Blackpool mum launches website with expert health for parents

Bev Nickson has launched a Facebook support forum offering parents free online advice and information from parenting experts.

The Facebook page The Parent Platform hosts regular live question and answer sessions for parents to tune into and pose questions directly to professionals ranging from midwifes and infant feeding specialists to family solicitors.

Live sessions are also stored as videos so parents can watch them later.

Bev, mother of two-year-old Poppy developed the service with the help of Blackpool Council’s Get Started team which provides free business advice to people who want to kick start and grow their own new venture.

Sessions on The Parent Platform are hosted by qualified experts in their fields such as Shel Banks IBCLC (International Infant Feeding Specialist), Nicole Ratcliffe (Baby and Child Sleep Consultant), Amanda Wardle (Independent Midwife and Hypnobirthing Specialist), Edyta Paxton (Nutritionalist, Health and Exercise Coach) Deborah Schofield (Senior Women’s Physio), Daynor Harris (First Aid Specialist) Julie Huston (Mentoring Business Accountant) and Danielle Ayres (Family Friendly Rights Solicitor).

To encourage dads to engage on the page sessions will also be hosted by Mark Williams (Public Speaker and Mental Health Coach) and Mark Harris (Founder of Birthing 4 Blokes).

Bev, who also runs the Lytham Mummies group and has been supporting parents since 2006 working in child protection, said: “Not every person finds parenthood easy.

“When everything is new and you are trying to get things just right it can be exhausting.

“If something doesn’t seem to go quite as it should such as establishing sleep routines it’s hard not to worry.

“Following discussions with lots of other parents I started thinking about what could help and came up with the idea of The Parent Platform.

“It has evolved from a simple discussion forum into a source of additional support and expert advice that sits alongside traditional routes.

“Through the platform everyone can access experts in their own front room.”

She said the platform had already attracted the interest of Lancaster University’s Health Innovation Team who were interested in supporting its growth and she added there were plans to develop an App.