Help when mums and dads need it the most

Kelsey Jo Hague, along with her partner Kieron Bland.

PREPARING for the arrival of a new bundle of joy can be a stressful and uncertain time for mums-to-be.

But a new scheme aims to help by offering young parents in Oldham one-to-one support from specialist nurses to give them confidence and prepare them for life as a parent.

The Family Nurse Partnership, a national programme run in Oldham by Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, matches expectant mums with an experienced family nurse.

The nurse works together with the mum-to-be, their partner and their families looking at their health, family health and their dreams for the future from early pregnancy up to the child’s second birthday.

The nurses can help with everything from understanding how to care for the baby to how young parents can look after their own health.

They also help both parents bond with their baby up to the age of two.

One Oldham mum-to-be who has benefited from the scheme is 19-year-old Kelsey Jo Hague, along with her partner Kieron Bland (22).

Kelsey says she was initially unsure about whether to accept support from the Family Nurse Partnership but, after making contact with family nurse Laura Greaves, says she would recommend it to other expectant and new parents.

Kelsey said: “We decided it would be good to have the extra help and to have the same person seeing us and building a relationship with us and our baby for the next two years.

Decisions

“If there’s anything I’m not sure about I can just message Laura and she’ll talk me through it and she supports us to make informed decisions about things like breastfeeding.”

Kelsey, who is expecting a little boy, sees her nurse every two weeks and she and Kieron will continue to receive support until her baby’s second birthday.

Kieron added: “It’s been good having Laura around. She told me things like to talk to the baby before he’s born so I can bond with him.”

The partnership had already helped dozens of young parents feel confident and supported both during and after pregnancy.

Laura said: “Our aim with the Family Nurse Partnership is to help parents develop their confidence, emotional and social development and skills around their own and their baby’s care needs.

“The emphasis is on guiding them to make informed decisions so they can ensure their baby has the best possible start in life.”

The Family Nurse Partnership is funded by NHS England’s Greater Manchester Team in the North-West and is available to all mums in the area who are under 20 at the date of conception.

For more information about the Family Nurse Partnership visit www.fnp.nhs.uk or for local information speak to your midwife or GP.