Our aim is to make practical support after birth more accessible, especially for mothers with a low income or little support from family and friends. This is the purpose guiding our research, not a promise of a service already available.
Her Fourth Project is exploring a 30-day period of practical, non-clinical support at home in Manchester, giving mothers more space to rest and adjust to life with a new baby.
We want mothers’ experiences to shape the details: what help feels useful, when visits would work, who might be missed and how costs could be shared fairly.
We are exploring a subsidised model. In plain English, funding would pay some or all of a family’s costs.
We have not yet agreed who would qualify, what families would pay or where that funding would come from.
Listening to mothers and people who work with families.
Comparing two possible levels of support.
Testing costs and possible ways to fund the work.
Understanding the people, training and safeguards needed.
There is no confirmed launch date, funding award or partnership yet. We are not delivering care, employing a delivery team or taking bookings right now.
Laura, founder of Her Fourth Project
After giving birth, I was trying to look after my newborn while recovering myself. My son was born prematurely and spent time in hospital. Between birth complications, hospital visits and conversations with doctors, I felt overwhelmed. Living in Manchester, in a new city without family nearby to help, I kept thinking, “How does one cope?”
What I needed was practical help with everyday things. Someone to prepare a meal, help with the cleaning or hold my son while I rested. Having someone take a few things off my hands would have given me space to recover and process everything that had happened.
The turning point came during a conversation with my husband. I was traumatised by what I had been through and needed to vent. As we talked, I realised I wanted something to change. I kept thinking about other mothers feeling this way, especially those with even less support. Who was looking after them?
I wish someone had told me the truth about those early days: motherhood can be deeply rewarding and really hard at the same time. You can love your child and still feel overwhelmed. You can be grateful and still need help. And community can be a lifeline.
As I listened to other women’s postnatal experiences, I recognised parts of my own. Those conversations strengthened my belief that accessible, practical support after birth matters. Mothers need people around them who listen, take their struggles seriously and help with the everyday things that can become too much.
That is the heart of Her Fourth Project. We are still in the research and development stage, listening to mothers and exploring how practical support at home could work here in Manchester. My hope is to make that support more accessible, particularly for mothers without family help and those who cannot afford to pay for it.
I want every mother who connects with this project to feel understood, heard and safe enough to say, “I’m struggling.” Asking for help should never feel like admitting failure.
And if you recognise something in my story, as a parent, a professional or someone who cares, I hope you’ll feel moved to help change the experience for another mother. Listening, sharing your experience or helping us shape this project can be a place to start.
The proposed service would not diagnose, treat, prescribe or replace a midwife, health visitor or other healthcare professional.
Whether you’re a mother, a professional or a potential partner, we’d love to hear from you.