First year Otago Polytechnic School of Midwifery student Tyla-Jaide Jones came up with the idea following a visit to the maternity ward, where she and fellow classmates learnt there was always a need for knitted baby clothing.
"I woke up one Tuesday morning and thought: ‘What can I do to help today?’
"I learnt to knit with my great-grandmother when I was young, but I’m not good enough to do any of these patterns. So I thought I’d better enlist some master knitters."
The 18-year-old contacted the Summerset Retirement Village in Dunedin and asked if any of the residents would be prepared to knit for a good cause.‘‘Their response was amazing.
"I went down that afternoon — Tuesdays is craft day at Summerset — and met with some women who told me what they needed.‘‘I went straight out and bought the yarn, photocopied some patterns, and dropped them all back."
A few days later, dozens of booties, singlets and hats were ready for distribution to "Dunedin’s newest residents", she said.
"It’s a really nice connection, between the elderly women, the mothers and their babies."
Miss Jones delivered the knitted items to Queen Mary Hospital yesterday as part of International Day of the Midwife.
The delivery was just one of several events held in Dunedin yesterday to celebrate the day. A shared morning tea was held at the Otago Museum Reserve, where Otago Polytechnic Midwifery students, mothers, families and midwives gathered.
Otago Polytechnic School of Midwifery senior lecturer and New Zealand College of Midwives Otago chairwoman Megan Walker said the message for the day was "supporting midwives supports women, mothers and families".
"Investing in maternity services and the midwifery workforce is an investment in the wellbeing of New Zealand now and in the future.
"It is evident in media reports that women are increasingly worried about the under-resourcing of midwifery services in New Zealand and would like more priority given to the profession," she said.
