Pregnancy

Title: Your Pregnancy. Episode 01 of 15

Title: Rachael & John’s Whānau

[Rachael and John sort baby clothes on their bed.]

Rachael (voice-over): We're just really excited to have her with us, just to have her around. It seems like a long, long time. I'm twenty-six weeks pregnant and we're having a girl.

Title: Christine & Vika’s Whānau

[Christine and Vika sort through bag of baby clothes.]

Vika (voice-over): She gave me a call at work and she said she was pregnant. It was hard to take it all in. I just got really emotional knowing that I've got a baby.

[Interview with Christine and Vika.]

Christine: We're coming along to four months.

Title: Jane & Pat’s Whānau

[Pat places his hand on Jane’s pregnant stomach.]

Jane (voice-over): Your relationship with your body is quite interesting, I think, when you're pregnant – like, the more and more pregnant you get, the more aware you are that your body is doing this amazing job and it's preparing for an amazing job. I'm thirty-six weeks pregnant.

[Interview with Christine and Vika.]

Christine: When I found out I was pregnant, I was so excited and happy and full of a lot of different emotions at the same time.

[Interview with Rachael and John.]

John: When we found out we were having a girl, I was quite nervous but I was really excited. I can't wait to meet her.

[Ngaire knocks on Christine and Vika’s front door. Christine lets her in.]

[Interview with Ngaire.]

Title: Ngaire Va’a, Midwife

Ngaire (voice-over): I'm Ngaire Va'a. I'm a midwife out in the community. I've been practicing for ten years.

[Shot of Ngaire with Rachael and John. She holds a report, which she shows to the parents.]

Ngaire: So I'm just gonna go over the scan report with you. This is when you were twenty weeks and four days.

Ngaire (voice-over): My role as a midwife is to help support mum, baby and the whanau throughout her pregnancy and get the best possible outcome for them.

[Interview with Christine and Vika.]

Christine: With this being my third pregnancy, I knew it was important to find a midwife early. Because I want a midwife who was going to be with me throughout the whole pregnancy. The main things I was looking for in a midwife was someone I could relate to.

[Ngaire performs a scan on Christine in Christine’s living room.]

Ngaire (voice-over): We also offer mum various tests – scans, screening tests, blood tests. To make sure that mum is fit and well and is providing the best possible environment for her baby.

[Interview with Jane and Pat.]

Pat: The first scan we had was pretty cool.

Jane: It was the twelve week scan, which is one that you opt into.

[Vika watches an ultrasound video on his laptop.]

Vika: When I first saw the scan, we were able to see the heartbeat. It was just so surreal. To see that we've created another human being.

 [Interview with Ngaire.]

Ngaire: So it's important to start taking supplements in early pregnancy.

[Shots of Christine taking supplements.]

Ngaire (voice-over): The ones that we offer are folic acid. Folic acid helps prevent spine deformities. The other one is iodine and that helps with brain development.

[Interview with Christine.]

Christine: It was important to me to take these supplements just to make sure baby is getting everything that it needs to grow.

[Interview with Jane and Pat.]

Pat: Morning sickness, A.K.A. five months of you feeling slightly hungover all the time.

Jane: Yeah, it wasn't particularly volatile – having to run off into the the loo or anything – but I just felt “ick” for weeks and weeks and weeks.

[Interview with Rachael and John.]

Rachael: It's a lot more fun in the second trimester because you're not sick or tired.

[Rachael and John pet a rabbit in an enclosure on their lawn.]

Rachael (voice-over): I've felt a lot more energetic, been able to get up.

[Shots of the mums engaging in exercise and preparing healthy food.]

Ngaire (voice-over): It's also important to look after yourself, making sure that you're eating well, keeping yourself active, and avoiding all the things that you shouldn't be having, like smoking, alcohol, drugs.

[Jane and Pat pack a bag with supplies.]

Jane (voice-over): In terms of getting ready for the arrival of the chubby hobbit child, you just want all your ducks in a row. Things like a hospital bag.

[Interview with Jane and Pat.]

Pat: We've ordered the carseat.

Jane: Yes, the carseat gets installed on Saturday.

Pat: We know roughly how long it takes to get to the hospital from here, and we've got a standby bag with all the bits and pieces.

[Interview with Vika.]

Vika: I'd like to share with the guys out there, that if you're having your first baby, make sure you support your wife or your partner – they pretty much need all your energy.

[Shots of the couples spending time together.]

[Interview with Rachael and John.]

Rachael: If I was to give any advice, it'd be to enjoy every part of it. It's such a beautiful thing. It's like a super power! You grow humans!

Title: Our thanks to the families and health workers who appeared in this video for the Ministry of Health. Find out more about pregnancy and child health on www.health.govt.nz/yourhealth.