Prenatal care range to help expecting parents bond with unborn children

Morrama launches a ‘Prenatal Care’ concept range to help parents manage pain and bond with their babies

The design company that worked on the Elvie Catch breast milk collector has launched a ‘Prenatal Care’ concept range designed to help expecting parents manage pain, monitor their baby’s health, and build positive relationships with their unborn children during pregnancy.

Developed with insights from maternity ward doctors, as well as new and expecting mothers, the three product concepts were created in response to reports that stillbirths have increased by 28 per cent since the coronavirus pandemic started.

“Research shows that the past year has led to a shocking rise in stillbirths and deliberate harm to newborns,” Morrama founder and CEO, Jo Barnard, says. “There is evidence to link both to an increase in mothers struggling with anxiety, stress and pre and postpartum depression, no doubt due to the additional pressure of having a baby in a pandemic. Our ‘Prenatal Care’ concept range aims to support the wellbeing of both parent and child.”

The three concepts include a wearable which allows parents to track anomalies in the baby’s movements in the womb, a hand-held device which guides mothers through hypnobirthing techniques – a common practice encouraged by medical professionals to manage the pain and stress of childbirth – and a scanner which amplifies the sounds of the baby, so that parents can better listen to it in the womb.

Morrama hopes the range will demonstrate how technology could support GPs and medical services in providing ongoing, high-quality and thoughtful care to prenatal women.

“Covid-19 caused heightened stress, isolation and hesitation in seeking medical attention that has had terrible consequences for new mothers,” Barnard adds. “Pandemics are only going to become more prevalent. This concept range highlights the need for accessible technology that expecting parents can use in the comfort of their homes to ensure peace of mind during what is understandably an anxious time.”

The agency envisions the products being made available for rent via the NHS and private healthcare providers for the period of the pregnancy.

For more information, visit morrama.com.