Plunket guides former Black Sticks star through early stages of motherhood

Former Olympian and Black Sticks star Aniwaka Roberts says the first few months of motherhood were made easier with the ongoing support of Plunket. Photo / Supplied

The first few months of motherhood were made easier for former Olympian and Black Sticks star Aniwaka Roberts with the ongoing support of Plunket.

Wellington mum Roberts, 29, first met her Plunket nurse when her daughter Niwareki Haumaha was just one month old and it's a relationship that continued throughout the year with her giving advice about sleeping, eating, solids and teeth cleaning.

"As a first-time mum, obviously any tip that you get you will either take it on board and you will try it or if it doesn't work for you, you will try something different. My Plunket nurse was very informative with that stuff."

Her daughter is now 11 months old and the Plunket visits are becoming less regular, but just as valuable.

Along with visits with the Plunket nurse, the former Black Sticks defender joined a PIN (Plunket in the Neighbourhood) group which acted as her coffee group. The first three sessions were run by a Plunket nurse and the remaining two sessions were organised by the mums.

Aniwaka Roberts tussles with Argentina's Martina Cavallero in a 2013 international. Photo / File

Aniwaka Roberts with daughter Niwareka Haumaha when she was 3 months old. Photo / Supplied

Once the sessions ended, Roberts' group continued to meet every two weeks at the Johnsonville Plunket rooms where they were allocated an area to use at no charge. Many of the mums including Roberts have returned to work, but still meet up for coffee in the weekends.

Roberts had not attended an antenatal class, which is where many coffee groups were set up, so welcomed the opportunity to meet other mums.

"It's just a way to interact with people who are in the same stage of life as you I suppose and looking after a new baby and sharing their different experiences because obviously every experience is a little bit different. It was just a cool way to get out of the house as well with your little baby."

Aniwaka with Niwareka at almost 8 months. Photo / Supplied

Roberts even recalled ringing the Plunketline for advice about a rash her daughter had and said the advice was reassuring.

She also went to a free session about introducing solids where they watched a woman cook the food and prepare it to the right consistency.

"I went along to those things because I thought well I don't know so how can I learn. And just having that available to us at again no cost was nice. It was awesome."

Aniwaka Roberts at Hawke's Bay Festival of Hockey in 2015. Photo / Duncan Brown