Our Bexley Mindful Mums service offers free wellbeing groups that help pregnant women and new parents look after their mental and emotional wellbeing during pregnancy and their baby’s first year.
About our Mindful Mums service
Mindful Mums provides free pregnancy and postnatal wellbeing support for people living in Bexley. Our friendly peer-support groups offer a safe space to talk, connect with other parents and learn ways to support your emotional wellbeing during pregnancy and your baby’s first year.
You can attend if you are at least 12 weeks pregnant or have a baby under one year old. Complete our contact form to register your interest or make a professional referral.
Postnatal 5-week Peer-Support Groups (Mother and baby)
Becoming a mum can bring lots of joy, but it can sometimes feel exhausting, overwhelming or lonely. You may be adjusting to a new routine, struggling to find time for yourself or wondering whether other mums feel the same way.
Our Mindful Mums groups provide a welcoming, baby-friendly space where you can meet other new mums, share experiences and learn ways to support your wellbeing. The groups are baby-friendly so you can bring your baby, but unfortunately for health and safety reasons we cannot have children aged one and over in attendance.
GPs, health visitors and midwives, or those from other services, can also make referrals using the blue contact box at the top of the page; please get permission to do so from the individuals in question and leave a contact email for yourself as the referrer too.
Mindful Mums – Bexleyheath/Welling area
Danson Children’s Centre 5-week (postnatal) Mother & Baby Group:
Mondays: 10am-11.30am
Dates: September 14th, 21st and 28th and October 5th and 12th
Mindful Mums – Erith
Erith West Street Family Hub 5-week (postnatal) Mother & Baby Group:
Thursdays: 11am-12.30pm
Dates: September 17th and 24th and October 1st, 8th and 15th
Pregnancy Wellbeing Support Groups (Online and evening-based)
This service is available to any Bexley mums-to-be who are between 12 weeks of pregnancy and full-term and might be feeling nervous, anxious, lonely or overwhelmed at the thought of motherhood, or experiencing some emotional challenges linked to their pregnancy. We welcome any birthing people, whether it’s your first pregnancy or baby, or if you have older children or any previous birth experiences.
We keep our groups small and safe, so places are limited; if you’re interested to know more about our pregnancy wellbeing group or would like to book a space on the our programme, please use the blue Contact Form box at the top of this page to sign-up.
If you are not yet 12 weeks into your pregnancy or know you can’t commit to many weeks in our next block, but you would still like to know about future pregnancy wellbeing groups which are being planned, then get in touch with us via the contact form and we will be in touch soon.
Together in Pregnancy wellbeing peer support group details will be as follows:
Mondays – 7pm-8pm via Teams
September-October Dates:
September 14th, 21st and 28th
October 5th and 12th
Questions about any aspect about our service can be sent via email to: mindfulmums@mindinbexley.org.uk
In-person drop-in sessions
To support Bexley Mums, we run a series of online and in-person drop-in support sessions. These take place when our usual group programmes break for the school holidays or half-terms.
They are open to mums with babies under one and those who are pregnant; unfortunately, children over one cannot attend our sessions due to health and safety plus given the nature of our open and honest conversations.
Details of the next drop in sessions will be shared here or please email the Mindful Mums team for details.
When everyone wants to know about the baby, but no-one asks how YOU are…
Having a baby isn’t easy at the best of times, especially with the modern-day demands of work, health and relationships, and traditional family support networks not always being an option.
Our Mindful Mums wellbeing groups will help you navigate the pathways of pregnancy and parenthood. No matter what previous experiences of pregnancy or motherhood you have (if any at all), we recognise that every pregnancy, bump, birth and baby is different and no-one’s journey is ever the same. We will be there to support, encourage and connect you to others to help build your confidence.
The Mindful Mums groups are delivered by staff and peer-support volunteers with their own lived experience of motherhood and mental health. The groups offer emotional and wellbeing support and provide a safe space for you and your bump/baby, where you can share experiences, ask questions and try techniques for looking after your wellbeing, while connecting with other mums in your area.
Volunteering with Mindful Mums
Are you a Bexley mum with some free time and an eagerness to help other women? Perhaps you have lived experience of perinatal mental health challenges you feel you have now overcome? Can you remember how your motherhood journey began and empathise with those who are pregnant or have babies under a year?
The Mindful Mums Bexley team opens its volunteer recruitment window once or twice a year to expand our pool of volunteers. Even when we are not actively recruiting, we welcome expressions of interest from local women who could help new mums build hope, confidence and resilience through our peer-support programmes.
We are not currently recruiting volunteers, but if you are interested in exploring volunteering opportunities with us, please email: mindfulmums@mindinbexley.org.uk
“The volunteering with Mindful Mums experience has been a valuable one for many reasons. First by allowing me at last to give something back and help new mums who are struggling, and although at first it was hard to relive some of my experiences, even if only in my head, being able to use my experience to help others was very rewarding. It also gave me an insight into working in a mental health role and think about formal training in the future. Finally, it was great to work with the team, who are wonderful humans, so caring and compassionate, and very supportive during my time supporting at groups.”
Why volunteer for Mindful Mums?
- Feel like you are giving something really worthwhile back to your community.
- Many of our volunteers go on to paid employment, or use the experience to support their studies.
- Volunteering is also great for your own mental health and wellbeing.
Other benefits of volunteering with Mindful Mums:
- Flexible – all groups are term-time and during the school day.
- Local – venues are local children’s and family centres.
- Use your own experience to help other mums – peer support is invaluable in helping new mums feel less isolated and more confident.
- You’ll be invited to attend regular events where volunteers have the opportunity to socialise and input into the project.
