Local charity Frome Birth Talk has recently launched its new support group for people who have experienced baby loss. The group takes place from 7-9pm on the first Wednesday of every month at Frome Town Hall. It is for anyone who has experienced loss, whether through termination, miscarriage, still birth, or loss after birth. It is open to everyone, no matter when their loss occurred. The group is facilitated by Melina Robinson (pictured), who is one of Frome Birth Talk’s qualified counsellors. Melina is passionate about running the project as she lost her 16-year-old daughter to cancer and knows the value of being with other bereaved parents: “My family and friends are amazing, but the only ones who truly understand the pain I am going through are the people in my support group. They are the ones who get me through the hardest times. The pain of loss never goes away but changes and grows with you. For people who have lost children, the pain becomes the bond with the child. This is a very difficult concept to grasp for many people, which is why it is so important to find other people who can always understand how messy grief is, regardless of the passing of the years.” The informal support group is a place where people can meet and share their stories, a place where they can feel understood without judgment. Suzy Cristinacce, Frome Birth Talk’s director said “There is a growing network of support for parents in Frome, including our free professional counselling service and baby and toddler groups. But our new group aims to include bereaved parents and allow them to feel fully acknowledged and accepted by their community too. We are very grateful to Melina and to Frome Town Council, who have funded the group for the next year.” The group takes place from 7-9pm the first Wednesday of each month at Frome Town Hall. There is no need to book a place, but if you would like to find out more about the baby loss support group or any of Frome Birth Talk’s services, please get in touch: info@fromebirthtalk.org.uk or 07399 356863.
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Make a Difference awards ceremony at Haynes Motor Museum 22nd September 2023 The Make a Difference awards ceremony was hosted by BBC Points West’s Alex Lovell and BBC Radio Somerset Breakfast Show presenter Charlie Taylor. The aim of the awards is to shine a light on the everyday, unsung heroes who go that extra mile for others in their own community. We were delighted to be shortlisted for the Community Award!
As part of the process, our director Suzy was interviewed by Vernon from BBC Somerset. The interview, in which she talks about our work and its impact, can be heard by clicking on the "Listen Here" button below. Director of Frome Birth Talk, Suzy Cristinacce, attended the Hearts and Minds Partnership meet-up recently. This is her account of the day. "The Hearts and Minds Partnership is a network of community perinatal mental health organisations working across England. The gathering on the 30th January was the first ever annual meet-up of members. It was an opportunity to share experience and ideas as well as celebrate the work of this vital sector. For example, I took part in workshops about looking after our own wellbeing and funding. There was also an interesting panel discussion that included an academic who works in the field, people who had set up grassroots organisations and a representative from the National Lottery. I came away with lots of information about the support that is available for diverse families, and we will be able to share lots of that via social media in the coming weeks." Author Suzy Cristinacce, Director of Frome Birth Talk. Jess, one of our trustees, is braving the Frostbite Challenge to raise money for our free counselling service! The challenge is to complete 12 swims in the great outdoors between 1st November and 28th February, with at least 1 each month, so no avoiding the coldest days! Swimming in cold water in the summer is wonderful but in the winter it is physically and mentally challenging, especially 12 times. Jess would love your support. We realise this isn’t the best time to be asking for money but if you could consider sacrificing a cup of takeaway coffee or a bottle of wine and donate the money instead, this would help to motivate Jess through this challenge and make a big difference to local families in the Frome area. All donations welcome, no matter how small. I remember the endless nights when Freddie was a baby, the constant feeding and with that scrolling through my Instagram, Facebook and Twitter feeds. In hindsight this probably wasn’t the best thing to do, comparing my life to a perfect representation of what I thought parenting should be. Forgetting that on the whole, people only post what they want you to see, hindsight is a wonderful thing and sleep deprivation really does mess with your mind. Now a few years on, I have decluttered my feeds and unfollowed those that were not healthy for my mind and with that I came across a number of amazing parenting bloggers who show the true reality of parenthood. They aren’t Instagram filtered but instead, real and emotional and that was okay and wonderful in its own way. I recently put a poll out to my Facebook and Instagram friends asking for who inspires them but also who they can really relate too... this is the list they came up with: The Unmumsy Mum @theunmumsymum Celeste Barber I: @celestebarber * F: @officialcelestebarber * T: @celestebarber_ Hurrah for Gin @hurrahforgin The Learner Parent I: @thelearnerparent * F: @samaverylearnerparent * T: @learner_parent Selfish Mother @selfishmother Mum of boys and Mabel I: @mumofboysandmabel * F: @mumboysandmabel * T: @mumofboysmabel Man vs Baby I & F: @manversusbaby * T: @mattcoyney Giovanna Fletcher @MrsGiFletcher Stacey Solomon @staceysolomon Who is your favourite? Do you have anyone else you follow? We’d love to hear your recommendations! Author Kim Barnard is a mother, marketing manager with Old Mill, and one of the Frome Birth Talk volunteer team.
One of the top tips in a recent article by the NCT for taking care of yourself after having a baby is to get a breath of fresh air. This just doesn’t apply for those who have just had their baby but also for those with young children or who are pregnant too. Their advice was to go out for a short walk every day as being outdoors can help lift your mood, and it doesn’t have to be for long, Mind also say that even five minutes in a green space can have a positive impact on someone’s mental health. We are really lucky to live in such a lovely part of the UK, with access to parks, walks and countryside just moments away. Mind’s recent article 'how can nature benefit my mental health?’ talks about these benefits of being outside:
We’d love to see your photos of you enjoying the outdoors and hear stories about how being outside has benefited your mental health. Please email us or post on our social platforms. AuthorKim Barnard is a mother, marketing manager with Old Mill, and one of the Frome Birth Talk volunteer team. CategoriesReferences
https://www.nct.org.uk/life-parent/self-care-and-well-being/top-tips-taking-care-yourself-after-having-baby https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/nature-and-mental-health/#.Xd2Px-TPojZ https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/physical-activity-and-your-mental-health/#.Xe5dmOTPqiM The recent Time For You event was a resounding sucess! Thanks to all of your wonderful contributions we raised just under £600, all of which will go towards our free counselling service for pregnant women and new mothers in the Frome area. Would you like to help Frome Birth Talk raise some more money for our free counselling service? Fancy organising a fundraising coffee morning? Perhaps you're feeling sporty or adventurous and feel up to running a marathon or doing a skydive?? We're always open to ideas about how to raise more funds so that we can help more mothers. Please feel free to get in touch with your suggestions. The wonderful Suzy recently organised a coffee morning for Frome Birth Talk and raised an amazing total of £85. Look at these lovely buns donated by Brendan from The Great British Bakeoff! We are very excited to announce that we have received funding which will allow us to plan for the future! Many thanks go to the Esmée Fairbarn Foundation, The Big Lottery Fund and Frome Town Council for their support.
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