Lindsay’s 2020 experience
Currently, the NHS becomes involved with a patient’s pregnancy once the patient has called in to notify a GP/hospital of their pregnancy. Due to covid, the patient will then have a consultation over the phone, usually followed by scans/blood/review around 12 weeks into the pregnancy. The patient’s midwife will give them information booklets and can notify the patient of any parent classes in the hospital, but there is no connection between the hospital and family services within the patients community.
The UK is currently one of the fattest countries in Europe, and obesity effects poorer people over those more affluent. If you are from a less affluent area, you are twice as likely to be obese than a person living in an affluent area. Those who are overweight as children are 5x more likely to be obese as an adult, increasing your risk of developing many obestity-linked diseases.
Prenatal
After missing her period, Lindsay finds out she is pregnant. She contacts her local GP, who arranges an over-the-phone consultation with a midwife, who then books her appointment to come in for scans, bloods and review at around 12 weeks.
Lindsay is excited for her first child, but also anxious. Not having had a great childhood herself, Lindsay feels unprepared and ill-informed on how to support her child.
At her 12-week scan, Lindsay is told that there are no abnormalities in her results and that her baby is doing well. Her midwife tells her not to try to lose any weight while pregnant, but to try to include more healthy options in her diet. She also informs Lindsay of a family crafts group that runs within the hospital for expecting parents. Since Lindsay lives an hour and 15 away from the hospital by bus, she decides to try and find a more local group.
Support services don’t reach those who need them the most. Lindsay Looks online to find some help and advice for expecting mothers. She also comes across an ad for an expectant mother’s group that runs in public libraries in North Ayrshire, but it costs money. Lindsay’s sees that she is entitled to a ‘free pass’ card that will let her access the group for free, but is embarrassed at the idea of people knowing she can’t afford the access fee when she presents her card.
In the future, collective intelligence will ensure that support services reach those who need them the most.
Financial/work pressure makes a healthy diet difficult. Lindsay is working extra shifts and buying meals on promotion in the supermarket to save money for when she’s on maternity leave and for baby supplies. Long shifts leave Lindsay exhausted. Ready-meals are a welcome staple in her diet as they are quick and easy, as well as weekend takeaways for a treat.
In the future, support services will work in collaboration with the food industry, using collective intelligence to improve user’s diet
Perinatal to early years
Lindsay gives birth to a baby boy, she calls him Sam. Sam weighs 9 pounds at birth, slightly above the average birth weight.
Parent and child groups are often a great place for parents and guardians to develop friendships. These relationships of trust do not so often extend to the organisers and people who work in in these groups, as there is often a turn-around in staff. This means that parents don’t always feel comfortable sharing their struggles within groups due to fear of being percieved as an unfit parent and facing reprecussions. This is unfortunate as these groups could be a very useful tool in understanding the experience of today’s parents.
Hiding struggles for fear of being percieved as an ‘unfit’ parent. Lindsay tries to take Sam to a play group while she still on maternity leave, but aside from this group once or twice a week, Lindsay is mostly on her own with Sam. None of her friends have children, they still get to spend their weekends down the pub and going out. As happy as Lindsay is to have Sam, being on her own with a newborn can feel isolating. Shes scared of raising these concerns within her play group incase she comes across as unfit to take care of Sam.
Childcare costs in the UK or on the rise. In 2020 the average cost of sending a child under 2 to nursery is £6,800, a rise from 6,600 in 2019. Though the government provides varying support for families of different incomes, proffessional childcare in the UK is often to expensive for young families too afford, especially for single parents.
Professional childcare is inaccessible due to cost. Lindsay’s maternity leave has run out, and shes scared to take much more time off work. She worked late into her pregnancy so she could spend more time with Sam before going back to the care home. Since childcare is too expensive, Lindsay has to leave Sam with her auntie most working days. If auntie can’t take Sam, Lindsay has to leave him with friends.
Collective intelligence will encourage parents/ guardians to share their experiences in order to continuously inform and improve services
Currently in Scotland 1/3rd of babies aged 27 months are classed as overweight.
Early years - teens
Baby spends a lot of time in unstimulating environment.
Baby’s diet and lifestyle is determined from a very young age.
Lindsay’s auntie works from home for a call centre, so, though Lindsay is relieved to have someone taking care of Sam while she’s working, Sam doesn’t get to spend so much time interacting with his great auntie or others.
Sam drinks formula until he reaches 6 months, when he begins on solids. Auntie tries to feed him healthy bites along with his baby food jars as he gets older, but Sam cries for his favourite snacks which are cheesy wotsits and chocolate biscuits, and auntie usually gives in.
Collective intelligence will create proactive, cost efficient childcare services that improve child physical and mental wellbeing.
Collective intelligence will empower parents and guardians to independantly and confidently make healthy choices for their child
When Sam reaches 2 years old, Lindsay enrolls him in nursery school. While he’s in nursery, Lindsay doesn’t have to worry about what he’s eating, she knows the nursery will give him nutritional meals. The same goes for when he is in primary, recieving free school meals.
A child’s diet and weight often predetermines their diet and weight in adulthood, and in turn their risk of developing diseases and cancers. However, by the time Sam is in high school, he want to go outside of school for lunch with his friends. Feeling pressured to not let Sam feel singled out, Lindsay gives him money for lunch. Sam and his friends go to the chippy most days for lunch, other days they’ll go to the Spar for a pot noodle.