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Maternity Mates is currently open to pregnant women living in Newham, Tower Hamlets or Waltham Forest who do not have a suitable support network, or have specific needs or healthcare issues.
The project provides emotional and practical support during pregnancy, birth and beyond, working alongside midwives and other health professionals.
A Maternity Mate is a female volunteer trained by Sister Circle to provide practical and emotional support to women during pregnancy, childbirth and the early weeks of motherhood. Support can start any time from the 5th month of pregnancy, through to birth and up to either 6 or 12 weeks after the baby is born (6 weeks in Tower Hamlets and 12 weeks in Newham). We are currently working with our funders (the NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups for each borough) to extend the time Maternity Mates can offer support after the baby is born.
Maternity Mates are recruited from the communities we serve, and where possible, will speak the same language as the mother-to-be. Maternity Mates support the mum to help her understand the issues and decisions that affect her care, and that of her baby.
The Maternity Mates project concentrates on positive outcomes in three key areas:
- For pregnant women - Birth experience and preparing women to care for their baby (both emotionally and practically);
- For Maternity Mates - Employment and education prospects for volunteers;
- For health services - Supporting health professionals to help the mother to make informed decisions about her care, and that of her baby.
What Maternity Mates provide
The length of time each Maternity Mate spends with a mum will vary, but is usually around 2 to 3 hours per week. This includes attending appointments and discussing the mum's options around the birth, in addition to supporting the mum during the birth in hospital. Our Maternity Mates can:
- Provide emotional and practical support before, during and after the baby is born;
- Introduce and encourage women to attend antenatal classes;
- Explain the choice of birthing options available;
- Accompany women on a tour of a hospital or community birthing centre;
- Attend hospital, GP, antenatal appointments and classes with the mother;
- Provide information and support on birth planning, including pain relief options;
- Provide support during the birth, contributing to a more positive experience of childbirth;
- Offer information and support around breastfeeding;
- Offer advice and referrals to further support;
- Give introductions to the local children's centre and mother & baby groups.
Maternity Mates will always do their best to help mums, and where they cannot help directly, they will refer the mum to someone who can help or offer further advice. We have found the trust that is built between mum and the Maternity Mate can make her presence during these procedures reassuring. This is especially true for women who have little or no English, as the support of their Maternity Mate can make them feel more comfortable and less intimidated by the clinical surroundings.
Maternity Mates CANNOT:
- Offer any clinical advice or perform any medical tasks;
- Offer domestic cleaning, shopping or cooking;
- Offer babysitting services;
- Drive mums to and from appointments, for insurance reasons.
Waiting list: We do not have a waiting list, but referrals will be prioritised based on women’s estimated due dates.
If you are interested in becoming a Maternity Mate, contact maternity.mates@whfs.org.uk