Our Fourth Trimester parenting support programme is a 6 week cycle/term for parents and carers with bumps or babies up to four (ish) months of age. (This early period of nurturing in the first few months of a baby’s life is often known the “fourth trimester“). It is a drop in session run by Dr Rosie Knowles (Carrying Matters) and the team from the Sheffield Sling Surgery and Library, and Lindsay Snow (Understanding Kids), to help parents with bumps or small babies (under 4 months) find out all they need to know about this precious and key stage in their lives.

The sessions run weekly, with pre-arranged topics from Lindsay at Understanding Kids and Rosie (and the team!) from Sheffield Sling Surgery and Library – covering common challenges in these early months. The cycle is designed to equip parents with information and help to make a confident start on their parenting journey. The sessions are free to attend (but we welcome a suggested £2 donation towards volunteer costs.)
The first session is all about relaxing into parenthood and connecting with your baby, and how slings can help to build secure and loving relationships and support good mental health. In subsequent weeks, Lindsay will support parents with topics covering crying, sleeping, how baby and parent brains work, relationships and more.

Session structure
10:15am-10.30 Welcome
10.30-11am Topic and Discussion
11am Sling Safety “Bite”
11am-11.30 Individual Support and Coffee Break
11.30-12.30pm Sling Library drop in session

The course uses "Evidence based support"

To help you with "Building your baby's brain" and "Coping with crying, sleep and parenthood"

There is regular infant feeding support each week from Lizzie Rolls who runs the “feeding” topic of the cycle, and there is a
regular guest slot about caring for the post natal body from Libby at S1 Chiropractic (who is very experienced with women’s health).

After each week’s topic, there will be a sling safety “bite” followed by brief guidance and support from the sling library team. We are happy to help you with your own carrier and we have a wide range of slings in the library for trying on, they can be hired from this session and taken home. The free stretchy wrap hire scheme can be accessed here too. You are welcome to just come to the sling library section if you wish.

We will encourage attendees from each cycle to develop “village” style friendship groups and encouragement, we’ll collect your email address at sign in to be able to facilitate this, and we will signpost to further parenting and sling support via social media groups and useful resources.

Please note you are welcome to come to all of the sessions or to join us half way through, or just pick one or two!
You are also welcome to just come to the sling library session from 11.30 onwards.