Pictures: LJS Studios
When Hannah Norton was two years old, she lost her mother to suicide caused by suspected post-natal depression. Now 36, Hannah says that devastating experience changed her life. It spurred her on to start Nappkin, a charity that helps new parents to get a good night’s sleep.
“Nappkin funds a night maternity nanny for parents with kids under 18 months so they can catch up on much-needed sleep,” says Hannah, a single mother of two preschoolers.
“I started the charity before I had kids, but I was encouraged to do so because of my mother. She had depression in her teens and was probably suffering from undiagnosed post-natal depression when she died.”
When she became a parent to boys Hunter, now four, and Arlo, three, Auckland-based Hannah finally understood what her mother may have been going through.
“I suffered a back injury while pregnant with Arlo, which led to severe anxiety,” she explains. “I started spiralling and doctors put me on quite strong medication. On top of that, I wasn’t sleeping, so I got help from a maternity nanny. If I hadn’t done that, I may well have gone down the same path as my mother.”
Emerging from that dark period helped Hannah answer some questions she’d long grappled with.
“For years, I’d wondered how any parent could leave their child. Now I understand how hard parenting can be,” she says. “You might be sleep-deprived and have a colicky baby who’s screaming nine hours a night. While dealing with that, you might also be struggling with your own mental health. After suffering from anxiety myself, I wanted to do something to help with mental wellness and loneliness, which can also be a factor for new mums.”
The seed for Nappkin was first sown in 2018 when Hannah, who qualified as a lawyer early last year, was awarded a global leadership scholarship in Asia.
“Part of that programme was to develop a social enterprise,” she tells. “My idea was to start a charity that connected retirees with new mothers. That way, older Kiwis could help mentor younger mums.”
A successful first event saw several older mentors paired with new mothers. However, following that, a blow struck Hannah’s fledgling charity.
“I fell pregnant with Hunter and was horrifically sick during that pregnancy. Then COVID hit, so it wasn’t a good time to mix the high-risk groups of older people and babies.”
Having personally reaped the benefits of a nanny after her own mental health struggle, Hannah decided to pivot the fledgling charity to connect sleep-deprived parents with a maternity nanny.
“Having someone who will come in and look after your child for one night while you sleep can be life-changing,” she tells. “But the nannies can also give you advice about settling, feeding or any issues you may have.”
Hannah works with an established organisation called Rockmybaby, who send experienced maternity nurses into people’s homes.
“The usual cost of a nanny is $300-$400 a night. Nappkin pays for this, so the service is free for parents who need help. Rockmybaby also kindly waive their fees for us.”
Since launching last October with the help of the Perpetual Guardian Foundation, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. The most common feedback has been from mothers saying that the service is “a total game-changer”.
It’s certainly been a lifeline for the 25-plus mothers Hannah’s charity has helped so far around the country.
“I’ve had parents, some who have been in life and death situations, tell me that having the support of a maternity nurse has kept them afloat,” says Hannah.
That includes Auckland journalist Sinead Corcoran Dye, who documented her post-natal depression on social media after the birth of her first child.
“Doctors referred Sinead to us after admitting her to Starship Hospital’s mum and baby psychiatric ward. She was suffering from severe post-natal depression. When she went home, she needed help. Nappkin funded a nanny for a night to enable her to get some rest.”
Sinead, who has now come onboard as a Nappkin ambassador to advocate for other new parents, says that even though she spent a week in the psych ward, she wasn’t eligible for government funding for a nanny.
“That’s when professionals referred me to Nappkin,” says Sinead. “While a full night’s sleep wasn’t a magic wand to fix it all, combined with medication and therapy, I recovered quickly. Having access to this help was a lifeline in what were my darkest days.”
Sinead is now helping Hannah raise funds so that more Kiwi families can access the help they need.
Hannah admits she and her former partner funded Nappkin’s first few clients themselves.
“But now we have a Givealittle page, which covers a couple of maternity nurse visits a week,” she says. “All funds go directly to providing maternity nanny services. Because the need for our support is growing rapidly, our goal is to raise $100K so we can help 250 women access the help they need.”
To donate to Nappkin, visit givealittle.co.nz/org/nappkin
Help is here
If you’re struggling with your mental health, please call or text 1737 at any time for free support from a trained counsellor.
For the Suicide Crisis Helpline, phone 0508 TAUTOKO.
In an emergency, always dial 111.
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