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.
In-person drop-in sessions
To support Bexley Mums during the summer break, we are running a series of drop-in support sessions. These are open to mums with babies under 1 and those who are pregnant; unfortunately, children over 1 cannot attend our sessions due to health and safety plus given the nature of our open and honest conversations.
Monday 27th July: Mindful Mums in-person Drop-In at Danson Children’s Centre, 10am-11.30am
Thursday 6th August: Mindful Mums in-person Drop-In at Erith Family Hub, 11.30am-1pm
Thursday 27th August: Mindful Mums in-person Drop-In at Erith Family Hub, 11.30am-1pm
Online drop-in sessions
Thursday 13th August: Mindful Mums online evening Drop-In via Microsoft Teams 7pm-8pm
Monday 24th August: Mindful Mums online daytime Drop-In via Microsoft Teams 10am-11.30am
Thursday 3rd Sept: Mindful Mums online evening Drop-In via Microsoft Teams 7pm-8pm
Pregnancy Wellbeing Support Groups (Online and evening-based)
Our regular 5-week pregnancy peer-support programmes are paused during the school summer break, but new group blocks will resume again in mid-September. You can make enquiries to find out exactly which days and times they will take place by clicking the contact form at the top of the page.
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, then use the blue Contact Form box at the top of this page to contact us and we’ll confirm when we have a space available for you to join the next antenatal programme.
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.
Questions about any aspect about our service can be sent via email to: mindfulmums@mindinbexley.org.uk
Postnatal 5-week Peer-Support Groups (Mother and baby)
Our regular 5-week peer support programmes are paused during the school summer break but new group blocks will resume again in mid-September. The details will also be updated on this webpage.
You can make enquiries to find out exactly where and when they will take place by clicking the blue contact box above. Professionals such as GPs, health visitors or midwives or those from other services can also make referrals using this box; please get permission to do so from the individuals in question and leave a contact email for yourself as the referrer too.
Our spaces are baby-friendly so of course you can bring your baby with you to the group, but please understand that unfortunately for health and safety reasons we cannot have children aged one and over in attendance at our Mindful Mums sessions.
Mindful Mums – Bexleyheath/Welling area
Locations and times to be confirmed soon.
Mindful Mums – Belvedere/Erith
Locations and times to be confirmed soon.
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.
Mindful Mums Participant Testimonials
I don’t have a lot of family or friends around, and navigating motherhood is difficult even with support so meeting this amazing group of women really has saved me.
Mindful Mums has been life changing for me.
We frequently say how lucky we are to have met each other at Mindful Mums. There’s never any judgement and it is a safe and sacred space for us.
Mindful Mums is incredible, a beacon of light in the darkness.
For me the group has been great in terms of meeting other women who understand the particular struggles I’m facing as a mum and I feel like I’ve made some friends for life.
Even though our group programme has ended, we still keep in touch. This week a few of us from Mindful Mums met for coffee and I also met up with another Mindful Mum friend today.
I have really enjoyed this experience; I knew I would need it to start getting me out the house after the C-section birth and the timing was perfect for me to start getting about at 6 weeks post-partum. Meeting other Mums was so nice, sharing tips and ideas was really helpful and the comfortable setting felt safe to be yourself and seek help.
