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Halton Baby Box programme
gets full Cheshire and Merseyside rollout
ALL new mums living in Cheshire and
Merseyside are to receive a free Finnish style Baby Box from 25 September
following a successful pilot in Halton. The initiative, led by the NHS Cheshire
and Merseyside Improving Me programme, will include all new mums in the region
getting a Baby Box as part of their antenatal maternity care.
Families receiving a Baby Box also become members of the Baby Box University;
an online education syllabus providing health advice and support on a wide range
of topics, such as breastfeeding, smoking cessation, prenatal mental health and
nutrition in pregnancy.
This is supported with antenatal appointments with their midwives and additional
sessions through the Baby Box community, which aim to reduce social isolation
and provide additional guidance on use of the Baby Box and its resources.
At the 1st meeting with a midwife, women will be given their card to access
the Baby Box University. At around 28 weeks of pregnancy, all women will be
invited to collect their Baby Box.
Catherine McClennan, Programme Director for
the NHS Improving Me programme, said:- "I'm delighted that we are able to
expand our fantastic Baby Box initiative to all new families in Cheshire and
Merseyside. Baby Boxes are a powerful and internationally recognised engagement
tool that will help us to reduce health inequalities, increase choice in
pregnancy and deliver more person centred care as part of a maternity package of
education."
Simon Banks, Senior Responsible Officer for the NHS Improving Me programme,
said:- "We have worked closely with local maternity experts to ensure we
are providing an offer that supports improved maternity experiences for
everyone. The feedback we have received from our pilot in Halton from families
and health professionals has been fantastic and we are proud to be rolling the
offer out across the region."
Fiona Bryant, Interim Head of Midwifery at Liverpool Women's Hospital, said:-
"We are pleased to be part of the Baby Box programme and looking forward to
providing them to all new parents. This is a great way of providing useful
information and resources as they prepare to welcome their little one into the
world."
What are Baby Boxes?
First used in Finland in the 1930's, Baby Boxes are used across the globe as an
established and recognised maternity engagement tool to support women and
families throughout their antenatal and postnatal journey.
In addition to providing a safe space for a new born baby to rest should they
need one, Baby Boxes come stocked with ethically sourced 'starter'
resources;
such as nappies, breast pads and items of clothing; aiming to make life that
little bit easier for new families.
Jennifer Clary, CEO of Baby Box Co., said:- "Working in partnership with
the NHS Improving Me programme team has been incredibly rewarding and I am
delighted to see this innovative Baby Box programme expand beyond Halton to
include all expecting and new parents in Cheshire and Merseyside."
What is Improving Me?
The Improving Me programme is a partnership of 27 NHS organisations across
Cheshire and Merseyside aiming to improve the experiences of women and children.
The Partnership is one of the NHS England's 'vanguard' sites (designed to create
new models of care in the NHS) and one of seven maternity pioneers in the
country.
Further information about the Cheshire and Merseyside Baby Box initiative,
including local distribution centres for all maternity providers, can be found
online
or via sending Baby Box Co an
email.
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