A new group has been started up for expectant mothers in Bolton to help them get access to the support they need and tackle isolation.

The group has been set up by community midwife Lauren Searle, who works for Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, and her colleagues after a group of mums-to-be opened up to her about how they had felt lonely during their pregnancies.

Ms Searle decided to run a session at Oxford Grove Children’s Centre at the start of August to allow the would-be mums to express their feelings in a safe environment and brough along an Urdu interpreter to make the event as inclusive as possible.

She said: “One lady spoke to me worried about an aspect of her pregnancy and using our expertise and knowledge we reassured her were able to adapt her healthcare plan so that she felt more comfortable.

“Everyone was really engaged and most importantly socialised between themselves for hours, talking openly about their pregnancies and any worries.

The Bolton News: Lauren Searle and her colleagues will be running a second session in OctoberLauren Searle and her colleagues will be running a second session in October

“This is exactly why I decided to set up the group, to create a sense of belonging and a safe space to access a variety of support during pregnancy.”

The event proved to be extremely popular with the women who attended, with mums gathered around a table at the centre, talking both to each other and to Ms Searle and her colleagues about their experiences.

Ms Searle and Bolton NHS Foundation Trust say that they hope the group will  help to build up its members' self-confidence.

They also hope that the women who attend will also be able to build up long term friendships and share ups and downs of their pregnancies and childrearing experiences in the months and years ahead.

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This could prove to be a vital and long lasting service, with pregnancy often an extremely stressful time for families.

A second session is now planned for this Autumn and is set to be held in October with more details available nearer to the date.

The trust says that this will work alongside further initiatives aimed at improving the support on offer for pregnant women that are yet to be announced.