FLY Mama Awarded Grant from Innovate UK to Launch an Employee Benefit Program to Support Birthing People through their Pregnancy and Postnatal Journey

FLY Mama, an online platform which supports the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of birthing people through pregnancy, postnatal and trauma and loss experiences, has been awarded a Fast Start Award grant from Innovate UK.

FLY Mama was launched by Huddersfield Mum and Specialist Trauma Informed Yoga and Breathwork Instructor and Matrescence Coach, Kelly Thistlethwaite alongside Michelle Norton-Hughes, a Specialist Women's Pelvic Health Physiotherapist.

Innovate UK is part of the government's UK Research and Innovation organisation which recognises pioneering work, funding and investing in new businesses. The grant will assist FLY mama in developing their pioneering health solution for corporate wellbeing, elevating the way that birthing people are supported, changing the way that HR attract and retain talent, and assisting to improve gender equality in the workplace. The corporate wellbeing programs will ensure employees are able to return from maternity leave feeling confident, strong and healthy. It will give them the opportunity to adjust to their new family, process trauma and feel supported, such that they have the mental and physical capacity for happy, meaningful and productive work when they return.

Fewer than 1 in 5 of all new mothers, and 29% of first-time mothers, return to full time work in the first 3 years after maternity leave. This falls to 15% after 5 years. 17% of women leave employment completely in the five years following childbirth, compared to four percent of men.

The employee benefit program will support employees mentally, physically and emotionally whilst at work during their pregnancy, at home on MAT leave, whilst they prepare to return to work and supporting them throughout their motherhood journey once back at work.

Kelly Thistlethwaite, Co-Founder of FLY Mama states:

“1 in 3 women experience birth trauma, 1 in 4 pregnancies will end in loss and every year around 2,500 babies are born stillborn. Too often following trauma and loss, the support provided consists of well wishes and a leaflet. Women deserve and need more support and we want to provide this for them. Not only will companies feel supported in the care that they can help provide for their staff, but employee retention, wellbeing and quality of life will be enhanced.

The employee benefit programme will also support individuals who experience loss during any stage of their pregnancy whilst at work, whilst at home on bereavement leave, whilst preparing to and once they return to work as well as supporting them should they conceive again, during their pregnancy following loss.”

Co-Founder Michelle Norton-Hughes adds:

“Public funding is necessary to make professional support more accessible regardless of income, geographical location and severity of injury/symptoms. Public and private women's health physiotherapy provisions are not accessible to all, with services being too expensive, not local or waiting lists too long. This means that large percentages of individuals are not receiving the professional guidance and support that they require perinatally.

We have been working on our product development and testing it currently with a direct-to-consumer business model with some amazing feedback so far. We are so grateful for the Innovate UK grant funding, as this will allow us to launch and accelerate our corporate and charity business models getting our support packages in the hands of the millions of women and birthing people across the UK who need it.”