Lay summary
The Best Start Māmā and Pēpī 6 week check project extends the current Best Start early pregnancy project to include a focus on access to health care in the first 6 weeks after childbirth. Together these projects seek to identify and address the access barriers to pregnancy and early childhood care for hapū māmā and their whānau. The projects draw on insights from hapū māmā using a co-design process, the Hapū Māmā Village, a series of hui led by the Healthy Families organisation. Intensive and focused attention to pathways of care ensure clinical services learn from these insights and develop service responses that improve access. The recommendations from this project will be available nationally to support implementation of the Best Start Māmā and Pēpī 6 week check in other general practices and localities and improve access to care for hapū māmā throughout New Zealand.