By Andy Hirst

Parents needing information about anything to do with parenthood can now get it through a new online community based in Huddersfield.

It’s called Your Little Village and was set up by mums Amy Melling and Laura Batchelor who both work in Lindley and have gone through tough experiences having children. They acted after discovering there’s a lack of support for people trying to find advice on a range of parenthood issues.

So they have created Your Little Village which includes a panel of experts who can give advice on anything from mental health and exercise to breast-feeding, weaning and sleep techniques.

In short, the advice goes from bump to birth and beyond and costs £10 a month to join but for anyone who signs up to the membership before January 1, 2023 they will get a full year free.

Amy, of Mirfield, said: “Me and Laura have talked many times over the years about there not being enough support out there for new parents. There’s so much to do, so much pressure, so many decisions to make and so many what-ifs but no manual to run by. And where do you turn?

“I soon realised the friendships I formed along the way were my saviour. It’s why we’ve created Your Little Village. We want this to be a community there for everyone through the good and bad, raw emotions and all.

“It’s real life with real advice and no judgement. It aims to be a one-stop shop for parents and carers to get advice across so many aspects of parenthood with access to the community and the village that we all really need.”

Laura, of Lindley, added: “I’ve always spoken to Amy and other friends about how good it would have been to have all the right advice from the right people in one easy place and to have a community of other parents to bounce ideas off. We’ve now created that.

“We realise that parents’ time is valuable and with lots of free advice online people can spend hours trawling through Google to find the advice they need. Your Little Village is a unique compilation of parenting and family advice from many different expert sources, all in one place.”

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One expert is Kelly Thistlethwaite from FLY Mama which stands for First Love Yourself Mama.

She said: “We are so proud to have been asked to be on the panel of experts for Your Little Village. Our platform offers support for mother’s emotional and physical wellbeing and we support them throughout pregnancy and motherhood as well as supporting individuals through perinatal trauma and loss.”

The advice and support covers six main areas – community, education, health, pregnancy, wellbeing and family life.

Community: Your Little Village is a community and support network with other parents and advice from experts. It aims to be a one-stop shop for parents and carers to get advice across many aspects of parenthood.

Education: Providing support to parents as they navigate their child’s education and learning stages from early years and how to choose the right childcare through to advice and guidance on how to help children through their school life.

Health: Support and advice on everything from mums’ fitness and nutrition to guidance on weaning and feeding. It includes expert advice on any sleep challenges and first aid training.

Pregnancy: It offers an antenatal course with vital knowledge for people preparing to become  parents and gives members the chance to link up with other parents in a similar position.

Wellbeing: Expert advice to support mental health ranging from personal development to relationship advice.

Family life: Support and information on family challenges whether it’s introducing a new sibling, heading back to work or dealing with family illness.

For more on Your Little Village go to www.yourlittlevillage.co.uk