Activity across New Zealand in August

There’s a range of activity happening in our regions in August. We’ve pulled this together into one page as an overall update. . .

AUCKLAND

NICU Mums Morning Tea – 7th & 21st August 10.30am, Mums Kitchen

This is a morning tea for Mums who currently have a baby or babies in the NICU at Auckland hospital. It’s a chance to meet those Mums you often pass in the corridor, plus one of Lactation Consultants comes along to answer any questions you may have about expressing or feeding.

The Little Miracles Trust Developmental Playgroup – 2nd, 16th & 30th August 10am to 11.30am at the Parenting Place, Greenlane

This is a fantastic FREE service for babies who have been through a NICU or SCBU unit. It is appropriate for babies from when they go home from the unit, until they are cruising furniture. If your baby is well, you may come when you feel ready. Janet Milne, who is an Occupational Therapist, is there to answer any questions you may have. It’s a great opportunity to meet up with other families who have been through NICU/SCBU.

Scent With Love

We’ve been lucky enough to be approached by two lovely girls from Kristen College, Grace & Kate, who wanted to do a community project for NICU. Their idea was to make felt hearts, in pairs, to give to the mother and the child to wear whilst they are apart. They wear the felt hearts on their chest and swap them frequently so they can smell each other and feel loved. To raise funds for the resources needed the girls held a car boot sale and have spent their school holidays making up the hearts and popping them into beautiful gauze bags with a loving message. Grace & Kate, along with their Mums, delivered their first 20 packs to Auckland NICU on Thursday along with some amazing baking! What an amazing and thoughtful project, we are truly blessed.   Who knows maybe a couple of NICU nurses in the making!

Cot Sheets

Recently two lovely ex-NICU Mums, Gemma & Laura, contacted us to ask if they could start an annual tradition for their gorgeous baby’s birthday…..they remembered the care and attention the NICU nurses put into making the incubators and the cots ‘just right’ and how this gave them a bit of normality during a traumatic time, so each year they want to take their girls shopping to buy sheeting for our incubators and cots. With their first birthdays just around the corner all four of them headed off to Spotlight and they dropped into NICU on Monday with the goods. Such an awesome tradition to start and we hope to get photos each year.

 

WAIKATO

We’re seeking support from local businesses and organisations to host our brand new incubator donation box. If you think you can help, please email us regina.marais@littlemiraclestrust.org.nz

 

TARANAKI

Family Fun Days

Family Fun days are regular days throughout the year held at different locations where neonatal friends and families can come together for a fun filled day. It is a great way to meet and catch up with other families, have a Whanau day out and to gain social support from other parents who have or are going through a similar experience. It is for any families that have spent time in a neonatal unit. It is a free event and the venue is always changing so it is key to follow our Facebook page and subscribe to our events.

 

WELLINGTON

NICU Coffee Group – 1st August from 10am-11.30am

Is held on the first Wednesday of every month from 10.00 a.m. – 11.30 a.m. at the Southern Cross Cafe and Garden Bar, Abel Smith Street, Wellington CBD. We invite all our NICU Graduate families to join us for a coffee/muffin and chat. Please just purchase your own coffee at the counter and we will provide a platter of muffins and scones. The Little Miracles Trust and Homecare staff will be there to catch up with and to answer any questions you have. We hope lots of new graduate families will come along and join us.

SCBU Coffee Group – 17th August from 10.00am-11.30aM

Held on the 3rd Friday of every month with the next one being Friday 20 July 2018 from 10.00 a.m. – 11.30 a.m. at Benedicts Cafe, 141 Dowse Drive, Maungaraki. We hope lots of new SCBU families will join us for a coffee/muffin.

Thank You For Your Ongoing Support

Thank you so much to our wonderful NICU Graduate Families who continue to support the work we do for parents whose babies are currently in NICU. Your fundraising helps us provide our weekly lunches for parents, parent’s library, coffee groups, welcome packs, medical research funding and equipment for NICU such as kangaroo cuddle lazyboy chairs and breast pumps.

At present we have a family who have organised a fundraiser BBQ at Mitre 10 Petone on World Prematurity Day, another Father is running in the Dunedin Marathon and has set up an EveryDayHero page to raise funds and several families have a “Give a Little” page going for their baby’s 1st birthday with donations going to The Little Miracles Trust in lieu of presents.

The Little Miracles Trust Shop

The Little Miracles Trust Shop is open to the public from Monday to Friday 9.00 a.m. – 5.30 p.m. and sells lots of beautiful hand knitted 100% wool baby clothing and merino from prem sizes up to 2 years old and sells/rents out hospital grade breast pumps. Please encourage your friends/family/work mates to purchase items at our shop as our prices are very reasonable and the proceeds help us to provide the support we currently give.