"Another caring and accountable service during pregnancy"

I attended Healthy Lifestyles Lanarkshire appointments during pregnancy and also postnatally, as I have done in previous pregnancies. This service is invaluable in helping me - any other woman, I am sure - in maintaining the healthiest possible lifestyle during their pregnancy. It's a really clear distinction to call it a lifestyle because it's such a complete service; more than just the weight management, this service really helped me understand and manage my own mental health during pregnancy and after. These amazing and caring specialists lifted me up, every appointment, helped me feel like the little things I was doing would make a difference, and celebrated for me when I really needed it.

For reasons I understand, my community care wasn't as straightforward during pregnancy and so I didn't always have consistency/attention in the way a normal community experience provides (the care was still excellent though!), and so I saw the Healthy Lifestyles team as my constant, my stability, the ladies who got to know me. 

More than just the numbers and targets on the scales, the team got to know my family and helped me learn where to focus my effort and energy to be the best I could be for all of my family. 

I will always advocate this service to anyone that might be eligible for it during pregnancy, having been through it three times now and maintained a healthy and sustainable approach - or not beating myself up if it was a rough patch! 

Alicia, Heather and Nikki make a great team and a huge difference to the ladies they support. Thank you for being there for me during the last few years of pregnancies and babies <3