Preconception health – improve outcomes for families and babies

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As part of our work to improve maternal and neonatal health in our community south east London (SEL) Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS) is looking to pre-conception care. Through collaboration with healthcare providers, public health professionals, and local voices, we are committed to ensuring every family has access to quality preconception care, helping parents and babies start their journey on the best possible footing.

Background

SEL LMNS is a partnership of people working to improve maternity and neonatal services.

With this project, we aim to address health inequalities and improve outcomes by focusing pre-conception health. The aim is to support people to be physically, emotionally and mentally prepared for pregnancy. This project spans the entire SEL and it includes collaboration with public health professionals, community organisations and local communities.

We recognise that pre-conception health is an important contributor to maternal and neonatal health but also we know it is an area that is under developed and more could be done to educate and support people to plan for a healthier pregnancy, birth and beyond.

At the beginning of this journey to help us move forward we have set some priorities. These are:

  • Learn more about the needs of SEL communities through work with the Women's and Girls health hub programme
  • Learn more about the needs of healthcare providers when considering pre-conception health care
  • Raise awareness of pre-conception through the delivery of an information campaign

These steps will help us close the gaps and better support women in south east London.

Through workshops and engagement sessions with key stakeholders including local people the project began to take shape.

  • We held two virtual co-production workshops
  • We organised a face-to-face session with 15 participants to explore local challenges and opportunities.

This approach helped us to collect insight and develop an understanding of the existing gaps and the opportunities for improvement.

Each workshop has led to tangible outcomes such as:

- highlighting specific priorities for action and recommendations for addressing them

- redefined our approach and begun developing targeted interventions that respond to the needs of our community

Outcomes and successes so far:

  • Identified local challenges in pre-conception care, especially with access to services
  • Created new education programmes, health campaigns, and small projects to improve health
  • Built partnerships with voluntary sector organisation and community groups to co-design support for those at higher risk of health inequalities

How are we listening to people?

Over the last seven months we visited a number of community hubs, colleges aiming to listen to families with young children, young people, mums about their preconception journey and experiences.

  • Ellen Brown Children and Family Centre, Babies and Us Group
  • Bellingham Family Hub, Explorers Baby group
  • West St CC, Bouncing Babies
  • Motivational Mums Club
  • Community Vision Children and Family Centre
  • Waterways Children's Centre
  • Southwark College
  • Blenheim Children and Family Centre
  • Cotmandene Children’s Centre
  • Young Mums Club

Key insights:

  • Many pregnancies are unplanned, for this reason, women and birthing people, do no take folic acid supplementation, which is recommended to prevent neurotubal defects
  • There is a lack of proactive information-seeking behaviour prior to pregnancy
  • Support is needed for financial planning and lifestyle changes during this period

In additions through a survey we have listened to families with young children about their pre-conception journey and experiences as well as hearing from people who are looking at expanding their family to understand their needs.

What is happening so far

As part of our efforts a new campaign to help women, birthing people and their families plan for pregnancy has been launched in south east London. The campaign promotes Tommy's planning for pregnancy tool which offers tailored, personalised advice to help people have a healthy pregnancy. Campaign materials can be seen across social media and in the community including in hairdressers, libraries and GP practices. To deliver this support programme, South East London Local Maternity and Neonatal System partnered with the Tommy's charity in response to people’s feedback that highlighted more information is needed around the importance of taking supplements, making healthy lifestyle changes and financial planning.

Next steps and how you can be involved

We are continuing our journey, and your voice is essential in shaping the future of this project.

  • Know someone who's thinking about having a baby? Encourage them to take a look at Tommy's planning for pregnancy tool.

  • If you are member of a voluntary sector organisations, community groups, health ambassadors, faith leaders and social prescribers team and play a vital role in supporting families before, during and after pregnancy register to attend Why preconception health matters? – online webinar. Join us on Friday 23 May, 1 - 2pm for this online session hosted by the South East London Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS), as we explore how we can work together to improve preconception health across our communities.

Register now

We’ll explore why preconception health matters, share insights from recent engagement with families across south east London, and introduce Tommy’s Preconception Tool.

What to expect during the online seminar:

  • An overview of the LMNS’s preconception work and our local priorities.
  • A live demo of Tommy’s Preconception Tool – a free user-friendly, online platform that offers personalised health advice to individuals planning a pregnancy. It simplifies complex guidance and supports people in making informed decisions about their health.
  • Discussion on the role of the voluntary and community sector in delivering and shaping preconception interventions.
  • Opportunities for collaboration and to contribute ideas to our next phase of work.

As part of our work to improve maternal and neonatal health in our community south east London (SEL) Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS) is looking to pre-conception care. Through collaboration with healthcare providers, public health professionals, and local voices, we are committed to ensuring every family has access to quality preconception care, helping parents and babies start their journey on the best possible footing.

Background

SEL LMNS is a partnership of people working to improve maternity and neonatal services.

With this project, we aim to address health inequalities and improve outcomes by focusing pre-conception health. The aim is to support people to be physically, emotionally and mentally prepared for pregnancy. This project spans the entire SEL and it includes collaboration with public health professionals, community organisations and local communities.

We recognise that pre-conception health is an important contributor to maternal and neonatal health but also we know it is an area that is under developed and more could be done to educate and support people to plan for a healthier pregnancy, birth and beyond.

At the beginning of this journey to help us move forward we have set some priorities. These are:

  • Learn more about the needs of SEL communities through work with the Women's and Girls health hub programme
  • Learn more about the needs of healthcare providers when considering pre-conception health care
  • Raise awareness of pre-conception through the delivery of an information campaign

These steps will help us close the gaps and better support women in south east London.

Through workshops and engagement sessions with key stakeholders including local people the project began to take shape.

  • We held two virtual co-production workshops
  • We organised a face-to-face session with 15 participants to explore local challenges and opportunities.

This approach helped us to collect insight and develop an understanding of the existing gaps and the opportunities for improvement.

Each workshop has led to tangible outcomes such as:

- highlighting specific priorities for action and recommendations for addressing them

- redefined our approach and begun developing targeted interventions that respond to the needs of our community

Outcomes and successes so far:

  • Identified local challenges in pre-conception care, especially with access to services
  • Created new education programmes, health campaigns, and small projects to improve health
  • Built partnerships with voluntary sector organisation and community groups to co-design support for those at higher risk of health inequalities

How are we listening to people?

Over the last seven months we visited a number of community hubs, colleges aiming to listen to families with young children, young people, mums about their preconception journey and experiences.

  • Ellen Brown Children and Family Centre, Babies and Us Group
  • Bellingham Family Hub, Explorers Baby group
  • West St CC, Bouncing Babies
  • Motivational Mums Club
  • Community Vision Children and Family Centre
  • Waterways Children's Centre
  • Southwark College
  • Blenheim Children and Family Centre
  • Cotmandene Children’s Centre
  • Young Mums Club

Key insights:

  • Many pregnancies are unplanned, for this reason, women and birthing people, do no take folic acid supplementation, which is recommended to prevent neurotubal defects
  • There is a lack of proactive information-seeking behaviour prior to pregnancy
  • Support is needed for financial planning and lifestyle changes during this period

In additions through a survey we have listened to families with young children about their pre-conception journey and experiences as well as hearing from people who are looking at expanding their family to understand their needs.

What is happening so far

As part of our efforts a new campaign to help women, birthing people and their families plan for pregnancy has been launched in south east London. The campaign promotes Tommy's planning for pregnancy tool which offers tailored, personalised advice to help people have a healthy pregnancy. Campaign materials can be seen across social media and in the community including in hairdressers, libraries and GP practices. To deliver this support programme, South East London Local Maternity and Neonatal System partnered with the Tommy's charity in response to people’s feedback that highlighted more information is needed around the importance of taking supplements, making healthy lifestyle changes and financial planning.

Next steps and how you can be involved

We are continuing our journey, and your voice is essential in shaping the future of this project.

  • Know someone who's thinking about having a baby? Encourage them to take a look at Tommy's planning for pregnancy tool.

  • If you are member of a voluntary sector organisations, community groups, health ambassadors, faith leaders and social prescribers team and play a vital role in supporting families before, during and after pregnancy register to attend Why preconception health matters? – online webinar. Join us on Friday 23 May, 1 - 2pm for this online session hosted by the South East London Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS), as we explore how we can work together to improve preconception health across our communities.

Register now

We’ll explore why preconception health matters, share insights from recent engagement with families across south east London, and introduce Tommy’s Preconception Tool.

What to expect during the online seminar:

  • An overview of the LMNS’s preconception work and our local priorities.
  • A live demo of Tommy’s Preconception Tool – a free user-friendly, online platform that offers personalised health advice to individuals planning a pregnancy. It simplifies complex guidance and supports people in making informed decisions about their health.
  • Discussion on the role of the voluntary and community sector in delivering and shaping preconception interventions.
  • Opportunities for collaboration and to contribute ideas to our next phase of work.
Page last updated: 08 May 2025, 04:38 PM