A chat with the new chair about their plans.
This interview is part of a series, meeting local woman doing great things with pregnant, birth and post partum parents. First up we meet Rae Lowe, Chair of the Maternity Voices Partnership.
Tell us about the Maternity Voices Partnership, why was it set up?
Maternity Voices Partners were set up after the Better Births report published in 2016. There are MVPs across the country and I chair the Northumbria MVP covering all of Northumberland and North Tyneside. The MVP works with health professionals and families using maternity services to ensure that service provision is what families want and that people are
listened to.
Is it just for pregnant women?
The MVP is for anyone involved in maternity care – so pregnant women and pregnant people and also their families. It is multidisciplinary so we also have representatives from midwifery, obstetrics, gynaecology, physiotherapy and SCBU (and more!). If you are pregnant or have had a baby recently, it would be great to have your support.
Why did you decide to join them?
I am also a breastfeeding counsellor and i know just how much of an impact birth has. Not necessarily whether it goes ‘to plan’ or the type of birth you have but how you are looked after and supported and how your choices are respectedI
You've taken on the role of Chair, what’s your big dream to achieve?
My big dream is that every person who gives birth is able to make their own informed choices and be supported to follow them through.
Shorter term, I am really keen to improve the diversity of Northumbria MVP and make sure the seldom heard voices are listened to.
Whats the most rewarding part of your role?
Improving communications. So much of what matters is making sure that communication is working and that people are listened to.
What is the most challenging?
When things don’t go so well, it can be hard giving that feedback; most health professionals genuinely want to help and support so its never nice to say that isn’t working.
How are you managing to fit it in with four boys?
Ha ha ha. With difficulty! Seriously, like any working mum you juggle. Lots.
If you had to give new mums a top tip what would it be?
You need far less “stuff" than you think, so don’t buy too much beforehand. One person’s ‘must have' is the next person’s waste of money.
Also, rather than making a Birth Plan, think of Birth Preferences instead.
Finally, baby’s don’t read the baby books ;)
What services would you recommend to expectant parents?
Good antenatal education is SO important. Some families will choose to pay for private classes but Northumbria NHS have just launched online antenatal classes which cover things like early labour (when to go to hospital/call the midwife), staying active, pain relief and pros and cons etc.
I asked some of my reason Mum's if they have any questions for you - they did!
What post partum/4th trimester services are you looking at or planning? Are you planning anything similar to the Bright Beginnings team where you get the same midwife from booking, birth, and home visits after?
Continuity of Carer (which is the model of care that Bright Beginnings follow) is AMAZING! Pregnant women are looked after by a small team of midwives, generally the same one throughout pregnancy. Where possible, one of the team midwives is also present for birth. There are many documented health benefits to this and families report more positive experiences.
The first Continuity of Carer team launched in Ashington and the next covers Blyth. The plan is to continue to extend this service across Northumberland and North Tyneside, so watch this space!
Im interested on the MVP’s view? People still tell new parents to “put the baby down” and “they need to learn...” and there’s lots of pressure around getting the baby to sleep in the early weeks/ months, but we know so much more about brain development in babies and natural behaviours and what’s needed for the well-being of everyone is the education, reassurance and support to respond to the needs of ourselves and our baby without fearing we’re “spoiling” (impossible) our baby or “making a rod for our own back” or doing it wrong. I don’t think it’s the trust’s responsibility to educate on “parenting styles”, but information about fourth trimester and brain development (not just all of those physical milestones of sitting, babbling etc) must, I imagine, it come under the First 1000 days agenda.
Everyone has an opinion once you have a baby and they often aren’t afraid to share it! NHS advice is clear that small babies have needs rather than wants and need to stay close to their parents – hence advice that they should sleep in the same room, day or night, for at least six months. Health visitors etc should also be sharing information on safe bedsharing too.
How would / could MVP engage more people like me? My go to social media is Instagram. MVP isn’t signposted by the midwifery team. I followed them because Tina invited me to a relevant post. I didn’t really know about them until very recently, despite how active we’ve been in raising issues. I read the development plan and see there are plans to develop Facebook pages etc.
I am working on how we can include MVP information from midwives to parents. We do have an Insta account, but that is not my forte unfortunately, so I do need to mug up. I am ALWAYS happy to welcome new volunteers, so feel free to come and be our Instagram faciltator!
Rae, thank you so much for giving us your time to answer some questions, we wish you all the best with your role and the MVP - we will of course support you as much as we can, looking forward to seeing the amazing difference you'll make
Tina (and some of my Mums!)
