Health / pregnancy
The Gentle Touch: supporting women transitioning to motherhood
The Gentle Touch is Bristol’s new postnatal membership support group, providing support to those transitioning to motherhood.
Emma Haverson launched the online service when she found there wasn’t enough support out there for women postnatally, especially for those who might be struggling during Covid-19 amid the lack of in-person support and anxieties around the pandemic.
Emma personally found the need for a platform offering post-natal support after she struggled with the birth of her children. She told me; “I founded TGT in 2012 after the birth of my first child. He was born premature and I found it quite a lonely experience. I didn’t know where to go for trusted information. I then had another child 2 years later when I experienced birth trauma. This is when I discovered Mothers for Mothers, a Bristol charity offering perinatal mental health support. It cemented my passion for supporting a womens transition to motherhood and beyond.”
is needed now More than ever
Whilst Bristol is slowly reopening, Emma wanted to continue providing support online – for those new mothers who may not be ready to attend face-to-face classes but still need support.
“When you’re pregnant with your first baby it might be impossible to imagine what life will actually be like once they’ve arrived. Having a baby is life-altering. Amazing and wonderful but sometimes navigating that transition can be bumpy, and having the right postnatal support in place can be key,” said Emma.
Emma hopes to provide support to new mothers during the pandemic. Credit: The Gentle Touch.
“This is why I created this exclusive postnatal membership group to provide you with the postnatal support you need to give you a solid trustworthy start to your motherhood journey and giving you the confidence to do it your way.”
The course, which is three months long, is a combination of community, professional advice and up to date, evidence-based information, as well as Emma and her team answering all of the scenarios that they often come across.
Emma hopes that The Gentle Touch will be able to provide the information that she was missing, as well as providing support and friendship between new mothers.
“Social isolation of new mums been a big issue during Covid19 and has had a big impact on mental health in particular, so any groups like this that provide a non-judgemental space for support has got to be a good thing. I’m on a mission to change the way we, as a society support women in their postnatal period.”
Main photo: The Gentle Touch
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