Antenatal groups for motherless mothers. You don’t have to do this alone.
Course Description:
Becoming a mother changes everything, and for those of us without the support of our own mum, it can bring a quiet, unexpected ache alongside the anticipation.
Held in Pregnancy and Beyond is a course created for women preparing for birth while carrying the absence of the mother they need or want to have beside them.
This is more than a typical antenatal class. It’s a space filled with others who truly understand. Women with lived experience of mother loss or complex maternal relationships. A place where you don’t have to explain why certain moments feel heavier or why joy and grief can sit side by side.
Throughout this course you’ll receive both professional guidance and the kind of steady, compassionate support many of us thought we would have from our own mums.
Together, we’ll cover the practical realities of pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood, while also making space for the emotional layers that often go unseen.
Small group. Honest conversations. Real understanding.
You don’t have to navigate this without support.
Who it’s for:
As this is the very first time we’re running Held in Pregnancy and Beyond, we’re offering this course at a reduced rate, so if this feels like something you’ve been needing, now is the time to join us.
This course is designed for women due between mid-October and mid-November 2026, and it’s open to you whether this is your first baby or not. All experiences of mother loss are welcome here, whether through bereavement, estrangement, cognitive, mental or physical illnesses, or complex relationships.
We keep the group small (no more than 12 women) to protect the feeling of safety, connection, and being seen.
The course includes 8 sessions, usually held monthly, with the final session taking place around 6 weeks postnatal, an opportunity to come back together, reflect, and be supported in those early weeks. (We’ll agree the final session together so it works for the group.)
One session is also dedicated to your support person, offering them guidance on how to best support and advocate for you during this time so you don’t have to carry it all alone.
As always, these antenatal classes are designed to sit alongside, not replace, your individual guidance and advice from your local maternity department.
Extra Layers of Support
We are currently curating some special bonus additions for all our attendees to ensure you feel supported in every sense of the word. We’ll be announcing these very soon—stay tuned.
When: 20th May, 24th June, 22nd July, 19th August, 26th August (support person), 16th September, 7th October, and a date in January (tbc) (postnatal). £10 per session.
Time: 8:00-9:00 pm GMT.*Please note that the first session on May 20th is 75 minutes.
SUPPORT FOR YOU, SUSTAINABILITY FOR US.
A little note on refunds: Our small charity is entirely run by unpaid volunteers. Every penny from this £80 course ensures our lights stay on so we can continue supporting all mothers. This is not just a course; it's a contribution to keeping this safe community alive. Thank you for your support. Because we’re a small charity run by volunteers, we don’t have a fancy billing department! Once you pay, those funds go straight to work helping us support others. For that reason, we can't offer cash refunds. However, we’re all mums—we know life goes sideways. If you can't make it, you can use your payment as a credit for any future event, or you can even "gift" your spot to another mother in the community who needs it. We’re all in this together.
Meet your facilitator:
Stephanie Blamires
This programme was created and is led by Stephanie Blamires, an NHS midwife with over six years of experience supporting women through pregnancy and beyond. Now working as a Maternity Antenatal Outpatient Manager and Specialist Antenatal and Newborn Screening Midwife, Stephanie brings both clinical expertise and a deep commitment to compassionate, informed care.
Through her work, she has supported women navigating the antenatal period and beyond, but her passion for antenatal care, as well as her own personal experience of losing her mum five months after having her first baby, inspired the development of this course.
Stephanie experienced pregnancy and early motherhood while carrying the loss of her own mum. In that unique and often isolating space, both as a midwife and a daughter without her mother, she came to understand just how much is missing for those who don’t have that maternal support to lean on.
And so “Held in Pregnancy and Beyond: Midwife-Led Antenatal Classes by TMM” was born.
Blending professional guidance with real understanding, Stephanie has designed this course to offer the kind of support, reassurance, and steady presence many women expected to receive from their own mum but didn’t.
This is a space where both your questions and your feelings are welcome. Where you are supported not just as a patient but as a whole person stepping into motherhood.
Lean on us
Pregnancy can bring up unexpected questions at any hour. As part of our commitment to your peace of mind, you have a direct line to Steph for any non-urgent clinical or emotional queries. Whether it’s about a symptom or a feeling, don't carry the worry alone. Sometimes you just need to hear a reassuring voice or get a quick bit of guidance that you might usually ask your own mum. If something is on your mind, you can submit your questions here, and Steph will provide the professional, compassionate clarity you need.