Cheltenham support group for mums from different ethnicities

A weekly group aimed at supporting mothers from different ethnicities will launch after one mum said she “never fitted in” at other groups.

Carolyn Nansubuga, a Cheltenham mother-of-four, attended several groups following the birth of her youngest child, now 20 months, but said she struggled as she “never had anything in common with the other mums”.

Lives of Colour, a Gloucestershire-based race equity charity, will launch the Mothers of Colour group at Aspire Foundation, Cheltenham on Thursday, in partnership with the NHS perinatal maternity unit.

Florence Nyasamo, charity founder, said the partnership will allow the health needs of mothers from all ethnicities to be met.

National audit programme “Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits, External” (MBRRACE-UK) found maternal deaths among black women were nearly three times higher compared with those of white women in 2020-22.

The Mothers of Colour group will cover newborn care, mental wellness, and maternal health.

Ms Nansubuga said, at the sessions, she hopes to meet mothers who “understand the cultural nuances” she experiences after not “fitting in” previously.

“Groups are meant to give you rest from the mundane things of motherhood you’ve been going through at home so, when you go there, you have to feel welcome,” she said.

“But it’s not just me, even my baby would think ‘I don’t look like everybody else here’.

“When I heard about this group starting up I was super excited because, finally, we have the chance to attend a baby group and be ourselves.”

Ms Nyasamo said it can be hard for women who have moved from another country to understand the “small nuances” at groups in the UK.

“It’s nice to go into a space where you can just be,” she said.

“We know with the NHS partnership, if we need a midwife or health visitor to come and have a conversation, then we’ve already got those connections.

“Whatever the women will ask for, we’ll do our best to make sure their needs are met.”

Mothers of Colour is open to women of all ethnicities.