Setting the intention and pathway for baby.
Lyrics to the waita. TAU AI TE IRA LIFE IS MY RIGHT
Tēnei au he aro nō Tāne No te ukuwhero Ko te ringa, te wae, te pane He pukapuka He pūkorokoro Ka hēhē, ka hāhā Tau ai te ira Tīhei mauri ora
I am the consciousness of Tāne Formed from the red earth And formed the hand, foot and head From lungs To the windpipe I take my first breath Life is my right Let it be so
Tēnei au he aro nō ōku tīpuna No te mana tapu Ko ihi, ko wehi, ko wana He aka rautangi He mere pounamu Winiwini, wanawana Tau ai te ira Tihei mauri ora
I am the consciousness of my ancestors Born of pride Excited, fearful, inspired A symbol of bravery An instrument of protection Trembling, quivering Life is my right Let it be so
Tēnei au he aro nōku No te pitomata Ko hiahia, ko nawe, ko wawata He Hinengaro He wairua Hotuhotu, kuhakuha Tau ai te ira Tīhei mauri ora
I am my own consciousness Formed from potential With wants, objections, and desires With a mind And spirit I heave and pant Life is my right Let it be so
He ira aha taku ira He ira atua He ira aha taku ira He ira tangata He ira aha taku ira He ira tapu
What gift is my gift? A godly gift What gift is my gift? A human gift What gift is my gift? A sacred gift
Coping with a crying a baby When your baby keeps on crying One of the hardest times can be when your baby keeps on crying and you can’t work out why.
If you find yourself getting upset, it’s OK to put your baby down gently in a safe place, walk away and take a break. Do not pick up your baby until you have calmed down. Your baby is more likely to calm down when you are feeling calm and in control. Look after yourself. Make a cup of tea or coffee, or phone a friend or someone in your whānau.
You could also phone Plunket Line on 0800 933 922 or Healthline on 0800 611 116 for advice or support.
Never shake a baby Never, ever shake a baby. Never leave a baby alone with anyone who may lose control. A single moment of losing control may damage a baby forever. Babies can die if they are shaken.
If you ever think your baby has been hurt, call 111. Don’t let fear or pride stand in your way. It could save your baby’s life. The Kidshealth website has a video called Power to Protect about how to cope with the stress of a baby’s crying and what can happen if a baby is shaken.
Baby’s Waiata Oriori are intentional waiata composed and sung to pēpi while in the whare tangata of their mother's womb.These chants were performed by our tīpuna for labouring wāhine and can also be recited during a child’s upbringing.
Oriori would begin at conception, and sometimes to help the woman to conceive. They can be used to soothe the labouring mother as a form of pain relief, and they can also be sung to lull the pēpi to sleep. As shared by composer, Paraone Gloyne, oriori is a curriculum. They are a framework for intergenerational transmission of mātauranga Māori.
They were traditionally composed for children of nobility. They carried references to the child’s whakapapa from our atua and notable tūpuna.
They included the iwi’s kōrero about significant historical events, including key marriages, battles, and journeys. They contained kupu, whakataukī and pēpeha relevant to the iwi and hapū. They carried our reo karakia to the next generation. They were, in other words, designed to ensure a child is prepared for the challenges of life.
Another word for oriori is pōpō. Pōpō means to pat a baby’s back. It’s a different thing from poipoi, which is when you are rocking the baby.
Pōpō is patting and it has a different rythym. It’s a solid, regular beat which sets the beat for the chant of the oriori.
Here are a few oriori to listen too, feel free to create your own playlist of waiata to awhi you when you need it:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIhytBJ2Jv08yVtYxOSt_1hilbh9ks3pA
Getting prepared to take care of a baby can bring with it stresses that can challenge anyone involved.
The priority is to focus on both yours and babies well-being and safety. Feel free to check out any of the supportive steps below to awhi and tautoko you if you shall need it.
1. Start with Walking Away Till You’re Ok If you feel your heart racing and frustration rising, learn to walk away before you release your anger in an unhealthy and unproductive way, such as anger outbursts. Walking away from a situation gives your mind and body time to refocus and think about healthy ways to overcome your frustration.
2. Think & Stop This will take practice, but try to stop and think before acting upon your feelings. Your initial reaction may be anger, but if you give yourself a moment to reflect and allow the feelings to settle, you may find you can see something in a clearer, calmer light.
3. Relax Yourself and Take Deep Breaths Many people who practice deep breathing find it to be highly soothing and relaxing. These people have also learned how to release anger in a healthy way. Deep breathing, also known as mindful breathing, helps stimulate relaxation and can bring your heart rate down and the sense of panic to a halt. While deep breathing is calming, shallow breaths are not. To effectively deep breathe, try to inhale slowly through your nose while counting to 3. Then exhale through your mouth while counting again. Try repeating this process several times. Your body will naturally relax even if you’re feeling angry.
4. Enjoy Relaxing Imagery If you feel anger building inside you, try to think of a person or place that brings you peace. Maybe you pictures on your phone of a recent happy times, or a photo of your family or friends laughing. Looking at images like these can be a productive and effective way to release frustration appropriately.
5. Signals and Triggers Learning how to release anger can be easier if you focus on recognizing your anger triggers. Is there a pattern to your anger? Does it always happen at a particular time or in a specific place? Is it usually the same situation that brings out the emotion? Once you start recognizing your triggers, you can learn to cope with them (or avoid them when possible).
6. Sort Your Thoughts When frustration sets in, it is easy to be overwhelmed by emotions, situations can be exaggerated, remind yourself that baby has no agenda or intention to make you mad and that the frustration can sometimes come from not knowing what to do. It is ok to “walk away till you’re ok”. Release yourself from the situation to process and calm your heart rate and frustration.
7. Let’s Journal Journaling is a great outlet to organise your thoughts and feelings. Prioritize your concerns, problems, and fears Monitor day-to-day symptoms so you can learn to recognize triggers Provide an opportunity to identify negative thoughts and replace them with positive self-talk Once you’ve identified and recorded your stressors, it’s easier to figure out solutions.
8. Embrace Relaxing techniques Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique that’s helpful for anxiety, anger, and stress. Learning how to release anger with progressive muscle relaxation is actually very easy. To practice the technique, slowly tense and then relax each muscle group, starting with your toes and working your way up to your head and neck. As you tense and relax, you’ll find that you feel more calm and peaceful overall.
9. Say Something Reach out to someone you can connect with and share your experience, sharing your experience with someone else can help and have an immediate effect on your own stress levels. Try phone, text or sending a private message to your chosen support person.
10. Support If you’ve tried these coping mechanisms, but you just don’t feel any better, don’t worry. These tips are just a starting point for positively redirecting your fear or frustration. It’s OK if you feel like you need to go beyond yourself and ask for help. Below are free supports available to help you.