The Mama Mentor Postnatal Course Prospectus

The Mama Mentor
Postnatal Course Prospectus
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INGREDIENTS
Welcome to our Course Prospectus!
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Our Mission and Vision
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Do you share MamaCafe Core Values?
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What is a Mama Mentor?
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MamaCafe-In-A-Box
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Do you help me set up my MamaCafe?
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Do I have to pay a yearly licence fee to operate as MamaCafe?
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How Do You Join Us?
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Welcome to MamaCafe-In-A-Box for New Mamas!
What’s MamaCafe All About?
In 2009 I created a weekly group for pregnant women called Preggies. We met once a week to
explore issues, build friendships and be creative, tapping into our right brain.
It has taken time to gestate but after working with women in Cornwall I would like to share my
baby with more like-minded birthy people, so that they can create a MamaCafe in their own
community.
Our course prospectus gives you an insight into what MamaCafe is all about, and the how you
can take a journey with us, preparing yourself to be a Mama Mentor and part of the MamaCafe
family.
As part of our family you will also be a catalyst in your community to raise awareness of
alternative choices, bringing women together with shared ideas as a catalyst for change.
We hope you find your time with us a valuable step in your personal development as a birth
professional.
Evony Lynch
Chief Mama
(Midwife, doula, birth
geek)
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Our Mission
MamaCafe is on a mission to raise the emotional health of women during pregnancy and
into new motherhood through knowledge sharing, raising awareness of choices, whilst
developing a sense of community.
We believe that from a sound knowledge base that recognizes the value of science,
cultural wisdom, and an innate sense of knowing, confidence can grow during pregnancy
and in motherhood and enable women to feel empowered in their bodies and minds.
We bring mamas together in their community to create a place of strength, support and
friendship.
We are changing the way mothers are born.
Our Big Vision
MamaCafe has big dreams. We are starting small but this is our vision for the future…
We want to take empowering birth and motherhood to a whole new audience.
MamaCafe will lead the way in innovative projects that aim to improve perinatal mental
health and help prevent antenatal and postnatal depression.
We will be able to demonstrate the positive effects of peer support and empowerment
through research.
Through our ambassadors MamaCafe will create a network of groups across the UK to
bring pregnant women and new mothers together.
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Do you Share MamaCafe Core Values?

MamaCafe is built on a common purpose to bring women together during their
journey of pregnancy and early motherhood to share their experiences, build
upon their own knowledge, increase awareness of birth and parenting choices
and create community.

We believe in a woman’s body to be able to physiologically grow and birth her
own baby.

We recognise that the culture of birth has affected our access to physiologically
birth our babies and that many women will experience a medicalised birth.

We believe all women should have access to unbiased information that
encompasses scientific research and anecdotal evidence in order to make a truly
informed choice.

We actively promote gentle parenting, breastfeeding and baby wearing but
ultimately respect an individual’s freedom of choice in parenting. We do not
judge.

We promote breastfeeding where possible but ultimately support a woman’s
right to choose how to feed her baby in a way that promotes a positive bonding
experience for her and her baby.

We value an individual’s right to make conscious choices in pregnancy and
parenting which may but not exclusively include free birth, non-vaccination,
attachment parenting and home education.
If you share in our ethos and
want to offer woman in your
community a space to be, then
MamaCafe could be the right
place for you.
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Why Do We Do What We Do?
Pregnancy, birth and being a new mum are a time of both excitement and fear. It should
be a positive experience, but many women are left feeling isolated and lonely.
Antenatal education has changed in the UK due to financial constraints within the NHS.
Many women will be offered just one workshop during pregnancy, and a separate
breastfeeding class. There is little opportunity to make friends or meet with other
pregnant women for mutual support.
Postnatal mums are receiving fewer visits from a midwife or health visitor now, and
most community based activities are based around the baby. Many women are
experiencing motherhood for the first time having moved away from their families for
their career, and have left behind work colleagues and a former ‘non-parenting’ lifestyle.
Antenatal education provided by the state often enabled new friendships to form ready
for motherhood but even this is now unlikely due to cuts in provision.

They now find a sense of community in online forums or Facebook.

Women are often entering motherhood without a real life community of women
or family around them.
How?
With your help our New Mama Meet Ups bring women together in their community, to
share experiences and have access to signposting and knowledge.
It’s not just a baby group, but a group for mums about mums. It’s a way of facilitating a
safe place to explore thoughts, feelings, experiences and knowledge.
We want to
raise awareness of choices
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raise awareness of rights in pregnancy, birth and motherhood
raise self-esteem and confidence to explore those choices and rights
As a postnatal Mama Mentor your role is to create the space, listen, to share and inspire.
By offering community based groups run by passionate women we can provide social
networks for pregnant women and new mothers. We aim to reduce the sense of
isolation associated with being pregnant or having a new baby and the accompanying
risks of antenatal and postnatal depression.
So What Is a Mama Mentor?
A mentor is a person or friend who guides a less experienced person by building trust and
modeling positive behaviors. An effective mentor understands that his or her role is to be
dependable, engaged, authentic, and tuned into the needs of the mentee.
What is a Mentor and Roles of the Mentor and Mentee
www.oycp.com/MentorTraining/3/m3.html
Our Mama Mentors will be able to
provide an opportunity for community
based peer support for antenatal and
postnatal mums. They are our
ambassadors and an invaluable part of the
MamaCafe team in order for us to reach
women across communities. We want to
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inform, educate and support. And with your help we can reach lots of women.
Our New Mama Classes
As a unique follow-on from our antenatal classes we
created our New Mama Meet-Ups. Utilising the skills
and knowledge of others in our communities, by
bringing in guest speakers, we can educate mothers
and enable them to make choices early on in their
motherhood journey. At the heart of MamaCafe is our
honesty and sense of realism that crosses boundaries.
We love the natural and gentle but we don’t believe
that being a crunchy mama is the best or only way to
be. By being inclusive and welcoming we can start to
make a difference that will impact on the way we see
birth and mothering. Everyone has to find their own
way, and we help everyone explore the way that is right for them.
Some things our mamas have said…
“Being part of MamaCafe has been one of the best years of my life.”
Caroline, third time mum to Otis who joined in pregnancy until her Otis’ first birthday.
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“You’ve given me a creative space to nurture my bump and my inner mama.”
Naomi, first time mum who came for 12 weeks in pregnancy
What Can MamaCafe do for you?
As a Mama Mentor you will:
Be bringing women together and helping forge new friendships
Be able to raise your profile as a local social entrepreneur working for the benefit
of your community. This could be especially beneficial if you have another small
business or are a doula/therapist etc.
Be part of our growing network of Mama Mentors, gain your own peer support
for what you are doing and feel part of the MamaCafe community online.
Gain experience in running a small sustainable enterprise
Develop your interpersonal skills and experience as a step forward in your own
personal learning goals
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As a Mama Mentor you are a valuable member
of our team, working towards the same goals.
We want you to feel valued and appreciated for
the work you do in your community and
recognise that your skills, knowledge and
experience can all contribute to the power of
MamaCafe.
We’re still a baby but working together as a family we can make a difference to women
and families in our communities. We love commitment, enthusiasm and new ideas. If it
fits with the MamaCafe ethos then have a go to create something where you are.
Antenatal sessions, postnatal sessions, film nights, speakers. Raise awareness and get
people talking!
MamaCafe-In-A-Box
MamaCafe-In-A-Box consists of a comprehensive ‘How To’ manual with everything you
need to be ready to launch your own MamaCafe postnatal New Mama Meet-Ups.
This is not just an opportunity to run a mum and baby group. It’s a complete package
ready for you to go.
Using the knowledge we’ve gained we want to make it as easy as possible for you to run
a successful small social enterprise that not only enables you to have a small income as
an facilitator but give back to the community at the same time.
This is what we’ve included:
The Postnatal Mentor Recipe Book – the comprehensive How To manual which
includes distance learning modules to prepare you to be a mentor
We share with you our risk assessment guide, the legal stuff, setting up your biz,
publicity, a press release template, and flyer template
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Our full colour Crafty Recipes Guide
Our full colour ‘How To for New Mamas’
Enrolment , feedback, registration and interest forms
Understanding postnatal depression booklet from MIND
Optional access to online safeguarding training
Access to closed Mentor Facebook group
A listing on the MamaCafe website
Your starter pack of crafty resources
Flyer template
Banner template
Business card template
What you’ll be looking at…
Mothering in the 21st Century
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What do we feel?

What do we need?
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How can we support it?
Gentle Parenting and the 4th Trimester

What are gentle parenting approaches?
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How do we support this?
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What is the 4th trimester
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Why is it important?
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How can we support it?
Being a Mama Mentor
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A person centred approach to communication skills
Empathy
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Non-verbal communication
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Active Listening
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Barriers to listening
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Group facilitation skills
Do you help me set up my MamaCafe?
As part of our MamaCafe in a Box you will receive all
the paperwork, policies and registers ready to launch your own MamaCafe. There will be
an online support group for all the mentors and Chief Mama will be available to smooth
the way. We’re not saying it’s easy to create something new, and you have to be
dedicated, hardworking and tenacious to make it happen.
Chief Mama loves website creation so she’ll be sharing tips on building your online presence, use
of social media and you’ll be included in the main MC website too.
Do I have to pay a yearly licence fee to operate as MamaCafe?
We don’t want this to feel like a corporate entity – that’s not what MamaCafe is all
about. But we do want to reach women who may not usually have access to this type of
provision. So as part of our aims there will be a yearly membership fee to help
MamaCafe offer subsided training to women in areas of need. This is included in your
course fees for the first year, following this it will be £5 per month or £60 per year.
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How Do You Join Us?
We want to be sure that we can spread the love of MamaCafe far and wide yet retain
what’s at its heart. Before you get your hands on our Box we will…
Ask for some details about you
Send you our reflective questionnaire – a chance for us to get to know you and
see if MamaCafe would be right for you
And finally a Skype or phone chat as a two way process to be sure that you’ll be
happy joining our family
Have you got what
it takes to join us?
Then why not take
the plunge…it could
be the start of
something quite
exciting…