Perinatal Support at your favourite coffee shop!

I hear you, Why did you open a coffee shop with a Perinatal hub at the back ? We opened lola in 2020, on Augusta Place in leamington. At the time we had a 10 month old and were looking for our own community but also juggling parenthood and our own personal identities. We started to get to know so many wonderful people and familes, some already in the thick of it, and some embarking on their first journeys into parenthood. I started my training after the birth of our first babe, to become a Hypnobirthing and Antenatal teacher for the award winning and brilliantly inclusive Mindful Birth Group.

In 2023 we became pregnant with twins! Total surprise and a real lesson in how to navigate the maternity system when you considered high risk. It was isolating and lonely and even though i had my Doula training and my support network i felt at a loss for support in the area.

Antenatal classes are easy to find but really good non biased ones are not, and i want to offer that to parents looking for the facts and the options the way i was. There is a huge gap in what we offer parents in this country, a basic Antenantal education and then a few months after baby is born there are an abundance of classes and groups to attend, but there is a huge void inbetween. What about the days and weeks leading up to birth when the pressure is on ? What about the weeks afterwards when people stop checking in ?

I wanted to create both priavte and community services and support, so running classes and groups in the coffee shop seemed to make sense as this is a safe space where all you gotta do is order a coffee, see a friendly face and feel welcome. Then as you feel more comfortable you can find more here, women’s circles, baby massage, feeding drop ins, one to ones or just a hug because you’re having one of those days and a hug from someone who has been there is sometimes all we need.

When looking for support through pregnancy and parenthood i urge you to look for community, look for non bias education, look for someone who can tell you what you gotta know, make you feel safe and never judged, and who will hold the babe while you enjoy a coffee. Meeting pals in class is great but if you find somewhere that offers continued support and provides opportunity to acrtually meet your people, then take the LEAP!

Always in your corner,

Katie