Kia Kaha Mama

For years I’ve "hidden" in plain sight.
I’ve had these plates since I was 21… but lately something in me has shifted.

I fell in love with the black plates — bold, clean, impossible to ignore. And somehow it feels deeper than just a car upgrade. It feels symbolic. Like finally allowing myself to be seen.

Two days after the new moon, with everything feeling aligned, it honestly feels like the beginning of a new chapter. One where I stop shrinking, stop dimming myself down, and step fully into who I’m becoming.

Visibility used to feel uncomfortable. Now it feels necessary. Black on black just looks great!

And yes… the waka needs a wash, polish and buff 😂
But right now the rain has started, and taiao is blessing this new version first. 🖤🌧️✨🌑

Still me. Just louder in my own truth.
Re-syking myself to live in MY authenticity.
Loving myself harder than my inner critic.

In between the busyness of life, I’m here pouring aroha into something that’s been sitting in my heart for a while now.

This isn’t just candle making for me.
It’s intention. It’s wairua. It’s creation.

Designing each one slowly, purposefully — thinking about the wāhine who will light these in their quiet moments, their chaos, their becoming.

From labour rooms to living rooms… I’ve seen how powerful scent can be. How it can ground you, soften you, hold you through transformation.

So here I am — mid-shift, mid-life, mid-dream — creating something that feels like a little piece of luxury, a little piece of peace.

For the busy wāhine.
For the māmā.
For the ones holding everything together.

Your reminder to pause. To breathe. To come back to yourself.

The haerenga continues… 🤍

Will be loading these up on the website very soon...

It’s official — my thesis is now live on Tūwhera.

This moment feels quietly significant. After all the writing, rewriting, questioning, pushing through, and piecing everything together… it’s finally out in the world.

To everyone who contributed to this research — thank you. Your voices, experiences, and trust sit at the heart of this work. I don’t take that lightly.

If you’re curious to read it, you can access the full thesis here:
https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhdl.handle.net%2F10292%2F20986&data=05%7C02%7C%7C6f4868ecf2ce4322d12408dea4a95caf%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639129244467688886%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=mqHxSJXW2vXhwmeAdVj6jgpbEtDth27KUsHhC5RWOWU%3D&reserved=0

Right now I’m still in that strange in-between space — part relief, part exhaustion, part reflection. Letting it all settle before stepping into what comes next.

Ngā mihi nui to everyone who has been part of this journey 🤍

Graduation in Auckland end of July... yeow

I feel like I’m sitting in a strange in-between space right now…

I’ve received my Masters result — an A grade — but I haven’t yet seen the markers’ report or feedback. At the same time, I’ve just completed my Midwifery Standards Review today.

It feels like a major cycle has come to a close.

In the final weeks of writing my thesis, I was notified by the Midwifery Council that I had been randomly selected for audit, with four weeks to submit everything. I asked for an extension until after my thesis was handed in — and as soon as I submitted, I gave myself a week to rest, then went straight into the audit.

Thankfully, keeping my portfolio up to date made that process manageable. And then, on my birthday, I received confirmation that I had passed. All that remained was my Emergency Skills study day and my MSR.

After taking a short break over summer, I pulled everything together — and today, I completed my MSR. In that space, I also surrendered my Postgraduate Diploma to formally receive my Masters of Health Science.

Right now, I’m in this quiet void… cooking dinner, emotionally tired yet overjoyed, feeling like I’m both floating and wanting to just sit still and reflect.

I haven’t even re-read my thesis since submitting it — but part of me feels drawn to go back, to sit with it, to really see what has come through me in this work.

This journey has asked a lot of me. At times, it has felt like I’ve had to defend my right to be a midwife — to practise on my terms, grounded in mātauranga Māori, and upheld by the wisdom of my tūpuna, kuia, kaumātua, ngā kōkā, tuakana and teina.

That knowing has been shaped by every wāhine, every pēpi, every whānau I’ve had the honour of walking alongside. This achievement is not mine alone — it belongs to all of us.

And alongside this, I continue to reflect on the increasing medicalisation of childbirth, and the steady rise in caesarean rates. It reminds me why this kaupapa matters, and why I will continue to stand in this space.

Once again, I want to thank all those who had a hand in helping to bring this into te ao mārama.

We did it. 🤍

He wā mutunga, he wā tīmatanga anō.

😭😩☺️😍 - all the feels.

Kia ora e te whānau,

You may start to see HPV immunisation consent forms coming home in school bags over the next little while.

This is part of Aotearoa’s National Immunisation Programme, offering free HPV vaccinations to rangatahi (usually in Year 7–8, around 11–12 years of age).

These forms need a parent or legal guardian signature, so keep an eye out — they can easily get lost between homework sheets and lunchbox crumbs.

Why the HPV vaccine matters!
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is very common. Most people will come into contact with it at some point in their lives. While many HPV infections clear on their own, some types can lead to cancers later in life — including cervical cancer, as well as throat, a**l and other cancers.

The HPV vaccine is a powerful prevention tool. When given in early adolescence, it offers strong protection before exposure to the virus. It’s one of the most effective cancer-prevention vaccines we have.

For our rangatahi, this is about long-term protection. It’s about safeguarding their future health in a simple, proactive way.

For parents and caregivers, if you have questions, you can:

1. Talk with your GP or practice nurse
2. Contact your local public health or vaccinator service (details are on the form)
3. Visit Health NZ / Te Whatu Ora websites for evidence-based information.
4. Take the time to read the form, have a kōrero with your young person, and return it to school if you consent.

And while we’re here — a gentle reminder about cervical screening:

For those with a cervix aged 25–69, cervical screening in Aotearoa is now easier than ever.

You can choose:
A quick self-test swab (which you can often do yourself in private at your clinic), or
A clinician-taken test if you prefer.

The HPV primary screening test only needs to be done every 5 years if results are normal. It’s simple, fast, and one of the best ways to prevent cervical cancer.

HPV vaccination + regular cervical screening = powerful protection.

Let’s look after our rangatahi now, and ourselves too.

If you’ve got questions, drop them below or reach out to your trusted health provider.

🌑 New Moon Rising – Preparing for the Year of the Fire Horse 🔥🐎

The new moon rises tomorrow — and with it, the beginning of a powerful new cycle.

Today is the day to cleanse.

Clear your space. Clear your body. Clear your mind.
Wash, tidy, sweep, release.

Make room for what you are ready to call in.
&Manifestation

As we step into the Year of the Fire Horse, take a moment to sit with what you truly want to bring forward. What are you ready to ignite? What kind of momentum do you want to create?

Tomorrow is an auspicious day — but it carries strong fire energy. There may be steam. There may be intensity. So move mindfully.

Act as though you are on your high horse — elevated, composed, sovereign.

Bring water. Keep yourself cool. Keep others hydrated.
Respond, don’t react.

Now is the time to be the bigger person.

This is how you optimise your luck for the year ahead.

This is how you attract abundance in all its forms.

Be the loving mother — to yourself and to others.

Do something nurturing for your body.

Be kind and helpful at work.

Offer a random act of kindness to a stranger.

Set the tone now for the year you want to ride into.

Clean slate. Open heart. Steady fire. 🌑🔥

Getting up to date with your screening tests 🩺✨

Today I did my cervical screening test.

I got my reminder letter a few months ago, but between summer holidays and settling kids back into school, it took a bit of breathing space to finally get it done.

Let’s be real — cervical screening can feel scary. Especially if you’ve ever had an abnormal result. But screening on time massively improves the chances of picking up changes early, which means treatment and healing can start sooner rather than later.

As a baby midwife, I was horrified when I learned about the Dame Sylvia Cartwright Inquiry — a landmark moment in Aotearoa’s history that exposed serious breaches of women’s rights and consent in cervical cancer treatment

👉 https://www.womens-health.org.nz/the-cartwright-inquiry/

More recently, I’ve been thinking about the Gisborne / Tairāwhiti Cervical Smear Inquiry of the 1990s. There will still be many whānau who remember their kuia, māmā, sister, cousin, or friend who were directly affected

👉 https://www.womens-health.org.nz/gisborne-cervical-smear-inquiry/

Today, I chose the self-swab cervical screening test — a game-changer led by Professor Bev Lawton (Te Aitanga a Hauiti) and her incredible team, who worked tirelessly to move us from speculums to self-testing

👉https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2025/03/from-speculums-to-self-testing-kiwibank-new-zealander-of-the-year

Just to be clear — don’t get it twisted — if a self-swab shows an abnormal result, the next step is still a pap smear. Self-testing doesn’t remove follow-up care, it just removes barriers to starting.

I booked a free appointment at my local Community Sexual Health Clinic. The whole thing took less than 30 minutes — including sneaking into the free 10-minute parking and playing roulette with the parking wardens 😅

So I’m asking you this: What would it take for you to pick up the phone and book an appointment?

Even if it’s for a few weeks away. As wāhine, we are so good at looking after everyone else.

But when we’re not here… who looks after them then?
Work will replace you in a heartbeat.

But you are irreplaceable to your tamariki and your whānau.

Point of the story:
✨ You matter. ✨

Standing at the edge of the tide today - at one of my favourite beaches in the world, watching thousands of tiny jellyfish washed ashore.

An outgoing tide. New life everywhere. A tohu of beginnings in abundance.

I came here waiting — for news, for answers — listening to Black Velvet, Purple Rain and all those good sounds... letting my body soften into the moment.

And I was reminded that mindfulness isn’t doing more — it’s allowing.

It’s trusting the rhythm.

It’s remembering the divine feminine doesn’t chase… she receives.

Letting go of what isn’t mine.

Settling into my body.

Trusting the unfolding.

Allowing what’s meant for me to arrive in its own time.

Are you following the maramataka?
Do you know what phase Hina is in right now?

As we move out of Tangaroa and descend toward Whiro — the new moon — this is a powerful time to pause, reflect, and listen inward.

I use this phase to look back over the last few weeks and gently ask myself: What am I feeling called to bring into my world next?

This is where moon wisdom meets modern life.
Think law of attraction woven with maramataka, nervous-system soothing practices, ancestral faith, and Indigenous wahine moon magic. Nothing religious — just deep, grounded, spiritual realignment. A reset of your inner world so your outer life can start to feel lighter, clearer, and more you again.

If you’re a wāhine in the thick of motherhood — always giving, holding everyone else together, running on low energy, feeling snappy or disconnected from your spark — this space is for you.

This is about gently peeling back layers of hara, stress, and survival mode… and remembering who you are beneath it all.

Whether you’re:

* on the benefit
* juggling study and mamahood
* solo parenting or partnered
* working hard and craving more financial freedom, or
* simply feeling tired of feeling tired

You don’t have to do the inner work alone.

When you sit with me, you’re met with encouragement, accountability, warmth, and deep belief in you. Someone on your side. Someone who sees your potential even when you’re too exhausted to see it yourself.

✨ Kōrero mai ✨

You can book me as a life coach, or come hang out online for a Tirea Transformation + Manifestation session — aligned with the new moon, your intentions, and your dream life. Link in bio.

Ready to reconnect with yourself?

Ready to soften back into joy?

Ready to fall in love with life again?

DM me, ’m here 🌑💜

On Sunday evening, alongside my colleagues Dr Wendy Burgess (Ngāti Kahungunu), Stephanie Shankar (Ngāti Arawa, Tūwharetoa), with Dr Felicity Ware (Ngāpuhi) and Hapai Selby-Law in wairua, we accepted the RANZCOG Māori Women’s Health Award on behalf of our rōpū, Te Aukume a Hine te Iwaiwa.

This kaupapa didn’t begin in a boardroom—it began in the mauri of our people. After the ON TRACK Network’s national survey identified Māori as the top priority group for perinatal research, a turning point came. A Māori Health Workshop, led by Diane Wihongi, challenged attendees to truly listen to the solutions Māori were already holding.

From that call came action. Dr Fee, Dr Wendy, Dr Katie Groom and others mobilised support for an HRC Research Activation Grant, which gave rise to our collective—Te Aukume a Hine te Iwaiwa—named after the atua of childbirth, weaving, tides, and moonlight. It speaks to the magnetic pull of the moon, drawing Māori researchers and kaimahi together to reclaim the space of perinatal research for and by Māori.

Through regional lockdowns, our whakawhanaungatanga phase—led with aroha by Dr Fee and Hapai—helped weave deep connections. Steph and I carried out a scoping of Māori-led perinatal research—affirming the mātauranga that already exists.

A defining moment was our kanohi ki te kanohi wānanga at Papakura Marae, held between Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle. An intergenerational gathering—our pēpi present, our kaumātua Papa Tuta Haereroa embracing us, the marae becoming the womb of our kaupapa. We shared research findings across clinical, non-clinical, and rongoā Māori spaces—within a whare that lives and breathes community.

Last night Dr Wendy Burgess, the midwifery sis Steph Shankar and myself (with Dr Fee Ware and Hapai Selby-Law with us in wairua) received on behalf of Te Aukume a Hine te Iwaiwa, the Hauora Wāhine Māori Award for making a significant contribution to Māori Women's Health outcomes in Aotearoa.

This kaupapa began not in a boardroom, but in the Mauri of our people. Following the ON TRACK Network's national survey, which identified that the top 20 perinatal research priorities were specific to Māori, a turning point occurred. A Māori Health outcomes improvement workshop facilitated by Diane Wihongi, urged participants to sit in the discomfort of silence and listen to the solutions Māori were bringing forward.

From this call came action, Dr Fee, Dr Wendy, Dr Katie Groom and others mobilised support for an HRC Research Activation Grant. That grant gave rise to our collective - Te Aukume a Hine te Iwaiwa. A name that honours the atua of childbirth, weaving, tides and moonlight. It speaks to the magnetic pull of the moon, drawing Māori researchers and kaimahi from across Aotearoa together for one purpose: to reclaim the space of perinatal research for and by Māori.

During regional covid lockdowns, our online whakawhānaungatanga phase, led with heart by Dr Fee and Hapai, helped lay the foundations for deep connection. Steph and I, (under Fee's supervision) carried out a scoping exercise, identifying Māori-led publications in perinatal health - affirming the strength that already exists in our collective knowledge.

A defining moment was our kanohi ki te kanohi wānanga held at Papakura Marae, held between cyclones. Papa Tuta Haereroa safely wove us into the marae and community, where we set the health research priorities for Māori perinatal health.

We also want to give special thanks to Hapai te Hauora who now carry and care for our scoping literature report "Mātātuhi Whakatere a Hine te Iwaiwa | The Navigation charts of Hine te Iwaiwa" and Massey Uni for their support.

For our whānau, pēpi and mokopuna.

Ma te huruhuru ka rere te manu.