We support mothers and mothers-to-be in Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire who are struggling with anxiety, depression and isolation in pregnancy and after their baby is born up to the age of 12 months.

We do this by matching mums to our trained Volunteer Befrienders who, by building trust with mum, can offer practical and emotional support.

How We Help

Volunteer Befrienders are there to listen, not to judge or diagnose. Through building a strong relationship of trust, they are there to help mothers and mothers-to-be build their confidence and recognise their strengths; to help reduce social isolation and to share their concerns and anxieties. By helping mum, we are also helping baby, partner, and immediate family.

Befriending can take place face-to-face, online, by text or by telephone. This is discussed and agreed between mum and the Befriender, as is the timing and frequency of meetings. Many women find it difficult to engage in a formalised process, due to anxiety or fear of ‘professionals’, so the approach taken is always at the woman’s pace.

We also run ‘Caring Cafes’ which are a safe space face to face or digitally facilitated by the Perinatal Co-ordinators for mothers and mothers-to-be to connect with other parents.

We are looking for Perinatal Befrienders

Are you a good listener? Can you spare a few hours each week?

We are looking for Perinatal Befrienders to help mums, babies and families living in Forth Valley and in East Lothian. As a trained Perinatal Befriender, you can offer life changing support through listening, building relationships and reducing social isolation and loneliness. This helps improve parents’ mental health and promotes positive parent and infant relationships.

Please contact us to find out more about becoming a Perinatal Befriender.

Caring Cafes

Aberlour’s Perinatal Befriending Services run Caring Cafes every fortnight where parents/expectant parents and their babies can connect in a safe space, facilitated by Perinatal Coordinators. Our Caring Cafes are run locally within Forth Valley and East Lothian venues on a drop-in basis and are open to parents who are linked to our services.