Ready steady mums, a group for new parents to meet up and go for a walk with their babies, is back up and walking.
The group, which ‘actively embraces motherhood’ had to stop its weekly meet-ups due to coronavirus. But four months on, it has now been able to resume, with many new mums who had their babies during lockdown joining the established group.
Rasheen, who lives in Harrogate, told us that it has really helped to talk to other mums that have been through a similar experience.
“We’ve all had corona babies, so it’s great to now meet new mums like myself… It was a really difficult time for me, my baby was in special care for a week and my husband wasn’t allowed in, and during a time like that you need that family support, your partner, your mum, your dad. It’s good to be able to get advice from others and find out what is normal.”
Ready Steady Mums, Harrogate
The group meets at 10am every Friday on the Stray, on the corner of Milton Way close to Leeds Road. Parents are asking to bring hand gel, a picnic rug and drink/ flask.
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Cheryl Mckee is one of the organisers of Ready Steady Mum, and also used to be a midwife. She said:
“It’s totally safe, we socially distance and it’s a great way to get some fresh air. For mums who had their babies in lockdown, it’s been very lonely. So it’s nice for them to see other mums, and chat about their experiences and just help each other along.”
Set up in spring 2016, the group previously met weekly at St Mark’s Church to walk a circular route together, returning to the church for tea, coffee and cake afterwards. Many of the attendees went every week while their babies were young.
Now, at the end of the 40-minute walk, which goes around the Stray, the group sit and have a picnic together on the Stray.
Frances Langford, who was a midwife in Harrogate for 30 years, said the group helps both the physical and mental health of parents:
“It’s the social mixing and talking to other mums… It gives people structure so they think, ‘oh, I have got something to do on Friday’, otherwise when you have a newborn every day can just run into one.”
