Information and advice from the Ministry of Health to support you during baby's first year.

The Ministry of Health website is full of helpful information for new parents. Taking time to get familiar with the contents will allow you to guide whānau to relevant information, which will also align with what their Well Child/Tamariki Ora nurse is sharing with them.

The first year | Ministry of Health NZ(external link)

This page starts with a video where 3 different whānau share their experiences of parenting in the first year. Some of the topics they talk about are:

  • looking after yourself
  • what to expect from your Well Child/Tamariki Ora visit
  • safe sleeping for young babies
  • coping with crying
  • coping when baby starts teething.

Information on this page also covers topics such as:

  • feeding
  • settling baby
  • sleeping
  • being a great dad
  • when your baby keeps on crying
  • colic
  • smokefree environments
  • postnatal depression
  • never shake a baby
  • sex after having a baby.