75,000 women to receive MAMA Wellbeing Wallets

Our mission to reduce baby loss and promote safer pregnancies with our Wellbeing Wallets has now received funding from NHS England for distribution to nearly 75,000 expectant mothers this year. We are now in a position to provide the wallets free of charge to 15 hospital trusts across the country for a year.

The wallets are a robust plastic zip-lock pouch in which pregnant women can keep their handheld antenatal notes, which they are expected to keep with them as their pregnancy progresses. The wallets ensure the notes are kept protected, but they are also colourfully printed with important advice regarding the mother’s health, and that of her baby. This ensures that key messages such as monitoring babies’ movements become second nature to the woman as she carries the wallet with her.

MAMA Academy founder, Heidi Eldridge, who in recent months was shortlisted for the Tesco Mum of the Year Awards for her work to promote positive pregnancies, said, “Providing a durable wallet to safely keep antenatal notes in will ensure the wallet will remain with a mum for the duration of her pregnancy, helping her retain primary information. Trying to provide the same information on a leaflet is unlikely to achieve the same results as it is easier for a leaflet to be thrown away or lost”.

The information contained on the wallets complements the work of the new NHS stillbirth care bundle currently in development and is in line with the new safer pregnancy messaging by Sands and Department of Health. The wallets are also supported by The Royal College of Midwives.

The launch of the wallets last year was supported by TV’s Dr Ranj Singh, who hosts CBeebies show ‘Get Well Soon’ and regularly appears on ITV’s ‘This Morning’. Dr Ranj said, “Whilst acting as a helpful reminder for healthy pregnancy guidance, the wallets also give midwives a way to initiate conversations with women about some potentially difficult topics, aiding communication and reinforcing important advice. They are a must-have for every mum-to-be”.

The charity had already funded the Wellbeing Wallets for a handful of hospital trusts in the South East, but the funding boost provided by NHS England will enable many more pregnant women to benefit from their important messages. The wallets are typically given to each woman at the first booking appointment, although mums will also have the opportunity to purchase a wallet directly from the MAMA Academy website for only a couple of pounds if their local trust does not yet offer them. It is hoped that the success of this initial roll-out will encourage all maternity service providers across the country to purchase them to distribute to women in their care.

The initiative has already impressed several high profile figures in maternity care, including respected Midwife Consultant Sheena Byrom OBE, who said, “Pregnant women receive an abundance of leaflets during the antenatal period, which can be overwhelming and key messages can be overlooked. As most women keep their antenatal handheld notes in a bag to keep them safe and clean, the wallet is an ideal way of maximising the opportunity for vital snippets of information to be read. The wallet’s dual purpose is invaluable – and it’s designed by a mum for mums!”

MAMA Academy hopes that more trusts will have signed up to use the wallets by the end of this year. Heidi said, “These wallets are now well and truly off the ground and I’m so grateful for the support of NHS England to help us reach more mums. The UK has one of the highest stillbirth rates in the developed world and all maternity providers should be working to reduce this. The Wellbeing Wallets offer a cost effective way to give more babies the best chance of arriving safely”.

MAMA Academy are offering all trusts a complimentary free batch to trial within their maternity unit. Email for further information: contact@mamaacademy.org.uk