New Parents in Leeds to Get Vital Help from New Scheme
New parents in Leeds are going to be offered a new antenatal education course.
The 'Preparation for Birth and Beyond' programme is to be rolled out across the city after being trialled in Beeston.
“We talk about the baby’s brain development and the importance of the early years of a child’s life,” says Rachel Smith, a health visitor there.
“But a lot of the course is talking about the child’s experience, and thinking about the relationship between the child and the mother or father.”
And infant psychologist Sue Ranger says exploring that relationship between baby and parent is important:
“If we can get infants developed in secure attachment relationships from the earliest days, they will do better in their own relationships, be ready to start school, and cope with the demands life throws at them.”
The programme is built on recent research which found that parents-to-be not only want to know more about birth preparation and practical tasks, but they also benefited from support as they become parents.
This includes how it might feel emotionally, and how it might impact upon their relationships.
Councillor Lisa Mulherin, Chair of the Leeds Health and Wellbeing Board, said: “I want the people in the city to have the best help and advice to live healthy lives. We have invested heavily in ensuring children in Leeds get the Best Start in life and we are committed to achieving this.”
With Leeds City Council facing budget cuts of almost 46 million pounds – we asked how they can afford to run the course across the city.
But Cllr Mulherin insists the benefits of investing in children are immense:
“Not only for the health and social care economy but for that family and for their community - in terms of educational outcomes, health outcomes, and avoiding entering into the criminal justice.
“We know investing in the early years makes that immense difference and we’ve held our nerve around children’s centres and early start teams. And it’s been difficult because we’ve had a battle to ensure that investment has continued.”
The sessions covered in the course include giving birth, meeting the baby and parents’ health and well-being.
Both mums and dads are invited to attend the course by their community midwife after they’ve had their scan around 20-25 weeks.
General information about the programme can be found from the Family Information Service here: www.familyinformationleeds.co.uk