"Sure Start Perinatal Service"

As a new mum struggling with various health problems, I feel so lucky to have had a perinatal befriender. I don't have much family nearby and I spent a while in hospital following the birth, so I was quite worried about how I would cope at home.

I have seen my befriender once a week for the past year and she has helped me with so much, whatever I've needed at the time. Whether that's someone to confide in, parenting advice, a simple cuppa and a chat, or a friend to go to soft play and baby groups with.

We don’t always talk about serious stuff, it could be anything, but a distraction and a friendly face is often all I need to feel better if I’m low or anxious.

While my daughter has grown from a newborn into a little character, my befriender has helped my confidence grow enormously as a mother. When she says that she is proud of me it feels really good, because she has been at my side for the whole journey.

I think it’s amazingly generous for someone to give up their own time to help somebody else. My befriender has helped me through some real struggles. The scheme is brilliant and I am so grateful to both my befriender and the SureStart team.

When my daughter is a little older I am going to consider becoming a befriender myself, so that I can help another new mum and share with her my own experiences.