They see many Kiwi families who are just as clueless when it comes to installing their tots' car seats in order to keep them safe.
"A lot of people just think you do up the buckles and drive off," said Ms Mount.
"But there's more to it than that."
Ms Wall says the service's primary role is helping new parents choose a newborn's capsule, child's seat or booster seat that is the best and safest fit for their child and car.
"We often see parents who have bought seats that don't fit their babies, or into the back seat of their cars," said Ms Wall, a mum of two.
"Babies come in all different weights and heights, and they need a car seat they fit into properly.
"Fitting them into a car seat can get quite technical. There's also a trick to installing them."
Ms Wall said that, while parents are aware that car seats are required by law, there's a lot of "finer points" they are not always told when they go to purchase a seat.
For example, car seats need to be rear-facing in a car's back seat until a child is two years old, car seats have maximum weight limits they can carry and there's a particular way the tether straps on a car seat need to be attached.
"There are a lot of grey areas, and lots to remember," Ms Wall said.
Car seats also come with expiry dates, and are unsafe to use once their shelf life is past, said Ms Mount - something a lot of parents are not told.
"A lot of the time, when they go to buy a capsule, they're just handed the box, and that's that," she said.
"They're taught a bit about car seats but not much."
The women said their service is particularly important for parents in Wairarapa - not only because it is more affordable but because the area does not have the same range of baby-related stores as the main centres.
"Newborn capsules cost something like $200 to $300 in the shops. So it's much cheaper to rent," said Ms Mount.
At present, the service is open six hours per week, and is based out the back of the Wairarapa Community Centre in Perry St, Masterton.
While the women would see over 20 customers in their two days, they say Wairarapa parents are still largely unaware of their hours and where they are - and the service has limited funds for advertising.
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Pair available for help,
advice for parents
Continued from page 1We're not Government-funded - we only make what we get for the car seats. We mainly rely on word of mouth, and on our Plunket nurses and midwives. But, if you go through your GP and if you choose not to use Plunket, then how are you going to know?KIRSTIE MOUNT
Plunket worker"We're not Government-funded - we only make what we get for the car seats," said Ms Wall.
"We mainly rely on word of mouth, and on our Plunket nurses and midwives," said Ms Mount.
"But, if you go through your GP and if you choose not to use Plunket, then how are you going to know?"
The Plunket duo are planning a pamphlet drop to kindergartens and schools, and to host a mother's coffee group where they can offer advice, and check car seats.
"We'd love to do more things like that - but that all depends on funding," said Ms Wall.
The women also team up with Wairarapa Road Safety once a month to do checks of car seats around local kindergartens.
Plunket's car seat hire service for Wairarapa is open from 12.30pm to 3.30pm on Tuesdays, and 10am to 1pm on Thursdays. It hires out capsules for newborns and child's car seats for older babies and toddlers, and hires and sells booster seats for older children.
For more information, phone Cherie Wall and Kirstie Mount on 063786101 during the above times, or visit www.plunket.org.nz.
