A peer support training programme starts next week in Cromwell, looking to extend the community network of support for parents.

‘It takes a village to raise a child’ is a saying that takes on real meaning, as the Cromwell Mums4Mums group looks to expand the network of community support available for parents. The call is out for more people to take up a free training opportunity.

Spokesperson and peer supporter Kylie Murdoch says the system of peer support for parents has extended beyond simply supporting new mothers to breastfeed, to providing support for the broader parenting journey.

“The name Mums4Mums was deliberately chosen – we don’t just use the word breastfeeding when we talk about peer support.”

A peer supporter, she says, learns skills to help themselves, their friends, whānau and community.

“Being a trained peer supporter is all about helping other mums, whoever they are and whatever their journey.

“It’s about sitting beside them and having a level of knowledge around what to say, when just to listen, and supporting mums in making their own decisions that are best for them. 

“Having the training means you can make a real difference to someone in their parenting journey.”

The training can also provide people with the tools to understand their own experiences, Kylie says.

Peer supporters come from all walks of life.

“We’ve got a wide variety of people who have been through the training, from new mums to health professionals.

“The thing they all have in common is they want to support other mums in their community.

“Trained peer supporters don’t tell people what they should do, it’s all about mums getting the support to do what’s right for them.

“Peer supporters are there to listen, and have an understanding about what a mum might be going through.”

Kylie says undergoing the training does not mean a commitment to a set number of hours. There are no hard and fast expectations.

There is also on-going support for the supporters.

“Life is different for everyone, and people give support when and where it’s right for them. 

“The important thing is we have a wide support network in our community, for our parents and their babies.”

WellSouth health promotion specialist Jo O’Connor says WellSouth recognises the long term benefits to the health and wellbeing of babies, mums, whanau, communities and the planet. They have ensured the programme is free for all participants wanting to learn.

"We invest in providing peer support training to people across our Southern DHB region because we know the importance of support for women both before and after the birth of their babies.

Motherhood, Jo says, brings with it a host of changes that can be hard to manage alone.

“Our local Mums4Mums group takes a holistic approach, because that’s what our community needs.

“All new mums are vulnerable, plus we have a lot of people who have moved here away from family support, so peer supporters fill a vital need.”

"Parenting is not a journey to be undertaken alone – it really does take a village.

"We help grow the village by ensuring women can get non-judgemental support when they need it, be it via phone, text, drop in group or a casual conversation when they bump into someone they know at the supermarket.

"Peer Supporters are ordinary women from a range of backgrounds who volunteer their time because they care about others."

The peer support training programme starts next week and runs for five consecutive Wednesdays. It is free, timing is centred around school hours, and people are welcome to bring their children to the learning days.

Are you interested in becoming a peer supporter? 

To find out more phone, text or email Catkin Bartlett on 027 4512230, [email protected]