Plymouth woman building a 'village' to help 'terrified' mums-to-be
A Plymouth woman is building a "village" to support the city's mums-to-be. Kate Sprague is on a mission to support both pregnant women and new mums with their journey into motherhood.
She began her work with local mums in December 2011, delivering antenatal and baby massage classes in Plymouth and surrounding areas as part of the national Daisy Foundation franchise. And after Daisy announced it was to dissolve in summer 2023, Kate was determined it was not the end.
She said she realised that she needed to "be brave" and decided to go it alone. In September 2023 she launched her own business, Yemaya, which means ‘journey into motherhood’ and has now celebrated her first year at the helm.
READ MORE:Plymouth court list: 32 men and women find themselves in trouble
READ MORE:Plymouth court list: 25 cases including 91-year-old caught speeding
Kate runs a variety of classes aimed at both supporting women in their pregnancies and preparing for the birth of their babies. They are also designed to provide a welcoming space for new mums once their little ones arrive, with sessions including baby massage and sensory play.
In Yemaya’s antenatal classes and workshops, Kate teaches about the different stages of labour, what to expect and what options are available throughout. Similar to hypnobirthing, expectant women and their birthing partners learn a variety of techniques including breathing and visualisation - aiming to empower them to have a positive birth experience, and make informed choices.
Kate, who lives in St. Judes with her two sons Ollie and Zac, husband Paul and Ralph the dog, said: “I absolutely love seeing the difference in people from the start to end of the course. They often begin absolutely terrified of the idea of giving birth, and completely unsure as to what to expect, but then walk out the door afterwards much more confident, empowered with knowledge to help inform and promote a positive birthing experience."
Kate, who also volunteers as a perinatal mental health peer support worker, likes to keep in touch with her mums after they’ve attended her classes, and offers support where she can. She said: “All birthing situations and experiences are different, and not all go according to plan, but I love hearing their stories and how helpful they found it to be armed with a range of techniques and the courage to make their own decisions in a positive way.
“Yemaya has such a lovely ‘village’ feel about it, with mums supporting other mums and making friends for life. Many come back with subsequent children, and I feel so privileged to be involved in their lives.”
Kate is now an expert in pregnancy and birthing but was originally a retail manager. She came across the Daisy Foundation after having her eldest son in 2009.
She recalled: “When I was pregnant, I was really interested in the birthing aspect and I did loads of reading beforehand, so thankfully, even though things didn’t go exactly according to plan, my birth experience with Ollie was really positive. But not all mums have access to this sort of education, and at the time there just wasn’t anything else out there like it, so I realised I wanted to share my knowledge and help others through their journeys too."
Find out more about Kate and Yemaya by visiting https://www.yemayabirthandbaby.co.uk/
Click here to join PlymouthLive on WhatsApp and we'll send breaking news and top stories directly to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.