kapi Mana Multiple Birth Club

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"We are an active club that provides a number of services to our 40+ members in the Tawa-Pukerua Bay area of Porirua City, New Zealand. The ages of our multiple birth children range from newborns to adults, and include twins and triplets." (Copied from Multiple Births Club website)

Telephone Support/ Social Occassions / Family Assistance Information / Grocery Hampers / Nappies / Preloved Clothing Swaps / Equipment Hire / Buddy Support / Newsletters / Special Discounts

Membership: $40 per year  Click here for a Membership form

New Members Officer (Tawa-Pukerua Bay): Agnieszka Reynolds, ph 021 955 513; Lisa Cuttance, ph 022 052 7605 
First contact for new members. Provides links and support.
New Members Officer (Kapiti Coast, north of Pukerua Bay): Carrie Taylor, Ph 021 462 445; Anna Mabey, ph 022 0720 500
Email newmembers@kapimanamultiples.org.nz.
​Website


Mana Parents Centre

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"Mana Parents Centre is a community based non-profit organisation which provides Childbirth Education (aka antenatal classes) and Parent Education classes for families living between Tawa and Pukerua Bay. (We are also happy to take enrolments for our antenatal classes from outside these areas if you have difficulty finding a childbirth education class to attend) We are one of 52 Parents Centres throughout New Zealand as part of Parents Centres NZ Inc.

Mana Parents Centre (MPC) is run by a team of volunteer parents who are members of MPC and who all have attended our childbirth education course. All of the services provided by MPC to the community, are organized by this committee of dedicated volunteers, wanting to give something back to our local area. We are located on the ground floor in Pember House, Hagley St, Porirua." (copied from Mana Parents Centre website)
Contact Details: (04) 237 6262 EMAIL
http://www.manapc.org.nz/
Facebook Page

FOR MANA PARENTS CENTRE PARENTING CLASSES SEE OUR PARENTING CLASSES PAGE

Cannons Creek Fanau Centre

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Website
16 Bedford Court, Cannons Creek
Phone: 237 7749
Fax: 64 4 237 7173
Email: enquiry@fanau.org.nz
"The Cannons Creek Fanau Centre is located in Cannons Creek, Porirua. It is one of six Family Service Centres in New Zealand. The other 5 centres are located in Mangere, Otara, Huntly, Opotiki and Motueka (South Island) The key feature of the centre is the provision of integrated services to children and families in need of support. The mix of services is broad and includes early childhood education, family support and health services. These four core services are delivered in one building along the line of "one stop shop" concept." (Information copied from website)

Plunket Home & Clinic Visits

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Plunket provides well child and family and whānau health support services through free home and clinic visits. They offer information, support and developmental assessments of your child at varying stages between birth and 5 years.
Part of their care includes home visits for babies in the early weeks, and then clinic or further home visits for children up to 5 years old.
Visits can also take place at preschools, marae and other community facilities. Each visit gives you the opportunity to discuss parenting, family issues, your child’s health and development (eg nutrition, breastfeeding, sleep, safety, behaviour, growth, hearing and vision).
Plimmerton: 9 Steyne Avenue / Please phone for an appointment  04 233 8288
Porirua East:
217 Bedford Street / Please phone for an appointment 04 237 6853
Tawa/Linden: Linden Ave, Tawa/ Please phone for an appointment 04 232 7529
Titahi Bay: Whitehouse Road / Please phone for an appointment 04 236 8953
Waitangirua: 220 Warspite Avenue / Please phone for an appointment 04 235 7503
Whitby:
Whitby Mall / Please phone for an appointment 04 234 8907

FOR PLUNKET PARENTING CLASSES SEE OUR PARENTING CLASSES PAGE

Plunket Toy Libraries

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Plunket toy libraries are a great way to get safe toys for your child, at little or no cost. Toys are an important way of helping your child to develop different skills, encouraging their imagination and helping them learn about sound, touch and how things work.
Toy libraries allow you to borrow a range of toys to suit the age and stages of your child. You can choose and borrow toys then bring them back in to exchange for others, just like library books, and without having to purchase new ones.

Run by volunteers, toy libraries may not be available in all areas and a membership fee may apply.

Plimmerton: 9 Steyne Avenue / Thursday 9.30-11am
Pukerua Bay: Pukerua Bay Tennis Club, Rawhiti Road / Thursday 9.30–11.30 am
Tawa: 3 Oxford Street / Tuesday 7-8.30pm and Saturday 9.30-11.30am / 04 232 6343

ROCKMYBABY® NANNY & BABYSITTING AGENCY 

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ROCKMYBABY® NANNY & BABYSITTING AGENCY

Rockmybaby® is New Zealand's Largest Nanny & Babysitting Agency!

Our innovative online booking system operates 24/7 - make sure you book your babysitter or request your nanny today.

www.rockmybaby.co.nz


Whitby Toy Library

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Website
Facebook
Email: info@wtl.org.nz 
Adventure Park Car Park, Discovery Drive, Whitby 

Open: Weds 9.15-11.30am & Sat 9am-Midday 
"Whitby Toy Library is a voluntary not for profit organization which offers an important dimension to a child's development by providing for hire a wide range of educational toys and games designed to aid mental, physical and social development.

We actively promote play as being essential to a child. Essential to their, social, physical, psychological, and cultural development. It is widely known that children learn through play. It helps them to become more independent, develop concentration and imagination and is a key skill needed for life. Play is fun, an essential part of child development, and something to be enjoyed by the whole family.

We aim to be a place that offers a large range of well designed quality toys. A place that gives you the opportunity to borrow toys that match the stage of development that your child is at, a place to interact with other families." (information copied from website)

Pukerua Bay Toy Library

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Pukerua Bay Tennis Club Rooms, Rawhiti Road, Pukerua Bay
Opening Hours: Thursday 9.30 - 11.30am and soon to be open Saturday 9.30 - 11.30am as well.

Come along and have a coffee while the children play with the toys before taking some home

Baby on the Move Hireage (Petone)

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"Hiring equipment means you don’t need to outlay a lot of money to have use of the product you need. So hiring your baby equipment saves you money, time and storage space especially when you only need to use it for a short time.
Our extensive range of rental baby equipment includes infant capsules with bases, toddler seats, buggies, bassinets, cots, exersaucers, monitors, safety gates for doorways and so much more. We use well known brands of equipment and ensure each and every item is well maintained.
Availability and prices vary between product and length of hire. We are able to hire from 1 day, 1 week, a few months or even up to 1 year, the choice is yours. If needed, hire equipment can be delivered to the airport for your arrival, brought to the hospital if your baby has arrived early, or delivered to your accommodation to be ready for when you arrive."
(copied from Baby on the Move website)

North Wellington Area (including Porirua):
Jo Boxall
259 Cockayne Road, Ngaio
Phone: 04-938 7161
Website
Facebook Page

Hutt Valley:
Amber Thomas
48 Richmond Street, Petone
Phone: (04) 586 7771 or (021) 818 158 
Email: lowerhutt@babyonthemove.co.nz 
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10.00am to 4.00pm
Website
Facebook Page

La leche League - breastfeeding support

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La Leche League (pronounced "Lah Lay-chay League") is an organisation founded by seven women who wanted to make breastfeeding easier and more rewarding for both mothers and children. The organisation offers information and encouragement - primarily through personal help - to women who want to breastfeed their babies. http://www.lalecheleague.org.nz/

- Mana Le Leche League meets the 2nd Wednesday of the month from 9.45am-11.45am at Plimmerton Pavillion, Sunset Parade. Everyone is welcome at La Leche League Mana - pregnant women and mothers, their babies and toddlers, whanau, and support people to find out about the basics of breastfeeding and much, much more.  For more information: Lorraine (04) 233 6513 http://www.lalecheleague.org.nz/local-groups/10-north-island/85-mana-lll
- Tawa Le Leche League meets the last Thursday each month from 9:45am -11:30am at Tumai Mo Te Iwi Health Centre - next door to The Salvation Army Family Store, Main Road, Tawa. Pregnant women, mothers, babies/children all welcome to talk about everything from starting breastfeeding to weaning and more.
For more information: Lorraine (04) 233 6513 http://www.lalecheleague.org.nz/local-groups/10/200

New Zealand Lactation Consultants - Porirua & Kapiti

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Ligi Igasia (Porirua area) 027 457 2975 (Mobile) 027 224 1087 (Work) 
Noreen Roche (Kapiti Coast) 021 452 763 (Mobile) 04 904 0472 (Home)
Service Offered: Private / Phone / Clinic / Home visits Cost Service: $65 first visit then $45 Working Hours: 9am - 4.30pm
http://www.nzlca.org.nz/
"The New Zealand Lactation Consultants Association (NZLCA) is the professional association of Internationally Certified Lactation Consultants in New Zealand. Lactation Consultants believe that breastfeeding matters to women and their babies. Almost all New Zealand women breastfeed, but some wean earlier than they would like, due to problems that are avoidable or manageable.  A Lactation Consultant can make a difference between giving up, and continuing to breastfeed for as long as mother and baby wish. The Lactation Consultant is the main resource for anyone requiring assistance or needing to know more about special breastfeeding and lactation problems or about the importance of human milk. The Lactation Consultant advocates for breastfeeding as the norm for babies and toddlers." (Information from NZ Lactation Consultants website)

For breastfeeding help contact Sandy Reid (04) 9782905

KidzTalk Speech Therapist - Newlands

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Based in Wellington, Kidz Talk is affordable Speech-Language Therapy focusing on children from birth to 8 years old, with the ability to support older children upon request. Face-to-face appointments are available in central Wellington; with online support also available. Feel free to contact Kidz Talk for a no-obligation voice or email discussion about your concerns or to make an appointment for an initial consultation.

Areas of service include: 
  • Speech Sounds
  • Stuttering
  • Preschool Language (0-3 Years)
  • Preschool Language (3-5 Years)
  • School Age Language (5- 8 Years)
  • Phonological  Awareness (for literacy)
  • Group Programmes for parents whose child is:
    * between 1-2 years old and has less than 50 different words they can say
    * between 2-3 years and is not putting two words together (e.g. “dolly   drink”, “big car”, “daddy go”)
    * a preschooler diagnosed with Autism

  • Kidz Talk offers remote/online support for families who live rurally, parents who just want some guidance and/or reassurance for their young child, or those who are happy to complete programmes at home without having to pay ongoing fees.

    www.kidztalk.co.nz
    online@kidztalk.co.nz
    04 889 2825 or 027 279 8349
    PO Box 26037, Newlands, Wellington 6442

    Urban Athletes - Fitness Programmes

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    Urban Athletes on Facebook and Urban Athletes Hot Mummas Facebook Forum
    urbanathletes@hotmail.com
    / dan@urbanathletes.co.nz P: 0276375019 /matt@urbanathletes.co.nz P: 0274692477

    The Urban Athletes Outdoor Training is a 5 week intense fitness and health program that has been specifically designed to give your body the ultimate workout! They are run by locals Matt Nolan & Dan Snowden. They have been running their fitness programs now since November 2010 and Matt & Dan say they have been nothing but a pleasure to be apart of and they have had the pleasure of meeting some wonderful people along the way!

    From the feed back they've had, the 5:30am time slot has been a bit too much for new mums wanting to get back into their training and unfortunately a few have missed out! So....

    "Urban Athletes would like to invite and give new mums the opportunity to be a part of this in 2011.
    To give you an example as the dates and times are still to be confirmed the training's would run from 10am-11am Monday, Wednesday and Fridays for 5 weeks. Importantly the program we run is gradual and will be catered to the individual this would also include a nutritional food plan, health and fitness test (weight, body fat %) and 3 one hour sessions with us for 5 weeks. This is a group programme so we would be looking at anywhere between 12-20 people to join us. The whole idea is for people to enjoy a safe indoors experience within a group of people they know and trust and create a "Healthy Body, Health Mind" attitude!!"

    Spoil Yourself Spa Mummy Mobile Service

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    Website and Facebook Page
    Email: sofi@spoilyourselfspa.com
    0800 Spoil Yourself (0800 776459)

    Mummy MOBILE is a mobile service catering to Coffee groups to perform essential beauty treatments in the convenience of your coffee time.   We understand how hard it is trying to get your leg waxed in a salon with young children, or the effort of getting the car crew ready and finding a park in the hussel of town. Take the excuses away and let Spoil Yourself's fabulous team of Qualified therapists take care of your  beauty needs and feel a little more human again.

    Mummy Mobile Service Menu: 
    Waxing:
      Eyebrow shape $18, Underarm $23, Bikini $23, Lip or chin $15, Extended Bikini $42, Lip & chin $25 Brazilian $60, Brazilian $50, Half arm $25, Full arm $35, Half leg $35, Full leg $50
    Tinting:  Eyebrow tint $18, Eyelash, browtint & brow shape $45, Eyelash tint $23, Eyelash & brow shape $40,
    Eyebrow tint&shape $30          
    Relaxation : Express Manicure $45, Express Pedicure $55, Scalp massage 15 minutes  $20, Foot massage 15 minutes $20, Back massage  15 minutes $30

    CHECK OUT THE SPECIAL OFFER ON OUR WEBSITE!

    Whitby Toy Library

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    Wednesday: 9.15am-11.30am / Saturday: 9.00am-Midday
    Adventure Park Car Park, Discovery Drive, Whitby
    info@wtl.org.nz
    http://www.wtl.org.nz/
    "Whitby Toy Library is a voluntary not for profit organization which offers an important dimension to a child's development by providing for hire a wide range of educational toys and games designed to aid mental, physical and social development. Whitby Toy Library has three different memberships designed to suit a variety of needs. The working membership will suit those who are happy to help out at the toy library every so often. The full membership will suit those who just don't have the time to get involved. The casual membership will suit those who only want to use the toy library on a few occassions throughout the year." (Copied from Whitby Toy Library website)

    Pixie Toy Hire (online)

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    www.pixietoyhire.co.nz
    info@pixietoyhire.co.nz
    56 Waddington Drive, Lower Hutt   (04) 977 1716
    "We provide a quality toy hire service for 0-5 year olds in the Wellington region. We offer monthly, weekly and party hire. All of our toys are cleaned before each hire and we have a delivery service available (charges apply)."

    My First Saver

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    Website and Facebook Page
    "My First Saver is a service provided by Simply Invest Ltd. (www.simplyinvest.co.nz) Our website service enables parents to get their child's government $1000 before it disappears - at no cost! My First Saver is a quick and easy online way for you to enrol your child in a government default KiwiSaver Scheme and get their $1000. We do the administration work; all we need is your child's details, a photocopy of their birth certificate or passport, and your signature." (Information from website)

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