Tell me about you and your family/where you live

My name's Victoria and we moved back to the area four years ago after living
in London with my husband for a short time. I've always loved this area - I grew
up around Marlow, and so it was great to come home. We have undertaken
a real labour of love with an old house in Maidenhead and a never-ending list
of things to do! We live there with our three-year-old daughter and 11-month-old son.
 

What's so good about the local area? Where are your favourite places to go?
I personally love being so close to the countryside yet still able to get into London easily. I always describe it to friends really as being an extension of London in the (almost) countryside. Country walks and great pubs and restaurants are a favourite with us – so a long walk and lunch at The White Oak for a trip out with the kids, or The Coach in Marlow for an adults-only evening are our favourites! We also love going to Ockwells Park as it’s a beautiful country walk from right outside our front door. Oh, and we and love visiting the stunning surroundings of Cliveden – it brings back so many happy childhood memories for me.

Tell me about Our Baby Club.
Our Baby Club is a unique sanctuary for all parents before and after birth. In short, we offer modern antenatal and postnatal sessions, as well as one-off indulgent Pop Up Relaxation sessions and events for all mums – all delivered in a warm, cosy and supportive environment (think less cold village hall and more Danish Hygge!).

     As well as covering birth preparation extensively we ensure that all our parents
to be are prepped for the fourth trimester with the practical skills that they
need to confidently navigate the first few months - Including newborn care, sleep, breastfeeding (when it does and doesn't go to plan!), bottle feeding, the signs to
look out for with reflux/allergies/colic and how to help, as well as dealing with all this alongside changing relationships. 

     We understand as recent working parents the modern-day pressures on parents today. Juggling busy work and social lives and the wealth of information about birth and caring for babies that is delivered via social media especially can be so overwhelming. We’re here to demystify all this information, to cut through the preaching and perfect instagram accounts and make sure that every parent feels confident to make their own decisions about how they birth and care for their baby. And we won’t judge or present bias – you will be supported no matter what choices you make. Our classes are designed to be really
practical, fun and rooted in the latest research, and we’re big on social – so you can be sure to make a brand new gang of friends to share your adventure with. Think afternoon teas and social gatherings – all included in each course.
     Our vision is really simple: We passionately believe that every parent should feel
a great success from the moment they hold their baby. Happy and confident in their decision-making from day one.

Have you always been interested in doing this? What do you like about it the most? What did you do before?
I’ve worked in the advertising and design communications industry for 15 years, but like many others, have always wanted to run my own business – and deep down,
I knew it had to be one that had true social purpose, so I didn’t rush the process.
The idea came to me organically – it kind of crept up on me! I had subconsciously
been collecting soundbites from friends' experiences of becoming parents and
their feedback from traditional methods of preparation that they felt hadn’t really prepared them for the reality of becoming parents. And sadly, many had suffered
at some stage from feelings of being a failure, others from complete isolation even
when seemingly surrounded by people. None of this is uncommon – and my hope for the future is that it will be. That’s what I enjoy the most: the feeling that I can make a real difference, however small. Having a baby is a tremendous shift in anyone’s life –and with current expectations on men and women at an all-time high in terms of careers and family life, I felt it was the right time to create a more modern version of
education that is more rooted in the reality and practical side of having a baby in today’s climate. So that all parents start out feeling well equipped and ready for any given scenario, with the confidence to make decisions that are right for them and their family. The focus is as much on parents and their health and happiness as it is on the babies.

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Did you have to do any business courses or training?
Yes – I undertook full training to become an antenatal teacher accredited by the
Royal College of Midwives. I’m also training to be a Doula and training to teach other antenatal teachers, as I hope to eventually expand the Our Baby Club philosophy.

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What is the best part of it? And the worst? 
The best part of it without doubt is working towards making a real difference. Also the bringing together of other small business owners in the area to collaborate for the Pop Up events, including Ruth of Crumbs Kitchen to supply all the delicious cakes and bakes! The worst part has been the time it’s taken me to design and build my own website from scratch – many, many late nights!

What are your goals?
My goal is really simple – to make a difference. To ensure all parents feel, happy, confident and informed about their upcoming births and caring for their babies – no matter what their choices. I want to spread this philosophy as far and wide as possible!

Who is your idol?
Women are my collective idol – I’ve been lucky enough to have been surrounded by strong women throughout my whole life. I feel like I have an entire village of women who support me – from colleagues to friends, old and new. I feel incredibly fortunate to keep their company, and I hope that I support and cheer them on as much as they do me. My mum has been a constant source of inspiration for me from the word
go, having always juggled a demanding and very successful career and family – she set the standard and always encouraged and supported me to fulfil my potential. But not just that, she taught me how to care for people and to really make a difference wherever I could, however small the gesture. I’m truly thankful for that and hope that I can really and truly make a massive difference with Our Baby Club.

What's in your handbag right now?
Always a book! Right now, Why Doula’s Matter by Maddie McMahon – a great read for anyone expecting a baby whether they want a Doula or not – it describes the practical and emotional elements of birth and early parenting perfectly. I’ve also got a draft presentation that I’ll be presenting at King’s College later this month to the country's Lead Midwife Educators, to help educate future midwives on rare heath conditions
during pregnancy and post-pregnancy. As well as a few soggy marmite rice cakes, baby wipes and Calpol sachets, as standard! But as long as I have my trusty red lippy to pep me up, it's all good!

Anything else we don't know about you?
I adore gin and tonics – the more experimental the better. And it’s no secret I love a good party – though a little more infrequent these days, I like to think I can still give the biggest party animal a run for their money.
 
Go to www.ourbabyclub.com to find out more
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for you or a friend!