Mum’s the Word – NCT launches free DVD

July 2, 2008 at 9:45 am Leave a comment

Mum’s the Word – NCT supports new mums –plus free DVD

NCT, the UK’s leading parenting charity, is today launching a new awareness drive to help new mums adjust to life with a baby. Being a new mum can bring joy and challenges and the NCT can offer help and support to cope confidently with the changes that a new baby brings.

To launch the awareness drive, the NCT has produced a free DVD ‘Mum’s the Word’. As the first of its kind, the DVD follows the true-life story of one woman, her midwives, health visitor and family as they support her through her baby’s birth and beyond into motherhood. We share the challenges she faces, hear stories of how other mums have coped in similar situations and find out how the NCT can help.

The NCT’s move is a response to a recent survey highlighting a crisis of confidence many people face when looking after a baby. A recent MORI survey found that, when it came to looking after a newborn baby, 47% of people said they would not feel confident, while one in five people without children thought life with a newborn would be terrifying*.

Abbi Moore, who features in the film says, “I was prepared to be a mum, but I don’t think I was prepared for some of the things that come with being a mum.”

The DVD is designed to help new mums make the change to life as a new parent and reassure them that they are not alone in the challenges they face ahead. Topics include breastfeeding, relationship changes with partners and rights and benefits mums are entitled to in pregnancy and early parenthood. The NCT charity has produced the DVD to support all mums to be the mum they want to be.

Celebrity new mum Myleene Klass has an eight-month old daughter. She said recently in an interview; “I am tired, tired all the time. Sometimes I feel like crying because I am so tired. People say I make it look easy, but I don’t have any of the answers, I’m still trying to figure things out.”

Similarly Celebrity mum, Nell McAndew says; “I am like any new mum. I’m finding my feet with motherhood.”

Myleene Klass adds; “I have never felt so lonely and isolated. I wonder how other working mums do it – how do they make it look so easy? Things haven’t worked out the way I thought they would and just when I think I’m getting there, something else comes along. I know it is the same for every working mother – but it seems like nobody really talks about it, what a challenge it can be for a couple.”

The charity also provides NCT ‘early days’ postnatal classes and drop-ins that give parents the opportunity to explore different approaches to parenting, feel confident about parenting decisions, share ideas and meet other new parents.

Belinda Phipps, Chief Executive, NCT, said; “From changing relationships to how you care for your baby, we hope the awareness drive will help mums through the early days. Our DVD includes tried and tested tips, real-life stories and trusted and reliable information from the NCT. There are lots of films on how to look after your baby but there isn’t a film on how to look after mum. So we asked the experts – women who have recently become mums and our NCT qualified postnatal leaders – to share their knowledge and help give mums the support they need in this first of its kind film.”

The NCT is giving away free copies of the ‘Mums the Word’ DVD to any mum-to-be or parent with a new baby in the UK. The NCT is also giving away the DVD on the front-cover of NCT magazine, Bumps & Babies.

Copies of the DVD are available by:

· Ordering a free copy of the DVD by calling NCT on 0300 330 0770 or online at www.nct.org.uk

· Asking your midwife or health visitor for a free copy of NCT’s Bumps & Babies magazine – NCT’s free quarterly magazine.

If parents have any specific enquiries, questions or concerns on their pregnancy or birth or on postnatal issues, call the NCT’s Pregnancy & Birth Line on 0300 330 0772 (Mon-Fri, 9am-3pm), the Breastfeeding Line 0300 330 0771 (8am – 10pm) or NCT Enquiries on 0300 330 0770.

The NCT is the UK’s leading charity on pregnancy, birth and early parenthood – we’re with parents all the way from bump to baby. The NCT is a trusted charity that provides expert-led classes, evidence based information and practical and emotional support through 300 UK-wide branch networks and we campaign for better maternity care.

Ends

For press information, to order a preview copy of the DVD, or to arrange interviews with the mothers or experts in the film, please contact NCT Press Office on 0208 752 2404 or email: press@nct.org.uk [Out of hours call 07722 839428]

The NCT has ISDN Line on 020 8992 6499 – please call press office to book interview.

Notes to Editors:–

The DVD is set up to allow viewers to skip to sections of interest.

· Research conducted via in-home, face-to-face omnibus from 4-10th January 2008 by Ipsos MORI’s Global Omnibus Services division. A nationally representative sample of adults aged 18-35 in GB were interviewed, with data subsequently weighted to the known profile of this population. The survey was carried out via Ipsos MORI’s Face to Face Omnibus with 591 adults 18-35 years old, 57% parents, 43% non-parents.

· The NCT is the UK’s leading charity on pregnancy, birth and early parenthood. Every year the charity supports thousands of parents through an incredible life-changing experience, offering relevant information and mutual support through our network of over 300 local branches, UK wide helplines, antenatal and early days courses, breastfeeding counselling and peer support schemes.

· Operating for over 50 years, the NCT is recognised as the voice of pregnant women and new parents throughout the UK. The charity works continuously for improvements to maternity care and better services and facilities for new parents with over 77,000 members. We are viewed by many as independent experts in matters relating to pregnancy, birth and early parenthood and are an influential and trusted advisor to UK governments, royal colleges, private sector bodies and other charities.

· DVD is produced by Plus3 Productions, coordinated by St James’s House.

· Important Notice: The content of this DVD is fully protected by copyright owned by National Childbirth Trust as of 2008. Copies of the DVD produced for NCT are being distributed free of charge for personal use or for educational use at NCT events or within the National Health Service where services are provided free to parents. Commercial reproduction or use of all or part of the DVD is prohibited unless permission is obtained in advance from NCT. Extracts of less than two minutes are permitted by the NCT to be copied without permission provided that such copies are taken only for the purposes of criticism or review and provided that the ownership of the content of the DVD by NCT is acknowledged.

Entry filed under: Early parenthood, Nct in the news, Pregnancy and birth.