Hundreds Of Parents Taking ‘Baby Steps’

More than 500 new mums and dads have been through a local programme to prepare them for parenthood.

‘Baby Steps’ was launched five years ago by the NSPCC and extended last year to make it available to all Jersey families.

NSPCC Children’s Practitioner Sally Walker says it’s great to see the progress parents make.

“I love the dads, especially when dads might say ‘Oh I’m only coming because she wants me to come!’.

“Then actually seeing dads sit down, actually learn information and you can see those lightbulb moments. That’s what it’s all about.”

The nine-week programme has been provided by NSPCC practitioners and midwives. It starts before birth and helps parents to engage positively with their babies.

Hayley O’Donoghue is one of the mum’s that have been through the programme.

She says it was originally to support her husband but quickly found that it helped her too.

“Being part of a big group, that you’re going through the same experiences. I think the fact that you know the elements of the course, so you go through each step, ‘baby steps’.

“At the end, you have a big group of friends.”

The NSPCC has run 34 ‘Baby Steps’ groups, that start with a home visit in the seventh month of pregnancy.

It includes a group session once a week in the six weeks before the baby is born. The family is then visited again after the baby is born.

Hayley says the sessions her husband took part in have really helped.

“He really enjoyed it actually because part of it is that the dads go and have a separate session.

“They do things like bath the babies, how to hold them and interact with the baby, which is what he was struggling with.”

The service will be handed over to Family Nursing and Home Care on 30th November.

The charity has already started to take sessions with a view to taking full control in 2019.