Mums call for lifelong listening in powerful new animation

Ways to Wellness is proud to share this new animation on the transformational power of listening which captures the real voices and mental health experiences of a group of mums and mums-to-be. 

Drawing from experiences shared as part of our Maternal Mental Health Services prototype, the film was co-created by Ways to Wellness, Open Lab at Newcastle University, and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations, alongside non-profit design agency Roots and Wings, featuring original artwork by Olga Mashanskaya. 

The three-and-a-half-minute film ‘See the Whole of Me’ draws on the words and experiences of women from seldom-heard communities, many of whom often feel excluded from the healthcare system. 

It aims to highlight, using the women’s own words and voices, the difference it can make, not just on an individual basis, but for whole families, when a whole-life, community-based approach to maternal listening is taken by the professionals caring for them. 

The mums took part in a series of co-creative workshops in Cumbria led by Open Lab researchers, in collaboration with Ways to Wellness and The Happy Mums Foundation, and supported by local VCSE partners such as Cumbria CVS, Carlisle and Eden Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership, Woman UP, and Healthwatch Cumberland. 

Learnings from the workshops led to the development of a zine and blog post, followed by a report, authored by Dr Caroline Claisse, an Open Lab-based lecturer in human-computer interaction and interaction design, and her colleague Professor Abi Durrant, which further brings the findings to life for those supporting mums and mums-to-be. 

On behalf of all the project partners, Dr Claisse said: “We found the women that gave so much of themselves and their experience to this project wanted to provide a message of hope for new mums and mums-to-be, but alongside that wanted to place great emphasis on the positive impact of listening on maternal mental health, presenting the idea of ‘listening as a safety net’, while highlighting the consequences of not feeling heard or listened to. 

“We are immensely proud of what has been achieved in this powerful animation, which is testament to the strength of working in a partnership, with co-production by those with lived experience at its heart.  

“To all the mums that took part, we recognise the bravery shown in sharing their story to help us create it, and want to thank them all for their time, vulnerability and care.” 

We hope this animation can be a resource for new mums and mums-to-be, their families, and the health and care professionals to show what good listening looks like in perinatal and maternal healthcare settings. 

The film was funded by INCLUDE+, a UKRI network dedicated to exploring and fostering social and digital environments in which everyone can thrive. The wider research project was supported by funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Centre for Digital Citizens