Putting Parents first
21st August 2024
Expectant mums and new parents in Basildon, Thurrock and Canvey Island, who are struggling to cope, are being given life-changing support from a local charity dedicated to helping them and ensuring the best start in life for their babies.
Since 2010, Parents 1st has provided a Pregnancy Pal and Birth Buddy peer supporter programme, helping more than 1,000 parents a year.
Grants from the independent charitable trust, Essex Community Foundation (ECF), have supported the charity’s work in Canvey Island, one of the most deprived areas in Castle Point, enabling a peer support worker to give vital one-to-one help to vulnerable mothers and partners.
Celia Suppiah, chief executive of Parents 1st said: “Becoming a parent is one of the most important stages of life. For many it is the most joyous experience, but for some it can be an isolating, worrying and even frightening time.
“The mothers, fathers and birthing people we work with often lack a support network and many have challenges including mental and physical ill health, money and housing worries and relationship issues.”
Coping with a pregnancy and a new baby in such circumstances can seem impossible, but the help being given by Parents 1st has proved to be a lifeline for hundreds of parents living in disadvantaged communities in Essex.
Celia said: “Becoming a parent is a critical life transition and skilled, non-judgemental, peer support during pregnancy, birth and beyond is life-changing for mothers, fathers and babies.
“Our aim is to ensure the best start in life for babies and help parents to become more resilient. The most vulnerable parents are often not confident enough to attend groups, so having a peer supporter on a one-to-one basis, who has “been there” and is by their side, can make all the difference.”
Celia used to be a midwife and when she was working in Tilbury, she became acutely aware that many mothers there felt judged and were not comfortable in busy formal appointments with a health professional. She said, “What mothers have said to us time and time again is that what we can provide makes them feel really listened to and that is fundamental in our work.
“We can be a go-between with services including health visitors, GPs and midwives and have referrals from them, as well as some self-referrals. The difference is that we can develop a more long-term warm relationship with parents and go on the whole journey with mothers and their partners. It is a privilege when mothers let us get to know them and we can see their anxiety reducing and their confidence lifting.
“We provide empathy, tell them it is okay if they feel they are not coping. We offer alternative suggestions and help them set their own goals. We also have activities where parents can get together and form bonds which often turn into support networks.
“We are very grateful to ECF for the grants we have received towards our Pregnancy Pal and Birth Buddy programme. Our one-to-one support is offered by both volunteers and paid peer support workers. Supporting a woman or birthing person during pregnancy, and being by their side during labour and birth, is a unique and life changing experience for our volunteers and staff.
“Our peer support worker in Canvey Island meets pregnant women and their partners at the midwife clinic, helping with access to local services and activities and sharing a range of information about health and wellbeing, preparing for labour and birth, Healthy Start vouchers, baby bonding and breast feeding. She also runs informal antenatal information groups and coffee mornings, where pregnant parents form lifelong local friendships.
“When we see that a mum has created her own support network, we know that we have done our job.”
Zoe Brampton, Grants Manager at ECF said, “We know that being pregnant or a parent of a new baby can sometimes be stressful, especially if you are on your own and with no family to lend a hand. Parents 1st offers a lifeline for the families they support, and we are pleased that we have been able to help them expand their work.”
If you would like to support local charities or set up your own named charitable fund, call Perry Norton at ECF on 01245 355947 or email perry@essexcf.org.uk