Lesbian Paralympian Robyn Love leads BBC Radio 4 Appeal to support new parents

The Commonwealth Games medallist is working with the National Childbirth Trust to raise vital funds

BY NIC CROSARA

Sapphic sport fans have loved watching Team GB Paralympic wheelchair basketball teammates Robyn Love and Laurie Williams’ beautiful love story unfold. A huge milestone for the couple happened back in 2023 when they welcomed their daughter, Alba, into the world. 

Any first-time parent will know all too well the excitement, nerves and stresses that parents-to-be can experience as they prepare for parenthood. Robyn and Laurie turned to the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) for antenatal information and support. 

And now, three years later, Robyn is working with the UK charity, presenting its BBC Radio 4 Appeal to support new parents, helping to raise vital funds for NCT’s free infant feeding support for parents across the UK. 

In the broadcast – which will first go out this Sunday (16 August) – NCT will be seeking donations to support its wider infant feeding work. This includes its network of more than 40 Baby Cafes. These free drop-in sessions allow parents to access practical, non-judgemental support with feeding their baby, whether they are breast or chestfeeding, bottle-feeding, expressing or starting solids. It also gives parents the chance to access a community where they can connect with others and share their experiences. 

We got the chance to hear from Robyn ahead of the appeal broadcast. Here’s what she had to say… 

How would you describe the work that NCT does?

For me, NCT is about helping people feel more informed, supported and less alone when they become parents. There’s so much information to navigate when you’re expecting a baby and NCT gave us access to practical advice, support and honestly, most importantly, a community of other people going through the same thing.

Is there anything you’d like LGBTQIA+ women and non-binary people who are expecting children to know about NCT?

I’d want people to know that there is a place for them and their family. Families come in all shapes and sizes, and honestly Laurie and I felt really supported when we attended NCT. Rather than feeling like you have to fit into the traditional idea of what family looks like, they really help navigate the experience and make it open for us.

Sometimes as an LGBTQIA+ family, you can be aware of language assumptions around pregnancy, and sometimes that doesn’t always reflect our experience. So, having that recognised in that space was great, to be honest. We really valued it at each stage, whether it was at the NCT classes or the feeding clinic that we attended.

Can you speak a little about the support NCT offers both birthing and non-birthing parents? 

It’s really important that both parents feel valued in that space. It’s such a huge transition for both people. And obviously, Laurie was the one who gave birth. [She went through] the birth and the physical recovery. But, you know, it’s a huge transition for us non-birthing parents. It could feel like you’re on the sidelines. 

But honestly, NCT offers information and support for both parents – especially in those early weeks and months. It helped me feel more prepared, that’s for sure. Having that shared knowledge can be really valuable when you’re trying to work things out together as a family.

Any final words for DIVA readers?

No one should feel like there’s a right way to become a family, or a right way to parent. It’s very personal to you. It can be an amazing time, but it can also be pretty overwhelming. There are lots of people and opinions around. Having that good information and supportive people can make such a huge difference. I definitely feel that NCT was part of that process for us.

You can find details of the Appeal on the BBC website here: BBC Radio 4 – Radio 4 Appeal, The National Childbirth Trust. Please note that while the BBC Appeal page is already live, donations are not yet open for NCT. The donation page will switch to NCT when the Appeal is broadcast.

The National Childbirth Trust is celebrating providing help to parents for 70 years. You can find out more about the charity here: nct.org.uk

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