Funding PregnaHub® Local:
The UK's first support platform for expectant and new parents that's powered by AI & the local community
Thank you for visiting our campaign page. We are aiming to raise £24k to get the project under way (with further fundraising planned for later in the year) via this page and via our prize draw page here.
Hi, I’m Emiliana, the campaign coordinator and founder of The Mindful Birth Group®. I'm an experienced antenatal educator, doula and maternity advocate.
After nearly a decade supporting families within the NHS maternity system and alongside midwife care, I’ve reached the point where I simply need to do more.
Every week brings new stories of overwhelmed parents, under-resourced maternity units, and widening care gaps. Maternity services are stretched beyond their limits, and families are falling through the cracks.
Why This Matters
Pregnancy, birth and early parenthood are life-changing experiences, yet our systems are failing families every single day. To give one, simple statistic:
"Up to 1 in 5 women experience a mental health issue during pregnancy or in the first year after birth." - Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2023
This includes conditions such as perinatal anxiety, depression, postnatal PTSD, and, more rarely, postpartum psychosis. Importantly, partners can also experience perinatal mental health challenges, although these are often under-recognised.
The right support can make all of the difference, but it's not available equally. Where someone lives, their background or support network can all impact their experience.
We can change that.
Introducing PregnaHub® Local – The West Herts Pilot
PregnaHub® Local is a new model of care: Community-led, digitally connected, and built around real families’ needs.
Combining the efficiency of AI technology with human guidance and peer support, our platform helps parents feel informed, connected, and supported every step of the way. We are not replacing NHS care, but bridging the gaps, alleviating pressure on under-resourced maternity units and ensuring families know where to turn for guaranteed support.
What PregnaHub® Local Will Offer
A trusted, accessible support platform that complements NHS care:
1. Multi-Lingual, Expert-Led Education
NHS-aligned content on birth options, postnatal recovery, mental wellbeing – available in multiple languages.
2. Localised Signposting
One central place to find antenatal classes, infant feeding support, peer groups, mental health support, holistic care and local services.
3. Supportive Community Forums
Moderated spaces for parents to connect by location, due date or interest- building lasting networks and their 'village'.
4. Inclusive Digital Access
App and web access, integrated with local digital inclusion initiatives like libraries and tech hubs.
All support mentioned here will be free-to-access for families in Watford & West Herts.
Why West Herts?
We’re starting in Watford and West Herts, where I was born, where my children were born, and where I’ve supported hundreds of families. However this pilot will serve as a blueprint for local hubs across the UK.
This is more than a starting point. It’s a community I know deeply through my work with families, my network of maternity professionals, and the local Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnership.
Local insights and data show the urgent need for:
- Support after hospital discharge
- Better access for non-English speakers
- Stronger peer connection
- Inclusion for digitally excluded families
These issues aren’t unique to West Herts, but this is the approach we'll take to each area, considering carefully where the gaps are and who are the people in the local community.
How Your Support Helps
Your donations* will fund the one year-long pilot project:
- Multi-lingual, culturally sensitive antenatal video education development
- Local admin and moderation
- Community-building within the app
- Ongoing research and content updates
- Technical upgrades and maintenance
- Outreach and local marketing
After one year, we will then aim to roll the initiative out to all areas of the country where there are maternity units (approx. 120).
*Our target being £48k total, split across 50% donations, 50% prize draw entries
Together, We Can Change the Story.
PregnaHub® Local is about connection, compassion and continuity of care, making sure every parent feels seen, supported and empowered.
It starts here.
It starts now.
And it starts with your support.
Donate on this page, or enter our prize draws here.
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/pregnahub-prize-draws