Celebrating continued collaboration between iHV and APF

The Active Pregnancy Foundation (APF) and the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) have been working together for more than five years to deliver the This Mum Moves (TMM) educational programme. The Institute is the APF’s official training partner, supporting the development of place-based leaders – known as This Mum Moves Ambassadors – who promote physical activity within their local communities and settings.

On 8 October, the APF and iHV hosted the This Mum Moves Annual Networking Event, themed ‘Maternal Health Equity in Motion‘. The event brought together TMM Ambassadors from across the UK to share research, resources, and practical strategies to advance health equity in the perinatal period.

Speakers and topics included:

Professor Hora Soltani, Sheffield Hallam University – Maternal Health Equity and Movement: Priorities, Barriers and Bridges in the Perinatal Period
Dr Danielle Schoenaker, University of Southampton – The Preconception Care Toolkit: Guidance to Support Pregnancy Planning and Preparation
Dr Lamia Zafrani, OBGYN – Active Pregnancy: My Journey and the Call for Maternal Equity
Beth Marriott, Sport in Mind – Sport in Mind’s Pregnancy and Postnatal Programme
Scott Radcliffe, Sport England – We Like the Way You Move

As part of its work to address inequalities, the APF has been awarded over £250,000 of National Lottery funding through Sport England to tackle key systemic challenges in maternal physical activity. Current guidelines tend to focus on women with uncomplicated pregnancies and good baseline health. However, a significant gap remains in meeting the needs of women with disabilities, mental health challenges, or those at risk of long-term health conditions. These challenges are often compounded by socio-economic status, ethnicity, and geography, leaving many women underserved and facing barriers to staying active during pregnancy and the postnatal period.

This investment aligns with Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign, which recently launched “We Like the Way You Move”. The campaign takes an intersectional approach to promoting activity among diverse groups, including pregnant women, new mothers, Black communities, and South Asian Muslim women. Read more here.

Updated Good Practice Point – Promoting physical activity during pregnancy and the period following childbirth

The APF and iHV are committed to highlighting the vital role of health visitors in supporting physical activity as part of maternal and family health. To complement this work, the Good Practice Point resource (available to iHV members and TMM Ambassadors) – Promoting physical activity during pregnancy and the period following childbirth – has been updated to reflect the latest evidence, guidance, and examples of best practice.

Physical activity during and after pregnancy is not only safe for most women but also offers significant benefits: improved mental wellbeing, enhanced cardiovascular fitness, and reduced risk of complications such as gestational diabetes and excessive weight gain. As trusted professionals, health visitors are uniquely placed to support and encourage women to remain active during this important stage of life.

Go to GPP - Promoting physical activity during pregnancy and the period following childbirth

iHV members can access this updated GPP via the above link when logged into the iHV website.
TMM Ambassadors who are not iHV members will need to log in to access via the TMM training resources on iHV LEARN.

This Mum Moves Ambassadors Training

Through this collaboration, iHV delivers the This Mum Moves training in partnership with subject matter experts at the APF to health visitors, allied health professionals, fitness and other professionals. Those completing the training become This Mum Moves Ambassadors, equipped with the knowledge, confidence, and tools to:

Understand the evidence base for physical activity during and beyond pregnancy, including national guidelines;
Promote physical activity effectively using the Chief Medical Officers’ (CMO) guidance;
Offer appropriate and timely advice, guidance, and signposting to trusted resources;
Access and use tools to support conversations and engagement around physical activity; and
Act as advocates for active, healthy lifestyles within their local areas.

For more information about This Mum Moves Ambassador training, please click here or contact [email protected] to register your interest.

This Mum Moves project set to expand

More women* across the nation are set to benefit from being physically active during and after pregnancy, as ukactive and Sport England announce the results of the This Mum Moves pilot project and plans for its expansion.

This Mum Moves was created to support women to continue to enjoy and benefit from an active lifestyle ‘during pregnancy and after childbirth’ by enabling and upskilling healthcare professionals to confidently promote and provide advice around physical activity within routine pre and postnatal care.

ukactive launched the project in 2018 alongside several national partners, supported by National Lottery funding and Sport England.

During a three-year pilot, This Mum Moves worked with NHS trusts in Sheffield, Sunderland, Plymouth, Cambridge, and Bexley, to deliver training to more than 400 healthcare professionals.

An independent evaluation by the Centre for Sport, Physical Education and Activity Research at Canterbury Christ Church University showed that following This Mum Moves training:

85% of healthcare professionals were ‘committed’ or ‘highly committed’ to apply what they had learned into practice.
81% felt confident to start a conversation with women about physical activity during and after pregnancy.
76% of healthcare professionals ‘often’ or ‘always’ provided physical activity advice to women during and after pregnancy.
97% of healthcare professionals said they would recommend This Mum Moves training to a friend or colleague.

Following the piloting of training materials and resources, ukactive and Sport England have established a sustainable model which now will be taken forward by project partners, The Active Pregnancy Foundation and the Institute of Health Visiting.

The offer will also be expanded to wider workforces, including fitness professionals, recognising that conversations by healthcare professionals have the potential to open doors to discussion across organisations, and in consultation with other professionals.

Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said:

“We want to ensure every pregnant woman and new mum has access to support about being active during this time, so it’s great to know This Mum Moves is helping healthcare and fitness professionals to deliver it.

“Our findings show This Mum Moves is helping to build the knowledge, confidence and motivation for healthcare professionals to have these conversations with women, so that more mums feel supported to be active for the health of mother and child.

“We are excited to see the Active Pregnancy Foundation and Institute of Health Visiting grow this model and reach more communities.”

Frances Drury, Head of Activation at Sport England, said:

“During a period of enormous change – like pregnancy and becoming a new mother – being active is very important, as it boosts mental and physical health at a time that can be very challenging.

“Physical activity can be an effective means of reducing rates of postnatal depression among other conditions. But we know that 74% of pregnant women and new mums have safety concerns in relation to being active – and 64% would be encouraged to continue or to take up activity if they were given guidance or encouragement by a healthcare professional.

“We are delighted that This Mum Moves is expanding to enable more healthcare professionals to support more pregnant women and new mothers.”

Dr Marlize De Vivo, CEO of The Active Pregnancy Foundation, said:

“Physical activity is not simply a tick box at the antenatal booking appointment, it is a means to an end, with the potential to address many pregnancy problems including gestational diabetes, excessive weight gain, high blood pressure problems, and postnatal depression, to name but a few.

“This will not only reduce costs and increase capacity within the maternal care system but also improve women’s quality of life.

“While healthcare professionals have a crucial role in the dissemination of information, we also know that engaging women in active lifestyles requires systemic change and interprofessional collaboration.

“We are therefore excited to be involved in upscaling this project and rolling the offer out to other workforces, including allied and fitness professionals.”

Victoria Gilroy, Head of Projects and Evaluation at the Institute of Health Visiting, said:

“Physical activity has significant benefits for women and their families’ quality of life. Working together to raise awareness in the wider workforce, with those who come into contact with pregnant women and new mothers, is key to ensuring that consistent and timely advice can be offered at all contacts.

“We are delighted to be able to continue developing this important work in partnership with The Active Pregnancy Foundation.”

To find out more about This Mum Moves programme click here.

*Where referring to ‘women’ and ‘mothers’, this should be taken to include people who do not identify as women but who are pregnant.

Upcoming Training Dates:

24 May 2022, 09:00-13:00
21 September 2022, 09:00-13:00
Cost: £150.00 (no VAT)

This Mum Moves (TMM) Ambassador Training is a half-day training event that will equip professionals with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to discuss physical activity during pregnancy and after childbirth.

The training is delivered live via Zoom and will provide learners with access to a digital toolkit to support conversations and further learning. It will also provide participants with the resources to facilitate the promotion of physical activity, including cascade and promotional materials. This training has been accredited by the CPD Standards Office and equates to 3 CPD points.

Find out more and how to apply

This Mum Moves workouts for pregnant women and new mums

ukactive and Sport England have launched a series of This Mum Moves workouts to support pregnant women and new mums to be physically active at home, after 53% reported they have been less active since the Coronavirus lockdown.

As part of a collaboration between ukactive’s This Mum Moves programme and Sport England’s Join the Movement campaign, ukactive has developed a new website showcasing online workouts, reviewed by a panel of experts, for antenatal and postnatal women. This Mum Moves, funded by Sport England and the National Lottery, aims to support pregnant women and new mums to stay active, by providing healthcare professionals with tools and training to deliver clear, consistent, and confident messages regarding physical activity.

Guidance by the UK Chief Medical Officers recommends accumulating at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity every week and engaging in muscle strengthening activities twice per week throughout pregnancy – citing benefits from helping to reduce blood pressure problems, to improved sleep and mood, control of weight gain, and prevention of diabetes in pregnancy.

With pregnant women identified by the Government as a vulnerable group during the COVID-19 pandemic, the This Mum Moves workouts aim to help them, and new mums, continue to benefit from being physically active while at home – using engaging, free or low-cost content.

The content and providers have been reviewed by a group of experts collaborating for This Mum Moves – including representatives from the Institute of Health Visiting, the Pelvic Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapists (POGP) network, fitness and exercise professionals, and academics from Canterbury Christ Church University and Aston University with expertise in pregnancy, postpartum period and physical activity.

The panel of experts will review content periodically so that the high-quality content can grow over time, with users encouraged to comment to help shape the site.

The new workouts form part of the wider Join the Movement #StayInWorkOut campaign, which Sport England launched to inspire the nation to get, or keep, active during the Coronavirus pandemic. The campaign website stayinworkout.org hosts home workouts for a variety of audiences including parents and children, older adults and more – including This Mum Moves.

Women are encouraged to share how they are keeping active using the hashtags #ThisMumMoves and #StayInWorkOut

To find out more visit www.babybuddyapp.co.uk/this-mum-moves-active-at-home