View Favourites
×

Supporting Families Through Video Insights Sign Up

Explore practical tips, heartfelt stories, and expert advice designed to strengthen family bonds and foster a more harmonious home environment.

"Thirty years supporting Auckland parents.
Midwife-led, evidence-based, and genuinely experienced."
8,000+ Families Supported.
Trusted by Mums, Midwives & Obstetricians.

"You don't need a different expert at every stage. We're here from your bump to your baby's first birthday."

Video Insights Sign Up



 

Holistic Pregnancy Care & Acupuncture Support | HolisticBaby
Holistic Pregnancy Care & Acupuncture Support | HolisticBaby

Nurturing the Mother:Why Holistic Support and Acupuncture Matter on the Journey of Matrescence.


For over 30 years, I have had the privilege of walking alongside women in the baby space—as a nurse, midwife, certified lactation consultant, and a member of the Fussy Baby Network. I have journeyed with women through pregnancy, the postnatal period, and beyond. 

For some, this road is smooth or gently undulating. For others, it is wild, steep, and deeply challenging. No matter the terrain, this season of life is often one of profound vulnerability.
A woman in this stage is navigating immense physical changes, powerful emotions, a shifting identity, and the heavy influence of the world around her. It is a time when she needs steadiness, safety, and trust above all else.

I firmly believe that when we give a mother a place to settle—a place where she feels truly seen, heard, and supported—we all gain. As she begins to trust herself, she thrives. Her baby thrives. And the confidence she builds is not only for this season, but something she carries forward into her life and any future pregnancies. Supporting mothers is not just about physical care. It is about nurturing inner confidence, resilience, and trust—foundations that last far beyond the early days.

Expanding Your Circle of Care: The Benefits of Acupuncture
Because holistic care requires looking at the whole picture, I have for many years recommended acupuncture as part of the maternal journey to support a healthy, comfortable pregnancy.
Pregnancy is a joyful journey, but it can also bring unexpected physical and emotional hurdles.

Many women experience morning sickness, back or sciatica pain, trouble sleeping, anxiety, or difficulty preparing for labour or medical births like C-sections. Others may be concerned about breech presentation, stalled labour, or postpartum recovery.

To help you navigate these hurdles, I highly recommend the team at Ora Acupuncture. They provide safe, natural, and effective acupuncture treatments in Auckland to support you through every stage of your matrescence journey.

How Acupuncture Supports You and Your Baby:
  • Morning Sickness Relief: Easing nausea and fatigue so you can find comfort in your day-to-day life.
  • Optimal Baby Positioning: Gentle techniques to encourage breech and posterior babies into the best position for birth.
  • Labour Preparation & Induction Support: Helping your body naturally prepare and soften for the birthing process.
  • Pain Management: Targetted relief for pregnancy-related back, hip, and sciatica pain.
  • Postpartum Recovery: Restoring your vital energy, balancing hormones, and supporting healing after birth.
  • Emotional Well-being: Providing a calm space to address anxiety, insomnia, and postnatal depression.
Using evidence-based techniques, Ora Acupuncture aims to make your pregnancy more comfortable, support natural labour, and enhance your postnatal recovery.

A Village of Support
You do not have to walk this steep path alone. By combining compassionate midwifery guidance with time-tested holistic therapies like acupuncture, you give yourself the best opportunity to feel grounded, strong, and deeply cared for.
If you are looking to enhance your well-being, book a pregnancy acupuncture session in Auckland today and experience a holistic approach to pregnancy care that nurtures both you and your baby.

Join the HolisticBaby in our HolisticBaby Clinic at Birthcare Auckland. 

With warmth,
Cathy McCormick HolisticBaby.
Read More
Navigating Newborn Sleep: A Gentle, Science-Based Guide
Navigating Newborn Sleep: A Gentle, Science-Based Guide
For many new parents, the quest for a "good night's sleep" becomes an
all-consuming focus but does it
need to be?
Read More
Antenatal Expression of Colostrum: Do you really have to do It?
Antenatal Expression of Colostrum: Do you really have to do It?
Hand expressing before birth can feel like just another thing to add to an already long pregnancy to-do list.
Do you need to do this?
Read More
Meet Our Experts: Midwife, Nurse , Lactation Consultant and NDC Practitioner with the Fussy Baby Network, Cathy McCormick
Meet Our Experts: Midwife, Nurse , Lactation Consultant and NDC Practitioner with the Fussy Baby Network, Cathy McCormick
Meet Cathy McCormick, our go-to expert for all your sleep, settling and feeding questions. Each month we’ll be posting a question box on our Instagram where you can write in, and then we’ll put your pressing questions to our expert panel.
Read More
Tricks of the trade
Tricks of the trade
Lactation consultant Cathy Mccormick outlines some of the most common breastfeeding challenges and offers advice on how to achieve your own breastfeeding bliss.
Read More
Team no sleep?
Team no sleep?
Expectant parents know their days of restful slumbers are numbered, but nothing quite prepares you for the reality. Cathy McCormick, from HolisticBaby, shares some thoughts on surviving those early days and nights
Read More
Tag
Read More

  • "Cathy was our postnatal midwife and we would have been lost without her advice and support! Her vast knowledge, easygoing nature and ability to answer even the silliest questions without making us feel useless, helped us a lot, particularly during those overwhelming first weeks. The most valuable thing Cathy taught us was to trust our instinct. As new parents we were overwhelmed with information, which was sometimes conflicting. It turns out we knew all along what was best for us and our baby, by following our gut instinct!"

    Claire & Mark Sanders, Laingholm, Auckland

  • "As a second-time mom I can confidently say Cathy has dramatically improved my life as a new-born mom. She assisted with improving the painful breastfeeding, but more importantly, has assisted with getting our newborn into a successful night time routine, I am getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night, and have done since our baby was about 4.5 weeks old. With my first baby, I was a wreck from the lack of sleep, and this time around I feel really positive and in control. The sleep guidance Cathy has given me is not strictly regimented, it was advice to help fit baby's sleep with my sleep needs (we go to sleep at the same time together around 10pm) and I don't stress all day long about trying to get my baby to sleep at set times, as I did with my first born. Your advice has truly changed my whole experience and I wish I had met you five years ago with my first born!!!

    THANK YOU CATHY

    Tess, Auckland

  • "Hi Cathy, I just wanted to say 'thank you' for the support you gave me last week with positioning Edie's latch. We have had a lot less grizzling and drama since then and Edie seems to have a lot less intestinal discomfort. She's definitely spilling less too. Funny how the little things can make such a big difference.""

    Erin

  • "Hi Jo, Your support has been so great! I think the most beneficial thing we have got out of it is just instilling confidence that we are on the right track. You have equipped us with a few tools when we have the odd hard night. Shifting my expectations to reassuring him rather than putting him to sleep when I'm going in to settle is also another great takeaway that will help structure his future sleep regressions/progressions to be consistent with sleep habits. Thank you for your support! It has been a huge help to us."

    Mum & Dad

  • "Thanks to@HolisticBaby!

    Cathy has helped me twice, once with 5 weeks and once at 4 months, with getting breastfeeding right and comfortable and I can highly recommend her.

    Cathy gave me the tools to gain confidence to keep trying and practicing, showing me new ways each time. A Lactation Consultant is SO WORTH IT."

    mum

  • "Hey Jo!

    An update from us. We have been getting longer naps!!! He's down to two naps a day. I am absolutely mind blown! His nights have improved too, he has been having a later bedtime but this week we started waking him at 6:30am and it should get earlier. Your advice has been amazing, so thank you.

    Nicole

  • Hi Jo,

    Thanks for our chat yesterday. You answered my question about sensory and if my baby was being put to sleep/bed too much. Anyway, we had such a good night and from about midnight on she slept in 2-3 hour blocks, which was amazing.

    You were so knowledgeable and kind.

    Thank you again.

  • We loved our experience with Cathy's antenatal classes at Holistic Baby. The sessions were not only incredibly informative and helpful, but also entertaining and fun. Cathy's vast knowledge and experience made the whole process feel clear, practical, and reassuring. One of the best parts was meeting a great group of people to have coffee groups and catch ups with after the babies were born. Highly recommend to anyone preparing for parenthood!

    Tania

  • We found Cathy's antenatal classes invaluable in the lead up to having our first baby. Cathy's approach is warm and pragmatic. She has a wealth of knowledge which I found to be evidence based, empowering and non-judgmental. There's a lot of noise in the post-natal space and I always turn to Cathy's account when I have questions as she posts helpful advice that I trust. Her cafe catch ups are such a generous gift of her time and advice, and it's lovely to meet other mums.

    Kendal

  • Loved these antenatal classes. Ten years on and the families I met at these classes are all really important friends to me and my kids. We even go away as a group regularly. Highly recommend.

    Letitia

  • My husband and I were so grateful to attended the Holistic Baby antenatal classes prior to having our 1st baby. The weekend sessions really suited our schedules. Cathy delivered the sessions with vast experience & evidence based knowledge that made us feel informed, empowered and excited about the birth of our baby; all of which ended up being very helpful and practical.

    Rebekah

  • The Holistic Baby antenatal classes are absolutely incredible! Cathy is a brilliant teacher with a wealth of knowledge about babies, birth, breastfeeding & everything in between! We went into the classes not knowing too much and have left feeling ready and excited! Couldn't recommend these classes enough.

    Courtney

  • Awesome interactive and info rich antenatal day. Cathy presents so clearly and brings all her experience and passion. Felt very comfortable asking all the questions.

    Suzanne

  • I cannot recommend Cathy and HolisticBaby more highly. What Cathy doesn't know about birthing journeys and babies isn't worth knowing. Cathy is the very safe and caring person you want (and need) on your team at a time of such uncertainty!

    Mary

  • We loved doing our antenatal classes with Cathy! We found them really helpful and educational in preparing us for birth, and it was great connecting with others in similar situations. I'd highly recommend the combo package - the breastfeeding and taking baby home Zoom sessions were absolutely worth it! All of the classes struck the perfect balance between holistic and medical information. Thanks Cathy!

    Ellie

  • Cathy made such an impact on our journey with our baby - she was supremely knowledgable, practical, compassionate, proactive and positive. She looked out for both of our needs and things turned a huge corner thanks to Cathy. We ended up seeing Cathy a few times in the first six months and each time she made a meaningful contribution that helped us.

    Sophie

  • Cathy is very knowledgeable everything baby - she guided me through correctly positioning my baby with feeding and explaining where he needs to be and why. I nearly gave up on breastfeeding as it was getting too sore but with her advice I am able to continue. Thank you so much Cathy - you are worth your weight in gold

    Anita

When we trust our own instincts we often feel a sense of knowing that we are probably doing it right!