Bump Club

These sessions are for you to meet other expectant parents living in Didcot and surrounding villages, to build support networks, and get ready for life with your new baby.

Becoming a parent is the most wonderful, overwhelming, rewarding, hardest rollercoaster ride of many of our lives. Nothing can truly prepare you for it and your journey will be unique, but we aim to help you get off to a confident and positive start with your little one. We will give you honest, evidence-based, non-judgemental information about what to expect in the early weeks with a new baby. We hope you will feel empowered to make informed choices that feel right for your family, and find the supportive "village" that will help you thrive in early parenthood.

The sessions are held in a relaxed and informal format. On arrival you can grab a hot drink and you'll be seated at a table with others due at a similar time. Once everyone is settled in the facilitators, Kath & Lisa, lead a short discussion - you are welcome contribute, ask questions, or to just listen. The group discussion is followed by plenty of time to chat to other attendees and the facilitators. You can also take a look at our selection of baby carriers and try them on with our demo doll Diddy (who does weigh as much an an actual baby!) and browse our library of excellent evidence-based books which are available for you to borrow. On your first visit you will receive a little bag of info and lovely things to take away.

Upcoming dates and topics:

2nd June - Meet the Midwives - we are joined by midwives from Wallingford Maternity Centre to talk about making your birth preferences, and to answer all of your pregnancy and birth related questions.

16th June Milk - busting some myths about breastfeeding and formula and empowering you to make informed choices about feeding your baby, as well has giving some tips to get you off to a good start and know when and where to get support should you need it.

30th June - Floor, Core and More - caring for your body and mind as you grow, birth and bond with your new tiny human, with a special guest pelvic physiotherapist.

14th July Is it SB or BS? - exploring the evidence behind the claims made by some popular baby items to see whether they are the best thing since Sliced Bread (SB) or marketing B***S***! Find out what you really need on your baby list!

28th July The Fourth Trimester - what to expect in the early postnatal period as your baby makes the transition from the womb to the world and you adjust to being parents.

Topics continue to follow this order for future dates (note no sessions in August, booking for 8th September onwards will open soon).

How often does Bump Club meet?

Sessions are held about every 2 or 3 weeks, with some longer gaps during school holidays in April, August and December.

When can I join?

We rotate through five discussion topics and you can join at any point in the cycle. We recommend joining at around the 26th week of your pregnancy (+/- 3 weeks) so that you can fit in all five topics, as well as get to know your fellow Bump Clubbers with similar due dates. Just choose the date that you would like to finish by and work backwards to book those five sessions. It's all pretty flexible though - you can join earlier/later if that suits you, just pick out the topics that interest you, or attend whenever you can fit it in. This is not a class!

Where are the sessions held?

At the GWP District Community Centre, Gentian Mews, OX11 6GR .

Enter through the 'playroom' door.

How much does it cost?

There is no charge, but a pay-what-you-feel donation is much appreciated, suggested at £10.

We aim to raise most of our funding from grants, but we are a small charity and this is an ongoing challenge. Your donations make a vital contribution to us being able to run the group as open to all.

Select a free "ticket" to book your space (please register one space per family attending) then in the optional "donation" box enter the amount of the donation you wish to make.

* Note that a donation alone is not a ticket, you must register to attend with a ticket too.

* Capacity is limited. If fully booked please join the waitlist and we will release a space for you to book if one becomes available.

* PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO ATTEND - sessions are usually fully booked with a waitlist. You can help us to support as many families as possible within our limited resources.

Can my partner/mum/friend come too?

Yes. Partners, or any other family member or friend who will be supporting you, are very welcome (attending solo is also fine and not at all unusual too!)

Can I come if it's not my first baby?

Yes. The group is open to all parents and it's great if you'd like to share your experiences with others.

Is it worth coming if I’m also doing another antenatal course?

Absolutely! The content complements this type of class well.

If your course is online or not based in Didcot, Bump Club gives you the chance to meet other families and learn about what support is available in our local area.

What other antenatal classes are available to complement Bump Club?

There are several great free online webinars available for more detail on birth and breastfeeding, which are listed in our recommended resources Padlet.

There are also options locally for private in person classes depending on what you are interested in - from a traditional antenatal course to specialist hypnobirthing classes and pregnancy yoga.

Who are the facilitators?

Bump Club sessions are facilitated by Kath and Lisa, plus the occasional special guest.

Kath is DBM's CEO, a qualified Breastfeeding Counsellor, Infant Sleep Practitioner, Babywearing Educator, and mum of three girls (including twins).

Lisa is a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) with over 20 years’ experience supporting families to meet their personal breastfeeding/chest-feeding goals, and is mum to two daughters, two dog babies, and is loving now also being a Nana!

We look forward to welcoming you to the group!

Feedback from Bump Clubbers

"Everyone was so friendly and the information provided was supportive but non-judgmental and focused on parents' choice. It's already helped us to feel more prepared for the arrival of baby"

“Bump Club was supportive, informative, and a great opportunity to meet other people also expecting their little ones.”

"I don't know anyone in the area so the Bump Club has been great to meet other mums-to-be and feel less isolated."

“We now feel much more confident about how to prepare ourselves for our baby's arrival, how to look after our baby and ourselves after the birth, and where to get help if we are struggling. As well as excellent advice and support, Bump Club provided a supportive and non-judgemental environment for discussion and to meet other parents-to-be. The lending library has been really useful, as has sling practice. We have had our last session before the birth and I'm sad not to be going back, but I'm excited to come to Didcot Baby Mondays soon instead!”

"Going to Bump Club really helped me to get to know other new parents in the area. It also meant that my first solo trip out with a two week old baby was to a familiar place with familiar people."

"Bump Club was the absolute best preparation for the day to day dealings of becoming parents. Kath and Lisa both exude the feeling of being made welcome and safe and every session was such a boost for us in the stressful time of expecting a baby. We made some great friends and it's been so lovely keeping in touch and seeing how our babies are doing now we've "graduated" to DBM."

"Bump Club has been informative and helped me feel more confident to advocate for myself and my baby. This led to me having a really positive start to my breastfeeding journey with our new arrival."

PLEASE NOTE: Didcot Baby Monday is a small charity and our remit is for families in Didcot and surrounding villages (Sutton Courtney, Chilton, Harwell, Steventon, Milton, Culham, Blewbury, N/S Hagbourne, N/S Moreton, Upton, Appleford, Long Wittenham). We would love to accommodate families from a further afield but unfortunately we do not have capacity at this time. Please answer the questions when you book - in order to manage demand and meet our grant funding conditions your booking may not be accepted if you do not have a postcode in the area above. Wallingford Family Centre and GroW in Wantage also offer free antenatal sessions.