Phew! Our hard work is about to go live. We have been working on project to improve the journey for both men and women around the time of having babies. We are delighted to be working with some key people who bring with them a wealth of information on different aspects of having a baby.

Our project is taking the form of a survey, taking around 15 mins to complete. This survey plots the journey that working parents-to-be have. We have made a few exciting partnerships along the way....with The Grange (who provide us with survey expertise) and Scottish Association of Mental Health (SAMH) who have kept us right on mental health issues.  We were then delighted to gain funding from Healthy Working lives.  For us this is just the first step.

In the next few months we hope to see exactly what the journey is really like for working men and women at this crucial time. We gained a lot from our time at The Scottish baby Show....one thing we noticed was that people seem more anxious or depressed than statistics show.... What’s not crystal clear is why. We heard some amazing stories and some terribly sad ones, most of which were work related. A few people were fired on the spot when they disclosed they were pregnant and a couple had their hours drastically reduced....is that fair? Some companies are exceptional with simple support measures and facilities. We never said it was difficult; it’s just takes a bit of focus.

Our survey will be the first innovative stepping stone to show us what people go through and what help they would really like. We are looking at unique aspects of the journey thanks to the input from our partners. Watch this space and i'll update you on our progress. We are looking for people who are pregnant, on maternity leave or have returned or resigned at the end of maternity leave. Tell your friends you will be hlping future parents....