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Kōrero: Pregnancy, birth and baby care

Antenatal class, Upper Hutt, 1983

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Antenatal class, Upper Hutt, 1983

The first antenatal classes were run by Helen Brew (who founded Parents Centre in 1952) and Plunket (separately) in 1948. Prospective parents learned about birth and baby care. Men and women attended Parents Centre classes together, but Plunket ran separate classes until the 1960s. This was a reflection of the different ethos of the two organisations – Parents Centre was less conservative than Plunket.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PA-Group-00685)

Reference: EP/1983/1959/11

by Ross Giblin

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Kerryn Pollock, Pregnancy, birth and baby care – Pregnancy and antenatal care, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/26156/antenatal-class-upper-hutt-1983 (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Kerryn Pollock, i tāngia i te 29 March 2011.