Free pregnancy workshops
Pregnancy is a time of change—physical, social, financial, psychological. These changes can be exciting and joyful, but
also challenging and stressful. This time of transition can also be an opportunity for both parents to look at their
values, lifestyle, and traditions, while preparing themselves for parenting.
Dr Carrie Barber is a psychologist and senior lecturer at the University of Waikato with a special interest in fostering
wellbeing and healthy coping during pregnancy. Dr Barber and fellow psychologist Bridgette Masters-Awatere have
developed a workshop to help pregnant women and their partners or support people. The workshop is intended to offer
ideas about how to manage the psychological challenges and changes of pregnancy. Parents-to-be can use this time to
reflect on strengths, supports, stresses, and strategies for the future, asking themselves “what works for me, us as a
couple, our growing family, to thrive and cope with whatever life brings?”.
The workshops run for four weeks on Saturday mornings from 10am-11.30am, at River Ridge East Birth Centre in Hamilton.
The first workshop will start in August, and the series will be repeated several times over the next few months. Each
session will include information, self-assessment activities, and discussion. Because these workshops are part of the
development of resources for parents, those who attend will be asked to participate in an evaluation of the programme.
There is no cost to the workshop.
Pregnant women and partners/support person can attend the workshop at any time during their pregnancy, or even in the
planning stages before pregnancy.
Anyone interested in participating or for more information, contact Carrie Barber on 837 9921 or ccbarber@waikato.ac.nz or Bridgette Masters-Awatere, 07 837 9228 or bmasters@waikato.ac.nz
This weekend the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners is having their Conference for General Practice in
Hamilton. Dr Barber will be giving a workshop Saturday entitled “Change, choice, and control: a model for helping
parents to manage stress in the transition to parenthood”. This is about the multitude of physical, social, and
psychological changes that occur during pregnancy, how experiences, beliefs, and personal style affect how women (and
their partners) respond to the challenges of this transition time, and how GPs can support families by tailoring their
own advice-giving to the characteristics and needs of the patient. This is part of the three-pronged approach to
supporting pregnant parents that we are developing: a self-help app, the positively pregnant group, and workshops and
resources for health and maternity care professionals.
ENDS