Charity the Māia Health Foundation wants to change that and is launching a campaign today to raise $40,000 for comfy chairs that the support person can sit and even sleep in.
Lisa Kahu works in the mama and pēpi service in Kaikōura.
She spoke to Corin Dann:
"Currently, processes have changed in the last 18 months to allow for a (support) person to stay with the mum but unfortunately we haven't done the next thing which is supporting that support person," Kahu said.
"They currently have a vinyl seat they can sit on or a vinyl mat on the floor, quite like a yoga mat."
The aim is to provide a comfortable seat for every post-natal bed, which a support person can sleep on.
The chairs that Māia is fundraising for are designed for hospital environments and would be out of the way of staff.
During the day they can be used as a sofa chair for visitors or breastfeeding mums, and in the evening they convert into a lie-flat bed.
Each year, more than 5500 women give birth at Christchurch Women’s Hospital, making it the largest secondary/tertiary hospital in the South Island and the hub for the Fetal Maternal Medicine Service.
The Maternity Ward on level five of the hospital has 45 beds and is at 80-90 per cent capacity most of the time.
Māia Health Foundation chief executive Michael Flatman said the need at Christchurch Women’s Hospital is so great the Māia team knew they had to step up and take action.
“The staff at Christchurch Women’s Hospital go above and beyond every day to care for our community’s newest families.
"It’s time we cared for them and gave our new mums, babies and families all the support we can in those first few days together. Māia’s fifth birthday is the ideal milestone to launch this fundraising drive,” he said.
"This an opportunity for you to support families with a new pepi, so please gift it forward."
You can donate here.
- RNZ and Star News
