PIPS Pregnancy Infancy Parenting Support

PIPS Pregnancy Infancy Parenting Support Supporting under-resourced whānau with the skills and practical support to care for their babies 💜 Closed all public holidays.

📣 A little reminder that PIPS is closed for the school holidays! 📣While our doors are closed, the team will be busy behi...
27/09/2026

📣 A little reminder that PIPS is closed for the school holidays! 📣

While our doors are closed, the team will be busy behind the scenes completing our season switch and giving the centre a much-needed spring clean.

If you have donations for PIPS, please hold onto them until after the school holidays. We’ll be ready to welcome your generous donations when we reopen!

Our groups, programmes and drop-in space will all reopen on Tuesday 13 October. We look forward to seeing you then! 💜

A little warmth, knitted with love 💜🧶Recently, we were absolutely delighted to receive a beautiful collection of knitted...
23/09/2026

A little warmth, knitted with love 💜🧶

Recently, we were absolutely delighted to receive a beautiful collection of knitted treasures from Knit World - and there’s a lovely story behind them!

Each year, Knit World chooses a charity for its knitting community to support, and this year they have been knitting for Pregnancy Help New Zealand. While Pregnancy Help has branches around Aotearoa, there isn’t one in Christchurch. So when their team got in touch to offer some of the beautiful donations to PIPS, we were so grateful to say yes!

We visited the Knit World store on Peterborough Street to collect the goodies and met the lovely and very bubbly Emily, who had carefully sorted and organised everything for us. The boxes were packed with gorgeous singlets, cardigans, jumpers, blankets and toys - all beautifully made and incredibly generous.

There’s something particularly special about a hand-knitted gift. Someone has chosen the yarn, picked up their needles and spent their time creating something warm and beautiful for a baby they may never meet. 💜

There’s also a special connection between PIPS and Pregnancy Help. We’re sister organisations with a long history together, dating back to the late 1970s when PIPS was one of the founding members of the Pregnancy Help network. So this felt like a particularly lovely full-circle moment.

And with the weather still chilly, the timing has been perfect. The cosy blankets and warm knitted layers are already making their way to whānau visiting PIPS, bringing plenty of smiles to little people in Ōtautahi. We’ve loved hearing how excited parents have been to choose something special for their little ones.

A huge thank you to the Pregnancy Help team for thinking of PIPS, and to every Knit World knitter who put their time, skill and love into these beautiful creations.

Love your PIPS knits? Give our amazing knitters a little shout-out in the comments! We think they all deserve a huge round of applause. 👏

🧺✨ A very special morning with Cubbin Theatre Company ✨🧺Earlier this week, our Bumps + Bubs whānau were invited along to...
02/09/2026

🧺✨ A very special morning with Cubbin Theatre Company ✨🧺

Earlier this week, our Bumps + Bubs whānau were invited along to a dress rehearsal of Cubbin Theatre’s brand-new show, Bundle Baby - and we had the most wonderful time! 🧺✨

Bundle Baby is a gentle and joyous theatre experience created especially for little ones and their grown-ups, centred around the familiar and comforting world of the laundry basket.

The set was simply beautiful, made from cloths, sheets, duvets and, of course, a giant laundry basket! 🧺 It created the most magical little world for our babies and toddlers to explore, with plenty of opportunities to watch, giggle, interact and join in if they wanted to.

It was such a special experience for our Bumps + Bubs group, and so lovely to see our little ones enjoying live theatre alongside their grown-ups.

One mama summed it up perfectly:
“We had an awesome time! Both of my babies loved interacting with the performers.”

Cubbin Theatre has been a wonderful supporter of PIPS and our Bumps + Bubs group, having shared their performances with our whānau on several occasions - including a very special Christmas event.

A huge thank you to Hannah, the Cubbin Theatre team and the amazing performers for inviting our group to experience Bundle Baby. We are so grateful for the opportunity to share some theatre, joy and connection with our PIPS whānau. 💛

Bundle Baby is running from 2-6 September, so if you have little ones at home, we highly recommend checking it out! 🎭🧺✨

Visit Cubbin Theatre Company for tickets and more information.

💚 A big thank you to the team from Loan Market Agile!We loved having these legends in at PIPS last week for a session of...
01/09/2026

💚 A big thank you to the team from Loan Market Agile!

We loved having these legends in at PIPS last week for a session of volunteering.

The team rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in - sorting, sizing, folding, bundling and cleaning their way through a very busy morning with us. They were motivated, energetic, lots of fun and incredibly willing to tackle whatever needed doing.

Behind the scenes, there is a lot of work that goes into getting donated baby gear ready to head back out to whānau. Mornings like this make a huge difference to our team and help us keep things moving, while ensuring the items we gift are organised, clean and ready for their next little person. 🧡

We think it’s fantastic when businesses recognise the value of giving their teams time to volunteer in their community. Corporate volunteering is such a practical way for workplaces to contribute, connect with local organisations and make a tangible difference - and we’re very grateful to businesses like Loan Market Agile for choosing to spend their volunteer time with us.

A huge thank you to the whole team for bringing such great energy to PIPS, and to Volunteering Canterbury for helping connect businesses with local charities and making opportunities like this possible.

We loved having you here and hope to see you back at PIPS again sometime! 💚

💜 Our shelves are filling up — and it’s all thanks to you!We’ve been absolutely blown away by the generosity of our comm...
27/08/2026

💜 Our shelves are filling up — and it’s all thanks to you!

We’ve been absolutely blown away by the generosity of our community over the past couple of weeks. Your donations are making such a difference, especially helping us restock those high-demand sizes that disappear from our shelves so quickly!

A huge highlight was being part of the nook NZ Community Clear-Out. What an amazing event! Lexi from nook put on such a fantastic, well-organised market, and we were so grateful to be a charity partner. 💜

The generosity of the stallholders was incredible, with so many packing up at the end of the day and choosing to donate their leftover stock to PIPS. We also had individuals and families dropping by with bags of donations.

We came away with TWO very full boot loads, plus a few extra bags squeezed into another car! 🚗😂

And the generosity hasn’t stopped there…

We’ve been overwhelmed by donations arriving at PIPS, through our wonderful donation hosts, partner organisations and charities, and from the many volunteers collecting and gathering donations through local community groups across Christchurch and beyond.

There has been a HUGE effort behind the scenes to get everything sorted and onto our shelves. Our team have been working incredibly hard to keep up with it all, and we are so grateful to every person helping to collect, transport, sort, fold and organise donations. It really does take a village!

A special thank you to everyone who takes the time to wash, clean and clearly sort donations by size. It makes such a difference and means we can get your beautiful donations onto our shelves and into the hands of whānau much faster. 🙌

And of course, thank you Lexi! Nook has been such a wonderful long-term supporter of PIPS, and we’re incredibly grateful for the ongoing care and generosity you show our charity and the families we support.

Every bag, box, packet and item donated adds up. Together, you’re helping us keep our shelves stocked with the everyday essentials whānau need and making a real difference for the families walking through our doors.

This is what community looks like — and we feel incredibly lucky to be part of it. 💜

It’s the perfect rainy day for a hot cuppa and a spot of shopping! ☕️🛍️Come down and see us at the nook NZ Community Cle...
14/08/2026

It’s the perfect rainy day for a hot cuppa and a spot of shopping! ☕️🛍️

Come down and see us at the nook NZ Community Clear Out! It kicks off from 12.30–2.30pm at Te Hapua: Halswell Centre (341 Halswell Road) and, if it’s anything like the last one, it’s going to be epic! 🙌

We’ll have a PIPS stand and will be accepting small donations of things like baby clothing, linen and other essentials. We’d love to see you there! 💜

And a little heads-up from a lovely community member: PAK'nSAVE has baby wipes for just 99c this week! Our wipes shelf is looking super bare, so if you’re doing your groceries today and can spare a couple of dollars to pick up a packet (or two!), we’d be so grateful. Every packet helps us keep this essential on our shelves for whānau who need it. 🙏💜

📣 Our clothing shelves need a little love! 📣We’re desperately trying to refill our baby clothing shelves at the moment, ...
13/08/2026

📣 Our clothing shelves need a little love! 📣

We’re desperately trying to refill our baby clothing shelves at the moment, particularly newborn size and 6 months+.

With so many whānau coming through our doors over the past few weeks, our clothing stocks have been moving very quickly and some of our shelves are looking particularly bare.

If you’re having a sort-out at home and have clean, good-condition baby clothing that your little ones have outgrown, we would be incredibly grateful for your donations. 💜

Those little outfits that are no longer needed at your home can make a real difference to another whānau who is struggling to make their budget stretch.
We’re especially looking for:
👶🏽 Newborn clothing
👶🏽 6 months+ clothing
🧦 Everyday basics and essentials - our wipes stock is particularly low!
🌟 Clean, good-condition items ready for another baby to love

📍 Donations can be dropped into PIPS during our opening hours, Tuesday–Friday, 9.30am–2pm, or via our drop-off locations (see our website for more info).
This Saturday we will also be at the nook NZ Community Clear Out event from 12.30-2.30pm at Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre accepting small donations (clothing, nappies, linen, wipes, toiletries) - we would love to see you!

Thank you for helping us keep our shelves full, because every baby deserves to have the basics they need 💜

💜 A little PIPS update…We’ve been a bit quiet on socials (again 😬) — not because we haven’t been busy, but quite the opp...
12/08/2026

💜 A little PIPS update…

We’ve been a bit quiet on socials (again 😬) — not because we haven’t been busy, but quite the opposite!

The past couple of weeks have been incredibly busy, with high numbers of whānau coming through our doors needing a little extra help.

In the first two weeks after reopening from the school holidays, we welcomed 265 whānau, averaging more than 30 families through our doors each day — including a huge 54 whānau in a single day!

And we’re only a week and a half into August and have already had 189 whānau through our doors.

We’re hearing more and more families talk about feeling financially stressed and unsure how they’re going to manage the costs of preparing for, or caring for, their baby. The pressure on whānau is very real, and we’re seeing that reflected in the number of families reaching out to us.

Alongside the busy days with whānau, we’ve also been getting to grips with our new PIPS database. It’s been a big project for our small team, but we’re really excited about what it will mean for PIPS going forward and the way we can keep track of the work we do and the difference it makes.

A huge thank you to everyone who has been patient with us while we’ve been getting everything set up and learning a new system. We’re getting there! 💜

Amongst all the busyness, we also wanted to share some beautiful feedback we recently received through our whānau feedback form:

“What I valued most about my visit to PIPS was how genuinely supported and cared for I felt from the moment I arrived. The environment was welcoming, respectful, and free from judgement, which made it easier for me to ask for help during a difficult time.

The support I received was not just practical, but also emotional. I felt listened to, understood, and treated with kindness. It meant a lot to me to be able to talk openly about my situation and receive help without feeling embarrassed or alone.

The assistance I was given truly eased some of the pressure I was carrying. PIPS made a real difference for me and my whānau. It reminded me that there are people and services in the community who genuinely care and want to help.

I am very grateful for the support and encouragement I received, and I will always remember the kindness shown to me.”

This is why we do what we do. 💜

And a huge part of that is our incredible volunteers, donors, supporters and wider community. Thank you for helping us be here for whānau, especially during these incredibly busy periods. We couldn’t do it without you. 💜

💜 Some essentials should never be a luxury. 💜At PIPS, we spend a lot of time talking with families about life’s essentia...
29/07/2026

💜 Some essentials should never be a luxury. 💜

At PIPS, we spend a lot of time talking with families about life’s essentials – nappies, warm clothing, safe places for babies to sleep, toiletries... and now, thanks to becoming a Dignity NZ Period Care Community Partner, period care is once again part of that support.

We are incredibly grateful to have joined the Dignity Community Partners network, allowing us to provide free pads to our community.

For many people, these aren’t only needed during their period. Pads can also be essential throughout pregnancy, following miscarriage, and during postpartum recovery. Yet we’ve heard many stories from women who have gone without because the household budget simply couldn’t stretch any further. When you’re choosing between buying groceries, paying for power, rent, or other everyday essentials, period products can become another impossible expense.
No one should have to make that choice.

Some of you may remember that, through our previous partnership with The Period Place, we were able to offer access to period products. When that wonderful organisation sadly closed its doors, we relied on generous donations whenever they came our way. While those gifts were always appreciated, they couldn’t provide the consistent supply our community needed.

That’s why becoming a Dignity Community Partner means so much to us. Our hope is simply that these everyday essentials are there when they’re needed, helping ensure everyone can access them with dignity.

At PIPS, we believe dignity matters. Reaching out for help can already feel vulnerable, and something as ordinary as needing period care should never add to that burden. Sometimes the smallest practical items offer the greatest sense of relief, comfort and reassurance.

Dignity is a New Zealand social enterprise creating period equity across Aotearoa. Through their “buy one, give one” model, businesses purchase organic cotton period products for their workplaces, and every purchase funds an identical product for Dignity Community Partners like PIPS to share with their communities.

To everyone at Dignity, and to the businesses making this possible, thank you. Your generosity is helping remove barriers, reduce stigma, and ensure more people can access the everyday essentials they deserve. 💜

Address

56A Shortland Street
Christchurch
8061

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9:30am - 2pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 2pm
Thursday 9:30am - 2pm
Friday 9:30am - 2pm

Telephone

+64225302463

Website

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