Twenty years ago, when I had my first daughter, I didn't know anyone in my town. I loved her, but I found motherhood incredibly lonely. I remember telling my husband I felt invisible, like I'd disappeared as a person and become just "mum".
I joined every baby group and class I could find. But classes were expensive, the affordable one had a waiting list, and when I finally got a place, most people already seemed to know each other. I learned the hard way that being surrounded by people isn't the same as feeling connected.
By my second child I'd found my mum friends, and my experience was completely different. Then, fifteen years on, I had my third baby, and couldn't believe how familiar it all felt. Right back at the start: plenty of activities for babies, and not nearly enough for mums.
A Pilates teacher I knew said, "You know what you have to do: you have to start it yourself." She was right. I created Mama Bubba to build the community I had needed myself: somewhere mums are welcomed properly, have time to talk, form genuine friendships and are seen as people, not just as someone's mum. And so that money is never the reason a mum feels alone.
Everyone welcome: by design, not by accident
We want Mama Bubba to include different family structures, including single parents and LGBTQ+ families. A parent from a two-dad family told us it can be hard to find a community where they feel accepted, but at our session, they felt welcomed and not alone. Feedback has also shown us the other barriers: financial pressure, anxiety, neurodivergence, being new to the area. We listen, and we remove them. Our aim isn't simply to say everyone is welcome; it's to actively remove the barriers that stop parents from belonging.
