Find out about keeping healthy and well during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.
Title: Your Pregnancy: 0 to 14 weeks. Episode 02 of 15.
Title: Christine & Vika’s Whānau
[Christine and Vika sort baby clothes.]
Vika (voice-over): She gave me a call at work and she said she was pregnant. It was hard to take it all in. I got really emotional knowing that I've got a baby.
[Interview with Christine and Vika.]
Vika: My name's Vika Tauala. I have eight brothers, one sister. My family originally comes from Samoa.
Christine: Hi. I'm Chrissy. I'm Cook Island Māori. I have seven sisters, one brother. I have two children – Rico is eight, Mila is two. When I found out I was pregnant, I was so excited and happy and full of a lot of different emotions at the same time. Because I am coming on to four months and I can see it growing, it's real. It's more real now.
[Ngaire knocks on Christine and Vika’s front door. Christine lets her in.]
Ngaire: Hi Chrissy, how are you?
[Interview with Ngaire.]
Title: Ngaire Va’a, Midwife
Ngaire: I'm Ngaire Va'a. I'm a midwife out in the community. I've been practising for ten years.
[Ngaire talks Christine through information from a booklet.]
Ngaire (voice-over): Today I'm visiting Chrissy and we're touching base. Making sure that she's well.
[Interview with Christine and Vika.]
Christine: With this being my third pregnancy, I knew it was important to find a midwife early. I wanted a midwife who was going to be with me through the whole pregnancy. The main things I was looking for from a midwife was someone I could relate to.
Vika: When I found out that Chrissy was pregnant, I got excited.
[Shots of Vika browsing the Ministry of Health website on his laptop.]
Vika (voice-over): I went online every night – watching the birth of a baby, watching the transition from where it starts until birth. It's given me a lot of insight into what a female is going through through the whole nine months.
[Ngaire performs a scan on Christine in Christine’s living room.]
Ngaire (voice-over): We also offer mum various tests – scans, screening tests, blood tests – just to make sure that mum is fit and well, and is providing the best possible environment for her baby.
[Interview with Christine and Vika.]
Christine: My first scan was at twelve weeks. It had everything. You could see fingers and toes. It rolled. I hadn't seen that before. They tested for Down syndrome, looking at the baby's neck and nose.
Vika: When I first saw the scan, we were able to see the heartbeat. It was just so surreal to see that we've created another human being.
[Shots of Christine preparing to go for a run.]
Ngaire (voice-over): It's important to look after yourself – make sure that you're eating well, keeping yourself active, avoiding the things that you shouldn't have, like smoking, alcohol and drugs.
[Shots of Christine preparing fresh fruit in kitchen.]
Christine (voice-over): Since finding out that we're expecting, we've both given up alcohol. We're living a lot healthier, eating better. Lots of fruit and vegetables.
[Christine takes a jar of supplements from the kitchen cupboard.]
Ngaire (voice-over): It's important to start taking supplements in early pregnancy. We offer folic acid. Folic acid helps prevent spine deformities. The other supplement is iodine. Iodine helps with brain development in the baby.
Christine (voice-over): It was important to me to take these supplements just to make sure baby is getting everything they need to grow.
[Interview with Christine and Vika.]
Vika: I'd like to share with the guys out there, that if you're having your first baby, make sure you support your wife or your partner – they pretty much need all your energy.
Christine: It's a good experience and the end is perfect.
Title: Our thanks to the families and health workers who appeared in this video for the Ministry of Health. Find out more about pregnancy and child health on www.health.govt.nz/yourhealth.
Chrissie and Vika share their pregnancy story. Hear Vika's reaction when he found out Chrissie was pregnant and the advice he has for dads-to-be. Find out what Chrissie wanted when she chose her midwife, Ngaire. Watch as Ngaire explains screening tests and scans and gives Chrissie and Vika advice about eating well, being active, taking supplements and avoiding alcohol, smoking and drugs.
Many women feel sick or throw up (vomit) during pregnancy. Although it’s called ‘morning sickness’, it can happen at any time of the day. It’s usually worse during the first 3 months of pregnancy.
Most women feel some aches and pains during their pregnancy but sometimes there are problems during pregnancy that need urgent medical attention.
Remember to get a flu vaccine – it’s free during pregnancy. The vaccine is available from March to December at your general practice and many pharmacies.
If you are having twins, triplets or more, find out about the types of twins, the maternity care you’ll receive, what you need to think about before the birth, and where you can get help and support.
