Kingston hospital receives 6,000 Wellbeing Wallets

MAMA Academy are thrilled to announce the safe arrival of 6,000 Wellbeing Wallets today at Kingston NHS Trust thanks to funding from Surrey Sands, a local group of Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity.

MAMA Academy have developed Wellbeing Wallets as a means of relaying key health messages to expectant mothers to have to hand at all times, and are now in a position to provide the wallets free of charge thanks to the donation from baby loss charity Surrey Sands.

The wallets are robust plastic zip-lock pouches 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.

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

The nationwide network of Sands groups play an important role in working with hospitals locally across the country, working with them to provide support, help improve bereavement care and help expectant parents have as safe a pregnancy as possible.

Kate Price, Co-Chair of Surrey Sands, said: “Surrey Sands are delighted to partner MAMA Academy to help fund 6,000 Wellbeing Wallets at Kingston Hospital for expectant mums through their pregnancy. Empowering mothers with up-to-date knowledge will help towards driving the UK stillbirth rate down that the government has pledged to halve by 2030.”

The wallets are typically given to mothers at the first booking appointment and are currently being distributed in 30 NHS Trusts nationwide. Trusts can request a free trial box of 100 wallets by emailing contact@mamaacademy.org.uk. Mothers also have the opportunity to purchase their own wallet directly from the MAMA Academy website for only a couple of pounds if their local trust does not yet offer them.

Initial feedback from fourteen trusts included mothers feeling more confident in knowing when to call for advice, and midwives using the wallets as a checklist, as well as a way of informing mothers of local classes such as breastfeeding and smoking support. Trusts also reported that the introduction of wallets had not led to an increase in admissions.

One Trust stated: “One mum who self-referred to hospital with fetal movement concerns had an immediate emergency c-section due to an abnormal CTG, reported that she had rung because she had been promoted by the message on her wallet . She felt she may not have done so if she didn’t have the constant reminder in front of her.”

Feedback received from women already using the wallets has highlighted the multiple benefits of their use. One mum said: “MAMA Academy’s Wellbeing Wallets are practical and informative. It gave me more confidence in myself and in calling the midwife for reassurance. I think mums sometimes feel they don’t want to bother health professionals but the wallet stressed the importance of speaking out if you are unsure or nervous”.

MAMA Academy Chief Executive, Heidi Eldridge, has been delighted with the positive feedback already received. She said: “The UK has one of the highest stillbirth rates in the developed world and all maternity providers should be working to reduce this. We are thrilled to be able to provide Kingston with a means to give more babies the best chance of arriving safely”.

For more information, please visit our Wellbeing Wallet page or order yours today from our online shop.

About Sands

Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, was established by bereaved parents in 1978.
Sands supports anyone affected by the death of a baby; works in partnership with health professionals to improve the quality of care and services offered to bereaved families; and promotes and funds research and changes in practice that could help to reduce the loss of babies’ lives.
Sands is a national organisation, with around 100 regional support groups across the UK. Further information can be found at www.uk-sands.org.