Warwick mums who turned personal struggles into lifeline for thousands of local families looking for community support

Two Warwick mums who experienced fertility struggles, pregnancy loss, and a lack of support during their own journeys into motherhood have turned their experiences into a community organisation helping thousands of families.

Vicky and Melissa, co-founders of Beyond the Bump CIC, launched the organisation in 2022 after both experiencing firsthand how lonely and overwhelming the journey to parenthood can be.

Through fertility challenges, losses, pregnancies, and births, both women found themselves at times feeling unsupported, frightened and unsure where to turn. Rather than accepting that this was simply part of the experience, they decided to do something about it.

"We'd both been through some incredibly difficult experiences, and there were times when we felt completely alone," they explained.

"We knew the care and support we'd received wasn't always good enough. We didn't want other families to feel the way we had, especially during what can be some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives."

What began as a small antenatal business has grown into an award-winning community organisation, supporting more than 1,600 families in the past 12 months. Alongside building Beyond the Bump, Vicky and Melissa are also raising their own young families, juggling the everyday challenges of motherhood with their determination to make pregnancy, birth and early parenthood a better experience for other local families.

Beyond the Bump now provides pregnancy education, birth preparation, birth trauma support, baby massage, postnatal wellbeing programmes, community walks, and social groups across Warwickshire.

But for its founders, the organisation has always been about much more than classes.

"We see parents who are frightened about giving birth, mums who are struggling after difficult experiences, and families who feel completely isolated. Sometimes people just need someone to listen, someone who understands, or somewhere they can go without feeling judged. Watching a mum walk into one of our groups feeling nervous and leave with a new friend might seem like a small thing, but we know just how much that can mean."

In 2025, the pair took the decision to establish Beyond the Bump as a Community Interest Company (CIC), allowing them to focus on making pregnancy and postnatal support more accessible, particularly for families who might otherwise miss out.

"One of the hardest things we've realised is that so much support depends on whether you know where to look or can afford to pay for it," they said. "But struggling with your mental health, experiencing birth trauma or feeling isolated doesn't discriminate. We believe every family deserves to feel supported, regardless of their circumstances."

Their work has received recognition, including three Best Antenatal Business awards and being named finalists in the BBC Make a Difference Awards.

Despite their success, Vicky and Melissa say it's the everyday moments that keep them going.

"It's hearing someone say they finally feel less alone. It's seeing friendships develop between mums who didn't know each other a few weeks earlier. It's knowing that someone has found the confidence to ask for help.

"Those are the moments that remind us why we started."

With demand for their services continuing to grow, Beyond the Bump is now appealing to people and businesses across Warwickshire to help them support even more families.

The organisation is looking for volunteers to help with community walks, pregnancy socials and parent-and-baby groups, as well as local businesses and organisations who may be able to offer venues, resources, funding or other practical support.

The founders are also keen to connect with health professionals and community organisations who work with expectant and new parents, helping ensure families know where to find support when they need it.

"We know there are parents across Warwickshire who are struggling in silence, just as we once did," they said. "We can't change what happened during our own journeys, but we can use those experiences to make things better for someone else.

"If we can help even one parent feel less alone, more confident or more supported, then that's something worth doing."

Families looking for pregnancy or postnatal support, and anyone interested in volunteering or supporting Beyond the Bump CIC, can find out more at www.beyondthebumpuk.co.uk