What is Ūkaipō?
The word Ūkaipō is a Māori kupu, meaning mother, source of sustenance, or one's true home. Derived from the words ū (breast), kai (to feed), and pō (night), Ūkaipō speaks to the person or place that nourished you during your most vulnerable moments.
Ūkaipō reminds us that every māmā needs her own ūkaipō — a place of belonging, safety, nourishment, and support during life's most vulnerable seasons.
At its heart, Ūkaipō is about rebuilding the maternal village. While our tūpuna raised tamariki collectively, many whānau today are navigating parenthood without that same network of support. We believe every māmā deserves a village.
We are a kaupapa Māori organisation created to walk alongside hapū and postpartum māmā through one of life's most transformative (and often challenging) chapters. We exist to ensure that every māmā feels held, supported, and connected.
We know that motherhood can be joyful, but it can also be exhausting, isolating, and overwhelming. Many māmā quietly carry the weight of mental distress, financial pressure, loss of identity, or simply the feeling that they have to do it all alone. That's why Ūkaipō exists.
Our approach is guided by manaakitanga, aroha, and the belief that caring for a māmā is one of the greatest investments we can make in the wellbeing of our whānau and future generations.
Nau mai ki Ūkaipō xx
Who do we help?
Ūkaipō is currently for Māori Māmā, who are hapū or have a pēpi aged 0-12 months, living in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Māori Māmā
Ūkaipō was created by Māori Māmā, for Māori Māmā & their whānau. While we recognise there are so many mothers across different cultural backgrounds who would greatly benefit from this service, our purpose is to tautoko Māori Māmā. There are many services out there (including Mothers’ Helpers) who can help non-Māori mothers seeking extra support.
Māmā in Tāmaki Makaurau
Ūkaipō is a new kaupapa that we are currently trialing with Māmā in Tāmaki Makaurau. Our hope is to expand our service to reach Māmā in other hapori, and eventually around all of Aotearoa. If you are outside of Tāmaki and would be interested in having Ūkaipō in your community, please reach out so we can see where the need is.
Hapū Māmā / Māmā with Pēpi 0-12 months
Our focus at the moment is for hapū Māmā and those with pēpi aged 0-12 months, as we recognise the strong need for the maternal village at this especially vulnerable time. This will likely expand in the future.
We know every Māmā deserves a village, so please be patient with us while we grow.
Ko Wai Mātou?
Who Are We?
Ūkaipō Collective was founded by three Māori māmā who share a simple belief: no māmā should have to navigate motherhood alone.
We are Stevie Davis-Tana, Norelle Parker, and Kelsey Parker - hoa, māmā, and advocates who have each dedicated our lives to strengthening Māori wellbeing in different ways. Together, we bring experience across maternal healthcare, community leadership, research, youth development, storytelling, and kaupapa Māori initiatives, united by a shared commitment to uplifting māmā and whānau.
But more importantly, we bring lived experience.
Like many wāhine, we have experienced the joys and challenges of pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood. Between us, we have navigated postpartum recovery, depression, periods of loneliness and overwhelm, and witnessed many other māmā silently carrying the weight of maternal mental health challenges. Those experiences, together with conversations with countless wāhine in our communities, inspired the creation of Ūkaipō.
Ūkaipō is not a large organisation. We are simply māmā helping māmā. Our role is not to replace the care that already exists within our communities, but to strengthen it—bringing together practical support, genuine connection, and kaupapa Māori approaches so every māmā knows she is seen, valued, and never alone.
Meet Our Founders
Stevie Davis-Tana
Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga
Stevie is a māmā of 2, storyteller, and community advocate passionate about strengthening whānau wellbeing through kaupapa Māori. With a background in human rights, community development, research, and media, she believes in the power of storytelling to inspire change. Having experienced postpartum depression herself, Stevie is deeply committed to ensuring every māmā feels supported, connected, and seen.
Norelle Parker
Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Koata
Norelle is a māmā, community leader, and passionate advocate for kaupapa Māori. Through her work in governance, local government, and whānau-led education, she is committed to creating opportunities where Māori can thrive. As Chair of Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Ngākau Mahana and a lifelong supporter of wāhine and whānau, Norelle believes strong communities are built through connection, leadership, and collective care.
Kelsey Parker
Kelsey is a Māori midwife and māmā of five who provides holistic maternity care grounded in mātauranga Māori. Combining clinical expertise with deep compassion, she walks alongside whānau throughout hapūtanga, birth, and the postpartum journey. Inspired by generations of Māori midwifery in her own whānau and informed by her own maternal mental health experiences, Kelsey is dedicated to ensuring every wāhine feels safe, heard, empowered, and cared for.
Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Koata