MBH Impact Report_2020-2021

OUR IMPACT SOCIAL IMPACT REPORT ACROSS 2020 - 2021

ABOUT MUM BUB HUB (MBH) Mum Bub Hub CIC was founded in 2017 to address the need for perinatal services in London by offering an accessible and effective antenatal and postnatal support. Mum Bub Hub offers wellness essentials for every step of the pregnancy & postpartum journey, with skin-kind, self-care products, rooted in the postpartum traditions of catering to the needs of new mothers and supporting their well-being, physically and emotionally. All of our profits goes towards our social mission. Our Vision is to inspire, empower and support women, parents, and families through their transition into parenthood. Our Mission is to bridge the gap in perinatal care for women who are experiencing emotional or psychological difficulties, particularly in the Black communities, who may not normally have access to any perinatal education or support on top of their standard midwife care We are committed to advocating for mothers – before, during, and after pregnancy. It’s really important to us that we’re able to provide a platform as well as support for women within our communities, as they’ve inspired us to create Mum Bub Hub.

SUPPORT HUB The MBH Support Hub was launched in 2019 in response to the need for practical as well as emotional support to pregnant women and new mums who were particularly vulnerable during the Covid-19 crisis. The aim of the Support Hub was to provide access to free perinatal specialist support, prioritising Black expectant and postpartum mothers who are finding it difficult to access any support due to lack of finances, being on waiting lists, or for those who need support but do not know how to access it. Through the Support Hub: Being a single mum I’ve found the ➔ We mitigated the impact of the covid-19 lockdown by providing free private pregnancy quite hard doing it all on my counselling, online group support and signposting to other services for those own. I don’t feel prepared and not women. being able to attend birthing classes is ➔ We helped women access psychological and mental health support who might increasing my anxieties. Thank you for not usually access these services. noticing what is needed. We also raised awareness of perinatal issues through: ➔ Communicating with Mums on Social Media and offering conversation and a - 22 years old in her 3rd trimester from South Croydon quick response to general concerns. (Non medical advice) ➔ Working with partners to improve perinatal services.

WHO WE'VE HELPED We reached women from a Black ethnic background and work with some of the most marginalised communities. ETHNICITY 40% Previous mental health history 90% Black 20% Previous history 10% Mixed of traumatic birth Heritage 80% Experience of Isolation 66.7% Experience of Financial Difficulties 100 Women, 56 of which were pregnant, 10 mothers single benefited from the service

A TYPICAL SERVICE USER PROFILE D. a 2nd time mum had a traumatic 1st birth and this along with previous experience with depression, had undiagnosed postnatal depression which she wanted to avoid or manage better this time round and due to lockdown restrictions she was unable to access perinatal therapy in adequate time. D was able to get 1-1 therapy session through the Support Hub, she reported that she was able to better cope with her feelings and giving birth and had a much more positive experience. S. was feeling like she may not be balanced within herself as she was used to and felt very isolated throughout her pregnancy. She didn’t feel prepared and not being able to attend birthing classes and being unemployed due to COVID-19 had her feeling really unsettled and anxious. After taking part in the Pregnancy and Postpartum Preparation Course she was able to resolve her fears around birth and felt more mentally prepared for when her baby arrived. K. had her little girl 2 weeks into lockdown and with no postnatal support, especially breastfeeding struggles, found it very difficult to cope and with no funds due to her partner being laid off they couldn’t access specialist help over the Internet. The Support Hub allowed her to access breastfeeding support which she felt improved her anxieties and allowed her baby to breastfeed for longer than she would have if she hadn’t gotten any support.

ONLINE WORK Our Support Hub offers perinatal women an opportunity to receive antenatal and postnatal professional support, bond with other mothers and receive general support that enhances their well-being. During and after the lockdown caused by the Covid-19 outbreak, our groups were well attended online with up to 20 women attending weekly online sessions for the duration of the courses. Opportunities to take part in online sessions that offer community and support are now more important than ever even after the pandemic restrictions. Our online provision has made a significant impact to combat isolation and they are continuing to make an impact as it has proven to be more accessible to a larger number of women. We fully intend to continue to provide our Support Hub online programme and will actively explore opportunities to partner with other local providers to deliver these interventions and expand our reach.

GROUP SESSIONS Pregnancy Group sessions focusing on helping expecting mums to learn Group session focusing on providing mums with the & Wellbeing techniques to cope with all of the feelings and worries during tools to maintain a healthy mind during the perinatal pregnancy and after having a baby. Group members learned to slow period. Group members learned common perinatal down, pause and notice the relationship between their thoughts, Birth & mental health issues, ways to increase self-care, feelings, and what they do, mindful breathing, relaxation, self-care, Postpartum preparing psychologically for birth, coping skills for and how to manage negative and anxious thoughts. Preparation difficult thoughts and emotions and information 20 Participants regarding where to seek help. 10 Participants Group sessions focusing on helping manage anxiety and low mood Psychological that some mums experience post-birth. Group members learned Wellbeing in how to notice the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and Pregnancy how to manage negative and anxious thoughts, self-care, and how to look after themselves emotionally. 15 Participants Group sessions focusing on giving expecting mums the tools and techniques needed to enjoy a much Group sessions focusing on preparing women for labour and birth. Hypnobirthing more positive birth experience. Group members Group members learned practical tips to help transition into life with Online Course learned about the physiology of birth, their birth a newborn and navigate the first few weeks after birth and they choices and ‘what if’ situations and left the course Birth & were able to meet parents-to-be who they could share their journey feeling confident and equipped for any situation. Postpartum with. 6 Participants Preparation 30 Participants

1-1 SESSIONS Perinatal Mental One-to-one sessions focused on offering a listening ear and space to process anxieties and worries as well as Wellness offering psychologically informed advice. Participants were given the opportunity to discuss techniques and Therapy coping skills to help problem-solve specific issues that are challenging. 10 Participants Breastfeeding 1-1 sessions with a specialist focused on supporting women to nurse comfortably and any other issues Support including, latching difficulties, low milk supply, or if baby is not gaining enough weight. 5 Participants Birth & 1-1 sessions with a specialist focusing on preparing women for labour and birth. Participants learned Postpartum practical tips to help transition into life with a newborn and navigate the first few weeks after birth. Preparation 5 Participants

SERVICE USER FEEDBACK With the current situation due to the pandemic I was feeling frustrated and confused as to what was going to happen during birth, or whether or not I had any say. However, after the course I received clarification and I am more knowledgeable and have more support than I realised. The virtual service was very useful as I was in the comfort of my own home. Katie provide slide shows and got us all to tell our stories. So even though it was through a computer screen, everyone still interacted with no problems and we got the chance to really engage with each other which was really nice. This really had a positive impact on my wellbeing at the time, I feel good and I don’t have anxiety any more. My mind and body feels more in control than before and I have used some of the teaching materials to ask midwives questions which I wouldn’t have done before. - Mum age 29

MEASURING OUR IMPACT Women receiving service complete pre and post service questionnaires. We use self-report scales to determine confidence in parenting, the bond between mother and baby and overall improvement in wellbeing. We encourage women to give feedback on the service they receive. Overcoming depression Reducing Stress and Anxiety Service Satisfaction In an evaluation of our 6- session For women who identified stress and 98.5% of service users reported a high perinatal counselling by our anxiety as an issue, there was a marked level of satisfaction with the service. chartered psychologists we saw the improvement reported after accessing levels of depression as measured by the services. The stress score decreased (All data is compiled from completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression from a mean score of 20 to 16.2 pre and post questionnaires) Scale move to below the threshold of depression. The mean score (Perceived Stress Index (PSI)) decreasing from 15.5 to 8.7 (a score of 12 and above is considered indicative of a significant depression (Edinburgh Postnatal depression Scale (EPDS)).

OUR FINANCES 2020-2021 Total Turnover = £56,271 Where we spent our money in 2020-2021 Income from Trading Grants Trading Activities Service Delivery 02 54.1% of our total expenditure was 64.6% of turnover came from trading spent on service delivery income, 35.4% from grants The National Lottery Community Fund London Community Response Fund The above is a list of funders included in Grants on the accounts. This is restricted money spent on service delivery.

Mum Bub Hub has benefited from: ➔ A loyal and dedicated founding team. ➔ A committed team of professional service providers providing perinatal wellness services. Working in partnership We have continued to support and work with a number of local grassroot groups and service providers to champion for the provision of high quality, inclusive and accessible maternal wellness services. Funders We have secured small grants which have supported the perinatal therapeutic group work. This has included funding from The National Lottery Community Fund and London Community Response Fund.