| Pregnancy, Birth & Parenting | Whether you're expecting already, trying to conceive, wondering how to get through childbirth, finding out what choices you have, or if you're past all that and need to find out what to do with the children now, chances are the library has something to help you educate yourself. |
At the library: Books | Magazines & online articles | DVDs & Videos | Finding info at the library
Recommended Websites: General | Specific | Government | Help and support | Information/education
New and recommended books
Screamfree parenting : the revolutionary approach to raising your kids without losing your cool, Hal Edward Runkel (2007)
"Screamfree Parenting is the principle-based relationship approach that's inspiring parents everywhere to truly revolutionize their families. Throwing away many of the child-centered technique-based approaches, the ScreamFree way compels you to instead focus on yourself, grow yourself up and calm yourself down. By calming down and still remaining connected to your kids, you begin to operate less out of your deepest fears and more out of your highest principles, transforming your relationships in the process." (Amazon)
Spots and rashes, June Thompson (2006)
"Finding unexpected marks or rashes on a child's skin can be an upsetting and confusing experience for any parent. Your child may only have an insect bite - but how can you be sure? As a practising health visitor, June Thompson, is used to dealing with parents' anxieties and has produced this comprehensive book to help parents diagnose and hopefully treat any skin problems they may find. The clear, approachable photographic images and jargon-free text will enable parents to take appropriate action and perhaps avert a life-threatening situation." (Amazon)
Good kids, bad habits : the RealAge guide to raising healthy children, Jennifer Trachtenberg (2007).
"Do bad childhood habits develop into unhealthy adult conditions? Pediatrician and author Jennifer Trachtenberg says they do. The fact of the matter is that unhealthy lifestyle habits that plague us later in life develop from an early age. The good news is that these potentially debilitating conditions and precursors to adult diseases can be prevented or lessened by making some very simple lifestyle adjustments." (Amazon)
How to have kids and stay sane, Nigel Latta ; illustrated by Daryl Crimp (2007).
"Following the success of his first parenting book "Before Your Kids Drive you Crazy, Read This!", writer, clinical psychologist and family therapist Nigel Latta has gone on to become a regular columnist for Littles magazine and has a regular parenting spot on National Radio each week. Nigel Latta has condensed his key tips and added his trademark ironic humour in "How to Have Kids and Stay Sane", delivering the good news in manageable bites for harassed parents in danger of exploding. The book has been illustrated by cartoonist Daryl Crimp. Together these no-nonsense dads ladle out the laughs in generous helpings to help battle-weary parents cope with the trials and traumas of living with children 24/7 and not go totally insane." (Amazon)
Queen bee moms & kingpin dads : dealing with the parents, teachers, coaches, and counselors who can make - or break - your child's life, Rosalind Wiseman with Elizabeth Rapoport (2006).
"Queen Bee Moms & Kingpin Dads is filled with the kind of true stories that made Wiseman's New York Times bestselling book Queen Bees & Wannabes impossible to put down. There are tales of hardworking parents with whom any of us can identify, along with tales of outrageously bad parents - the kind we all have to reckon with. Wiseman offers practical advice on avoiding the most common parenting "land mines" and useful scripts to help you navigate difficult but necessary conversations." (Amazon)
Damaged : the heartbreaking true story of a broken child by Cathy Glass (2006).
"Although Jodie is only eight years old, she is violent, aggressive, and has already been through numerous foster families. Her last hope is Cathy Glass." (Global Books)
I am my mother's daughter : making peace with mom before it's too late, by Iris Krasnow (2006).
"Iris Krasnow tackles the toughest relationship in the lives of so many grown women: the mother-daughter bond. Drawing on her own experience with her ailing, but still irrepressible, eighty-five-year-old mother and the collective wisdom of more than a hundred other midlife daughters, Krasnow's book offers prescriptions on how to overcome the anger and resentment that can accumulate over the years." (Book cover)
The letter in the bottle : a true story by Karen Liebreich (2006).
"To all ships everywhere, to all ports of call, to my family, to all friends and to all strangers... On a winter's day in 2002, a bottle washed up on the shores of Kent. It contained a lock of hair, a letter in French and a mystery. All that could be known for certain were the name of the writer's son and the fact that he was dead. Moved by the unknown woman's grief, acclaimed author Karen Liebreich sets out to find the mother and solve the riddle of her letter in the bottle. Her book is the story of one mother's search for another, and a tender meditation on love, loss and motherhood." (Amazon)
Tricky kids : transforming conflict and freeing their potential by Andrew Fuller (2007).
"What would it be like to have to parent Bart Simpson or Angelica Pickles? Every day, many parents and teachers struggle with challenging (and lovable) children who have willful personalities. These are often kids who are stubborn, defiant, determined, free-spirited or just plain difficult. Yet while they may be hard work, they are often the movers and shakers of the future. Many of history's great achievers, political leaders and national figures were forceful children. How can parents and teachers learn to manage these kids, and help them to change and develop the positive life habits - including an awareness of others, dealing with anger, staying focused and forming true friendships - that they sorely need? For over 25 years, clinical psychologist Andrew Fuller's work has involved discussions with hundreds of thousands of parents and their children from infancy to adolescence. In Tricky Kids he explains how to view the stages of these children's development and so understand their moods." (Global Books)
DVDs and Videos
A child's world (Mind games - The facts of life - The independent thinker) (2005) (DVD)
"A Child's World charts the key developments and achievements that mark the way on every human being's incredible journey to becoming a fully fledged independent person." (Cover)
The little things : Antonia Kidman's user guide to children 0-2 years (2005) (DVD)
The little things : Antonia Kidman's user guide to children 2-6 years (2005) (DVD)
Baby & mom pre natal yoga : the new method, with Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa. (2002) (DVD)
Video quick-links:
pregnancy, childbirth, parent and child.
DVD quick-links: pregnancy.
Magazines & mygateway.info
Visit our Parenting subject guide to see which magazines we hold.
You can read the latest magazine articles online from your computer at home, work or anywhere. Here are a few links to magazines and articles in EBSCO, part of mygateway.info. The magazine links will take you to the full-text of the latest issue; the subjects bring up all relevant articles, displaying the most recent ones first. To be able to access mygateway.info, you need to be a Wellington City Libraries member.
Note: For the links below to take you directly to the articles, you must have used the computer you are using now to log-in to the EBSCO database at our mygateway.info site within the previous 30 days.
Web Links
General - babies, birth, parenting
BabyWeb NZ - free information directory created by a Mum, Midwife and Childbirth Educator.
Barnardos NZ - Information on child-care options, community information and support services nationwide.
Bounty - Bounty is market leader in producing the latest information for expectant parents, new parents and their families. This comprehensive New Zealand website includes sections on: birth notices, pregnancy information, topics, eg feeding, sleeping, health, breastfeeding, and information for babies, children, their parents and siblings. Bounty also offers a number of publications and information packs free of charge and has access to database extractions that can target specific age groups, child gender, geographic location, whether twin, triplets etc. and an extensive web links page.
Cyber Parent - This website is packed with information relating to parents, kids and grandparents. There are numerous information pages on subjects as varied as Your Vegetarian Teen, Stepparents, Gender Understanding to Depression in Children; some information pages have their own set of links or suggested reading.
Families for Natural Living - FNL provides resources, education, support and camaraderie to parents who wish to make conscious, compassionate, informed choices for their children and themselves. FNL families are typically interested in natural living issues, such as holistic health care, natural birthing, attachment parenting, alternative schooling, nutritious whole foods, and environmentally conscientious living (American site).
Fathering the Future Trust - One especially for the Dads.
Grandparent World - A site for the Grans and Grandads amongst us; includes book reviews, a very funny 21 Things to Remember When the Grandkids Visit, and varied features about preserving children's craftwork, personal stories, recipes and much more.
Natural Child - site includes: articles, parenting site of the month (archived back to 1997), and a delightful children's international art gallery (American site).
Parents' Centres NZ - General information including courses, professional development, articles and links to other sites. Wellington South Parents' Centre has its own website.
Plunket - A great resource for information on car rental schemes, Plunket line, clinic and marae visits, parenting education and antenatal classes.
Raising Kids - a comprehensive English site for parents from pregnancy to 13 yrs, full of information, advice/solutions from experts or members, discussion page, chat room, nutrition, travel, health, child safety, development, brothers and sisters, parenting and all sorts.
Stork Net - All purpose information site, includes a baby name database, nutrition guide and due date calendar.
Specific - babies, birth, midwifery
BabyNamesGarden.com - this American site provides a wealth of information about names and their etymology. Included are databases of names like: unique, African, Hispanic, Victorian, top 100 names, as well as a comprehensive alphabetical list, guest interviews, naming tips, book reviews, a daily blog, resources, articles and much more. If you're interested in how names become popular, or not, over time check out information on Freakonomics.
Baby Name Wizard - great graphical depiction of changing name popularity over the past 100 years.
Baby Names World - comprehensive baby name site able to be searched alphabetically or with advanced or quick search options, has more than 11,000 baby names.
Birth Balance - a good site if you have a natural bent on birth, especially waterbirth. Check out the FAQs under waterbirth for sensible answers to common questions regarding waterbirth. Includes a photo gallery, lots of links to other sites, birth stories and resources.
Birth Junkie - Lots of birth stories.
Birthspirit Birthspirit belongs to all women and families. She manifests that which has been unsaid, expressing her self in the language of women. Knowing her fills the void that exists from the loss of story telling in our families and our communities. She enables us to see the depths - and to see the simplicity.' This website is primarily for midwives but also really interesting for those with an interest in midwifery and/or natural childbirth and homebirth. It includes links to full text articles on birthing issues, information on upcoming workshops, seminars and intensives, a comprehensive booklist and more.
Eco Bots - primarily a site for purchasing cloth nappies. It includes a detailed breakdown of information, costs etc about cloth vs disposable nappies.
Homebirth Aotearoa - Frequently asked questions and answers regarding homebirth, finding a midwife, links to pregnancy, birth, parenting, midwifery information and homebirth stories.
Ina May - developed by the author of Spritual Midwifery and Ina May's guide to childbirth, includes, books, book reviews, articles, information about 'the Farm' midwifery centre and it's statistics, and biographical information about Ina May Gaskin.
My Nursing Toddler - an American website developed after the success of the book 'Mothering Your Nursing Toddler' by Norma Jane Bumgarner. Website includes hundreds of readers' comments and personal stories, divided into categories, for example: Why would anyone want to keep nursing after the first year?, Frequent nursing and clinginess, Nursing for comfort, Coping with "free hand" habits, Nursing while pregnant.
NZ College of Midwives - Information on midwife and maternity services in New Zealand, questions to ask when choosing a midwife, service to expect from your midwife, list of support services for pregnancy and after pregnancy and information for midwives.
Popular Baby Names - Fascinating United States statistics on baby names going back to 1880. Emily and Jacob are currently tops among babies; previously Jessica and Michael were the most popular names.
Potty Training - Ever wondered how they potty train babies overseas? This site has information about potty training infants if you have the time or the inclination.
Promotion of Mother's Milk - a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public awareness and public acceptance of breastfeeding. An American website with excellent and extensive information : information on breastfeeding, articles and essays, 101 reason why breastfeeding is beneficial, discussion forums, and much more.
Sydney Nappy Wash - Look at nappy folds, if like me you can't remember how you used to fold nappies in other ways. The site has 10 alternatives to choose from with easy to follow diagrams and instructions.
Water Birth - All purpose information site, includes options to do article searching and links to other sites.
Child Forum - A source of independent and expert research, informed comment, advice and support. This comprehensive NZ site includes access to papers, NZ theses, abstracts from academic journals, opportunity for debate and discussion on various topics and much more.
Childcare online - New Zealand site, contains information and news on parenting as well as an online directory of childcare providers (in Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington).
Foodsafe - New Zealand Foodsafe was set up in 1998 with a small group of representatives from the food industry, consumer groups, public health groups, MAF Food (now the New Zealand Food Safety Authority) and the Ministry of Health, to promote consistent and appropriate food safety messages to New Zealand consumers. The group's aim is to reduce the country's high levels of foodborne illness through education on safe food handling practices in the home.
Fun Languages - a New Zealand site teaching foreign language programmes for children between 3-12 years in an informal club format. They also run programmes in schools.
Google - The most famous Internet search engine. Enter search terms like 'homebirth stories', 'parenting new zealand', 'baby names' and 'endometriosis' and Google will bring up an extensive list of websites for you to browse. Check out the advanced search option for more specific searching.
Kids Friendly New Zealand - New Zealand's Online Magazine for families living and travelling in this country. The site provides detailed information covering local information in Wellington and right throughout New Zealand.
Kids New Zealand - Regional information for activities to do with your kids, eg indoor activities, outdoor attractions, parks and playgrounds, swimming pools, child friendly cafes and recipe ideas to special events, party entertainers and venues, dance, music and art classes, sports, childcare, support organisations, and school holiday programmes.
Montessori Association of NZ - Includes contact for all NZ Montessori schools.
mygateway.info - Databases for Wellington City Libraries members, where you can search magazine and newspaper articles, plus the Gale health database.
NZ Kindergartens - Everything you need to know about kindy, with links to other websites, discussion groups and parental information.
Play it Strange - established to encourage young New Zealanders to develop interests and skills in music, composing and performance.
Powerpramming - "a brilliant workout specifically designed for new Mums. If you want to get fit and know that baby is safe and happy Powerpramming is the way to go. I set up Powerpramming after I had my baby because I wanted to be able to get back to my pre-pregnancy shape. As I did not want to do this alone I invited the girls from the local Mother & Baby group to get fit with me. Although a UK site, check out Open Source Powerpramming page for details on setting up your own Powerpramming group." (website)
Te Kete Ipurangi The Online Learning Centre - TKI is a bilingual portal-plus web community which provides quality assured educational material for teachers, school managers, and the wider education community. It is an initiative of the Ministry of Education. Parents are partners in the learning journey of their children. The Ministry of Education has a range of materials and information for parents to assist them to work in partnership with their local education centres and schools. This site provides many links to information and materials that may be of interest to parents.
WCC Community Directory - Links to community and information groups around Wellington, including heath, child-care, women and recreation.
About Adoption - Links to adoption services and articles.
Alcohol Advisory Council (includes info for parents and children)
Allergy NZ - a not-for-profit organisation that works within the community to improve the quality of life for people with allergies, and their families. They offer support, education and information, and act as an advocate in all aspects of allergy.
BP Kids - an American site for the child and adolescent bipolar foundation, loads of information regarding bipolar disorder, support groups, resources etc.
Community Law Centres - services for people with unmet legal needs and who cannot afford legal services. They also provide legal advice and assistance and in some cases representation in court, law-related education, information and also law reform and advocacy on behalf of communities. This site has a national list of Community Law Centres.
Families like mine - Welcome to Families Like Mine, a web site dedicated to decreasing isolation for people who have parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT), and bringing voice to the experiences of these families.
Fertility NZ - Information, support and advocacy.
Foundation for Alcohol and Drug Education (includes info for parents and children)
KidStart - Barnados NZ, childcare services that are available nationwide, includes support services.
Learning and Behaviour Charitable Trust NZ - This site is designed to give you the information and resources you may need if you know someone with a learning or behaviour difficulty such as ADD, ADHD, Aspergers, Autism and Dyslexia.
Mothers over 40 - UK site offering ideas for older parents.
National Association for Out of School Care and Recreation - A non-profit organisation established to actively represent, promote and support quality Out of School Care and Recreation Services (OSCAR).
NetSafe helps you find advice on keeping your kids safe online. It has information about e-crimes, pornography, privacy, chat-room use and abuse, safety software and everything you need to know.
NZ Association for Gifted Children - The Association exists to promote the needs of gifted children at national level and support and foster initiatives at local level which meet those needs.
NZ Childcare Association - Includes a list of childcare centres and home-based care, and is developing an accreditation process.
NZ Down syndrome Association - The NZDSA offers new parent support, activities, family events, guest speakers and individual support and advocacy, a newsletter and information packs.
New Zealand Speakeasy Association a support group for people who stutter. This site includes; descriptions and causes of stuttering, tips for parents, therapy, support and contacts.
Raising Grandchildren - a New Zealand site that aims to provide support to grandparents who are primary caregivers to grandchildren in difficult circumstances and to ensure fair treatment from the legal and child protection services in New Zealand, in order to stablise and normalise the life of the children involved.
Sands - a New Zealand site for parents and other family members dealing with the loss of a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth or new born death. It includes advice on how to get through the first few days, arranging a funeral, parent’s own stories, newsletters and will soon have a list of Wellington Bereavement Councillors.
Rescare NZ - supporting carers of people with intellectual disabilities.
Sibling Support Project - believing that disabilities, illness, and mental health issues affect the lives of all family members, the Sibling Support Project seeks to increase the peer support and information opportunities for brothers and sisters of people with special needs and to increase parents' and providers' understanding of sibling issues. (This is an American site; a New Zealand contact is listed.)
Skylight - Skylight provides a national support service for young people and their families who are facing loss, grief and change (phone 0800 299100).
TABS Trauma and Birth Stress - This PTSD after childbirth site includes information, personal stories and ways for parents to contact each other.
Vegetables - has suggestions on how to encourage your children to eat, and enjoy, their greens.
Strengthening Families - Strengthening Families provides coordinated support for families who are working with more than two agencies. The agencies and the family work together to develop joint solutions, rather than each agency dealing with one part of the problem and never seeing the bigger picture.
EdCentre - A portal designed to help parents find information held on 28 education government websites belonging to seven education agencies such as Career Services rapuara, the Education Review Office, the Ministry of Education, and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
Education Review Office - The government department which reports publicly on the quality of education in all New Zealand schools and early childhood services, including private schools, kura kaupapa Maori (Maori language immersion schools), special schools and nga kohanga reo (Maori language early childhood groups).
Inland Revenue Department
Employment Relations Service - Information about the rights and obligations of employees and employers in respect of parental leave, incorporating recent changes to parental leave entitlements. Features section on determining your leave entitlement, and IRD forms.
Special Education - Ministry of Education page.
Work and Income New Zealand - Information on Community Services Cards, Domestic Purposes Benefit, Help with Child-care Costs, the Domestic Purposes Benefit and other assistance.
This page last updated 12 March 2008
