PlunketLine nurses now answer live chat 24 hours a day

Families, whānau and caregivers in Aotearoa New Zealand can now chat online with a PlunketLine nurse at any hour of the day or night.

PlunketLine is free for everyone, and people do not need to be enrolled with Whānau Āwhina Plunket. Plunket says its nurses can advise on breastfeeding, sleep and settling, feeding, crying, teething, immunisation, growth and development, behaviour and parenting stress.

Live chat gives whānau another way to reach out, next to the phone service on 0800 933 922. The phone line also runs 24 hours a day.

How to start a chat

Look for the Ask Aroha button in the bottom right-hand corner of the Plunket website. Select it to open the chat window.

Aroha is a virtual assistant that is available 24/7 and helps people find information on the Plunket website. From the same window, people can connect with live support.

PlunketLine nurses are available 24/7 for parenting, child health and wellbeing questions. The Plunket admin team is available from 8.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, for general enquiries such as booking and changing appointments or updating contact details.

If a nurse needs to complete a full medical assessment, Plunket notes that the nurse may ask to continue the conversation by phone.

Calling instead

Anyone who would rather talk can call PlunketLine free on 0800 933 922 at any time, day or night. A registered nurse answers the call.

Plunket describes its nurses as registered nurses with additional qualifications in Well Child health. Some nurses speak other languages, and an interpreter service is available.

To get an interpreter, call the same number and say which language you speak. For many languages, Plunket can connect callers straight away. For less common languages, a call back may need to be arranged.

PlunketLine supports parents and caregivers of tamariki aged 0 to 5.

Lactation and sleep support

Parents struggling to see a lactation consultant locally can call a PlunketLine nurse. The nurse does an assessment and books an appointment with one of Plunket’s International Board Certified Lactation Consultants. These breastfeeding consultations are free for all whānau, even if Plunket is not their WellChild provider.

PlunketLine also offers sleep consultations with nurses specially trained in sleep and settling pēpi. They are free, private video calls, and they are open to everyone. To book, call PlunketLine, where a nurse gives some initial support over the phone and then books the appointment.

Plunket says information given through its website and online messaging channels is general. It is not meant to replace a consultation with a suitably qualified health professional. Online enquiries can take up to three business days for a response.

For a nurse right away, Plunket asks people to phone PlunketLine on 0800 933 922. Health advice for children over five years old or other whānau members is available from Healthline on 0800 611 116. Both numbers operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.