Teesside midwives help vulnerable mums with baby essentials

Midwives in parts of Teesside are supporting vulnerable families with a Moses basket packed with baby essentials.

The team at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust received funding to help parents financially in Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland.

As part of extending their support to financially disadvantaged women, they quickly realised the absence of a dedicated baby bank provision in Middlesbrough.

Lead midwife for the Indigo team, Rachel Fairbairn said: “The cost of having a baby is significant and many of the families we care for struggle to purchase the essential items for packing in their maternity bag and those required for caring for their newborn.

“The Indigo team and wider maternity services were often faced with challenges in supporting families to obtain these items.”

In a bid to address the difficulties, the team decided to apply for funding via the VCMA (Vulnerable and Carbon Monoxide Allowance) fund from Northern Gas Networks. The fund aims to support consumers in vulnerable situations and is available to a host of charities and organisations.

The team was successful in securing funding and as a result, they established a dedicated ‘Baby Essentials’ programme at the end of 2024.

Through this initiative, local families are referred to the programme by a midwife or a maternity support worker and receive a Moses basket filled with essential items for new mums and their families.

A Moses basket provides a safe and comfortable space for babies to sleep. This is essential to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SID), which is the sudden and unexplained death of an infant. Families living in deprivation have less access to safe sleep spaces and are at an increased risk of SIDs.

Promotion of a safe and healthy environment has been at the forefront of the initiative, as items provided to families in the Moses basket include a room thermometer and a carbon monoxide monitor, if required.

Not only do families receive vital items for their babies but they are also offered the opportunity to ask questions to the midwives and receive essential public health messages relating to safe sleeping and safe and warm home environments.

As part of the scheme, families are also introduced to other local sources of practical, financial, parenting and emotional support. With support from a wide range of partner organisations, including charities and local authorities, close to 70 packs have been gifted to families across the South Tees area to date.

Rachel added: “The Baby Essentials programme has been a labour of love for the Indigo Team and all of our community partners.

“At times it has even involved our own families and loved ones, who have supported us from putting together Moses basket stands to collecting donations! We are grateful for the opportunity this has given us to increase the support we can provide to local families in helping them to welcome their new babies into our community.”

If the need arises, new mums are also provided with a maternity bag that includes a nightgown suitable for breastfeeding, maternity pads, a wash bag and toiletries – helping further reduce the financial burden for these families.

Families who have benefitted from the programme have praised it for helping them to be prepared and organised for their babies’ arrival whilst easing financial woes.

The Indigo team

The Indigo team was formed at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in 2023 and was established to provide maternity care for women who are vulnerable or require additional support.

The specialist midwives aim to provide bespoke care and individualised plans to pregnant mums across Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland.

This includes pregnant women who are struggling with poor mental health, anxiety and depression, childhood trauma, young parents, women seeking asylum, and those experiencing other social factors that impact the wellbeing of families.

Support needed

The Indigo team is actively encouraging residents to support their much-loved initiative by donating any new or preloved items to the Baby Essentials programme.

Interested individuals can contact the Indigo team by emailing [email protected] or by donating directly through community partners.

Community partners

• The Genesis Project – St Oswald’s Church Hall, Marton Road, TS42SG

Accepting donations on mornings from Wednesday to Friday mornings

• St Hilda's Baby Bank - St Hilda's Church, Grangetown, TS6 7LX

Donations are welcome every Thursday from 10am to 12pm

• Barney's Baby Bank

Email [email protected] to donate your items

• MAP – The Avenue church, TS5 6PE

Donations are accepted from 10am to 12pm every Wednesday

• First Steps – Footprints in the Community Warehouse in Dormanstown, Broadway, TS10 5QA

Anyone can share any items at First Steps on Mondays and Thursdays from 9am to 12pm