Blog

We are building a radical community of humanity, compassion, kindness and trusted information for families in West Kent. Help us transform parenthood this week.

Highly skilled, compassionate support can feel ‘life saving’ for new families in crisis.

Mother’s Day is a moment our whole community feels together — a chance to recognise the women who lift us, guide us, and quietly keep everything moving. In every Baby Umbrella group, you see it daily: mums supporting mums, friendships forming over shared stories, volunteers giving their time so no one feels alone, and families finding comfort in a warm, welcoming space. This guide is a celebration of that spirit as much as it is a celebration of mothers themselves.

This summer, Baby Umbrella is celebrating a huge milestone — five years supporting families through some of the most tender, transformative, and challenging moments of parenthood. Join us as we reflect on all we've achieved, as well as the future we’re building together.

Don't miss these dates for your diary in 2025

The early months with my daughter were very difficult due to (what we now know were) multiple food allergies and tongue tie.

A challenging start In 2019 I became a Mother to my first daughter. I thought I had prepared for the experience in as much depth as possible, I had the ‘equipment’, rallied my support and prepared myself for the newborn cocoon and the life changing reality that I knew was on the horizon. What I didn’t prepare myself for was the challenges I met with breastfeeding. I was shocked at how difficult I found it, both emotionally (with the weight of responsibility resting all on my

Before our son was born, I was keen to try and breastfeed, but I knew from my experience working with babies and their parents that it wasn’t always straightforward. I tried to get myself in the best position I could for breastfeeding. I had read books, harvested colostrum and once my son arrived, I put him to the breast within the first hour like everything I had read told me to do. Early days It was painful. But so was everything at that point, and the midwife said that lat

We’ve curated a list of must-read poetry books that beautifully reflect the themes of parenthood, kids, and family life - happy reading!

At Baby Umbrella we are committed to ensuring our team, those who visit us and those who would like to, all feel able to join us...

In the following blog article Laura, one of our Breastfeeding Counsellors, shares how she has used journaling on her own journey through...

We're delighted to say that our trial Listening Service has been very well received by attendees and it will now be running for the...

Find out the diverse ways you can support Baby Umbrella and make a difference. As a small charity we rely on fundraising and donations to keep our services running. Last year*, we supported 1,596 families in Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells in their early parenting journey and we couldn't have done it without the generous support of our donors. There are a number of ways which allow you to regularly support us, and our families, each month. Give as you Earn Make your

We are excited to announce a three month pilot of a free Listening Service run by Breastfeeding Counsellors with additional training in perinatal mental health. Our practitioners are available to listen with kindness and compassion in a safe and confidential space on Zoom. The service is open to all parents in West Kent who are finding things challenging, or who experienced any challenges around pregnancy, birth and the early months of parenting. Examples might include: Pregn

Kent County Council proposes to close 35 of the 79 Children's Centre buildings across Kent, a reduction of 44%. This change is forecast...

We know babies don't pay attention to festivities so we are here for you if you do need support through the holidays. On bank holidays...

We are immensely proud to have been chosen as Kent Charity Awards' Start-Up Charity of the Year for 2022! This is fantastic recognition...

Guest blog written by Emma Jeffery, personal trainer and local mum. So, you’re postpartum and now you’re looking to lace up those...

My breastfeeding journey began in 2013 when I had my first child. I was young, living in an area of outer London where I had no friends...

We are very pleased to announce that due to many COVID restrictions being lifted we are now able to bring our specialist support back...