Hāpai Te Hauora launches a new podcast today on hapūtanga [conception, pregnancy, birth]. Māori continue to feature
signficantly in mental health inequities, particularly during hapūtanga. Mai I Kurawaka was created as an accessible way
for whānau to engage with pregnancy and birthing knowledge.
Interviews focus on whānau experiences and practices that informed their hapūtanga, the knowledge they drew on and their
aspirations for their whānau. Some of the topics discussed include:
-Māori midwifery and traditional birthing practices
Connection between land and child (birthing on ancestral whenua, whenua ki te whenua)
-Pregnancy loss/ miscarriage
-Whāngai
-Assisted human reproduction: Male infertility and whānau sperm donation
Mai I Kurawaka provides a counter narrative to common representations of Maori pregnancy and birth. Host, Glen Paul
Waru, says these representations have negatively impacted many Māori- especially fathers. Glen Paul Waru says "It’s time
to start a new conversation. I’m tired of how Māori fathers like me are portrayed in mainstream media- it doesn’t
reflect how I see me or the tāne in my life. Māori have always been expert story tellers and we had some big kōrero-
male infertility, how we struggle to find our roles as fathers, depression. These aren’t easy topics, but they are
important".
One of the hosts, Lizzie Strickett, says "In many ways, making this podcast was a selfish exercise. I was pregnant this
time last year and really struggled to find our own stories of pregnancy and birth. It was my sisters who said "why
don’t you just make a podcast?".
Chief Executive Officer of Hāpai Te Hauora, Selah Hart, acknowledges all of those who contributed their stories to this
project, sharing their journey with hapūtanga and mental resilience, and acknowledged that this podcast was made
possible via funding from Nōku Te Ao - Like Minds, Like Mine, with support from the Mental Health Foundation. Ms Hart is
excited to launch the organisations first podcast, and hopes to bring more kaupapa to life through this portal.
Listeners can subscribe and listen to the podcast "Mai I Kurawaka" on Spotify, Apple Podcast or on the Google podcast
app on Android. Check out our website page for all the details here.