My name is Amy Campbell. I am a trained special needs teacher and author of thisismybraveface.blog.
I’m a mother of three, my twin girls born at 26 weeks, Charlotte, now 2 years old and Esme who died at 7 weeks old and my son, Archie who is 10 months old.
Charlotte came home when she was 3 months old, weighing 5lb 1oz and on home oxygen. At 1 week old she had a large brain haemorrhage and as a result has right sided hemiplegia.
Be More Chazzy is for families who have been on the neonatal unit and/or have a child with additional needs. It aims to offer SUPPORT, NURTURE and PLAY.
SUPPORT
Be More Chazzy aims to provide a safe space for parents to share their experiences and to not feel alone. I want them to be able to confidently open up and feel super proud of not only their baby’s achievements but also how far they’ve come, alongside parents who “get it” and truly understand how life can be like on the neonatal unit. I hope it will be a chance to build self care and identity back into their lives.
Through online resources and social media, there will be access to support families. This will include veteran parents sharing their stories. It will cover general day to day life after the neonatal unit, mental health, play therapy and support from neonatal and healthcare professionals.
NURTURE
It wasn’t until experiencing maternity leave with Archie, that I realised how isolated I was with Charlotte. There were no silences, gasps or comments, no difficulties answering questions, I could just simply show him off. With Charlotte, I often found going out in public or attending baby groups daunting and constantly felt anxious about how to answer ‘normal’ questions, followed by the need to justify my answers.
Be More Chazzy aims to provide opportunities for Mums to enjoy what is left of their maternity leave by attending baby groups. Activities may include, yoga, mindfulness, sensory, fitness, craft, baby massage or quite simply song, cake and natter.
We hope that these baby groups will help bring some ‘normalisation’ into what they have been through, as life on the neonatal unit is far from normal. The group aims to build mother’s confidence, decrease feelings of isolation and nurture both mother and baby.
PLAY
Be More Chazzy provides sessions for children born prematurely and/or with additional needs.
Sessions incorporate creative play and interactions to help develop communication and motor skills. They will offer support and the chance to share experiences whilst creatively supporting the baby or child in a safe, fun and relaxed environment.
Ideas for play therapy and how to incorporate therapy into daily routine can be found on Bemorechazzy Instagram and Facebook accounts.
Sessions run every third Saturday of the month at Tiny Boo, located within the Heart Centre, LS6 3HN, 12.30pm – 2.30pm. The next session is on the 20th April and an Easter Special, find out more about this session here.
Follow Be More Chazzy on Facebook here to find out about other events.
