Pregnancy is hard. And many women don’t get the support they need. That’s why our Infant Feeding team have launched a new initiative for expecting families—community baby showers.
Hosted by our team—a partnership between LifeLine and Havering Mind—in community spaces, these baby showers are a chance for expecting mothers and their families to meet up, make new friends, and celebrate their journey together. Our team have put on two baby showers so far, each seeing up to 30 mums-to-be taking part in the fun and forming relationships.
We know that a lot of pregnant women, particularly if its their first child, need proper support—not just with practical matters like breastfeeding, but with emotional wellbeing and isolation. And we know that a lot of them end up just suffering in silence instead.
These baby showers can serve as a gentle and fun way to introduce those in need to the ongoing programme of support being delivered by our Infant Feeding Support team. We’ve seen a diverse range of women show up already, and the local authority’s Family Navigators have been working closely with hostels to identify and signpost isolated women who would benefit from our help.
With isolation being such a great concern, helping these women to make friends and form their own support networks is key to improving their wellbeing. Pregnant women can often feel wholly at fault when things don’t go as expected—particularly if they have no-one to talk to—and might not reach out for help until there’s no other option, which could potentially have severe effects on the wellbeing of both mother and child. Studies show that isolation and loneliness play a key role in the onset of perinatal depression, further compounded by the fact that many mental health issues may remain undiagnosed due to lack of support. By meeting with mothers of all ages at different stages of pregnancy, they’re able to see things from a new perspective, get support from their new friends, and in turn, go on to support other expecting mothers.
On the day, we try to have a mix of activities available. We want to give them a chance to relax and take some time away from the stress of pregnancy, with wellbeing-focused activities such as hand massages. And we want to ensure they know exactly what support is available to them—we have stalls from other local providers on hand to provide information and raise awareness. Among others, we’ve been joined by the local Healthwatch, oral health services, and a baby bank providing helpful items so far.
The baby shower was a lovely experience for me! I got to meet other mums that I hadn’t met before. The environment was safe for the children and there were lots of things for them to play with.
They held a raffle for us which was really good, and there were lots of variety in prizes so we could all pick just what we wanted. The music playing in the background was also good.
Mother
I had a great time meeting other mums and also speaking to professionals regarding the services they were offering like parenting programmes.
Having food available was a lovely addition to the day and so were the raffle prizes.
Mother
Seeing the mothers’ reactions when they’re together bring me so much joy.
I wish we had something like this when I was pregnant—it can be a lonely time when you’re expecting.
Jade Timothy
Maternal Health Coordinator,
Havering Mind
I’ll always look back on this fondly. We brought all these women in the community together—connecting, realising all they have in common, that they’re not alone.
Sharing the day with them over food is always the best part.
Caroline Atim
Maternal Health Coordinator,
LifeLine Projects
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