Day, night and in the wee hours of the morning, Makere Sargent is one of PlunketLine’s registered nurses with a listening ear who’ll be on the end of the line this summer holiday period, ready to support parents and caregivers of tamariki under-five across the country.  

PlunketLine nurses are a free phone call away 24 hours a day, seven days a week..

Anyone with questions or worries about pēpi and tamariki under-five can call Whānau Āwhina Plunket’s free 24/7 helpline 0800 933 922.

“We are here to listen and support whānau with any questions or concerns about pēpi or tamariki and we can advise when they should see a GP or go to hospital too.”  

Mother of six, PlunketLine Nurse Makere Sargent says Christmas is a great time to catch up with whānau and friends, and she has a few tips for travelling with tamariki. 

“If you’re heading away from home, make sure you have a plan for where pēpi will sleep and everything they need. Pack snacks for long trips and take regular breaks. 

“This summer is forecast to be a hot one. Your pēpi or child may struggle with the heat so it’s important that they drink often. Stay out of the sun, find shade outside wherever possible and remember to slip, slop, slap and wrap. 

“Wherever you go in Aotearoa New Zealand, PlunketLine is there to support you. You don’t need to be enrolled with Whānau Āwhina Plunket to call PlunketLine, just pick up the phone, calls are free even from your mobile,” says Makere.  

This year PlunketLine handled more than 96,000 calls, provided more than 1,000 free one-on-one video calls with breastfeeding lactation specialists plus started providing free one-on-one video chat sleep support for whānau needing a little extra help settling pēpi.

Call PlunketLine on 0800 933 922 for 24/7 advice and information on parenting issues and your child’s health and wellbeing or to book a one-on-one video consult for breastfeeding or sleep support. 

About Whānau Āwhina Plunket  

Pēpi, tamariki and whānau are at the heart of Whānau Āwhina Plunket. The charity is New Zealand’s largest health and wellbeing support service for tamariki – seeing around 290,000 under-fives.   About 80 per cent of newborns are enrolled with Whānau Āwhina Plunket each year.  

Plunket nurses provide clinical assessments, and along with Kaiāwhina and Community Karitāne, support whānau and families, through home and clinic visits, as well as PlunketLine 0800 933 922, a free 24/7 telephone advice service for parents.  

The website plunket.org.nz is one of the country’s most widely read digital child health resources, with 1.8 million visits each year. It is available data-free through the Zero Data portal at zero.govt.nz, and you can choose to view it in English or te reo Māori.