Our Story
The idea for MaMA Hub was born in a car, parked on a quiet street, with a sleeping baby in the back.
Kate was on her third maternity leave and had just been to a lovely swim session with her baby at a local heated pool. It was one of those little moments that felt good - refreshing, bonding, something just for the two of them.
But as she looked around, she noticed something odd; there was only one other mum there.
Driving home, the thought stuck with her. Why aren’t more mums doing this?
And then it hit her - money.
Maternity leave can be beautiful, but let’s be honest - it’s also hard. Your income takes a big hit, everything suddenly costs more, and sometimes you feel like you’re losing yourself a little in the chaos. Getting out, doing nice things, feeling like you again? It’s not always possible.
Kate kept thinking: we give discounts to students, to older people, to certain jobs - why don’t we support mums on maternity leave in the same way?
She knew she couldn’t fix maternity pay. But maybe, just maybe, she could create something that helped mums feel a bit more seen, a bit more supported, and a bit more like themselves again.
And that’s when MaMA Hub was born.
A membership made just for mums on maternity leave, giving access to discounts and offers across brands, services and experiences that help make this time feel a little lighter, a little more connected, and a lot more empowering.
It’s about support, not pressure.
It’s about community, not comparison.
It’s about helping mums flourish in the middle of the messiness.
Why mothers on Maternity Leave?
These statistics highlight the financial and wellbeing challenges faced by new mothers in the UK.
MaMA Hub aims to support mothers during this critical period by providing access to exclusive discounts to help during this time.
Maternity Pay & Financial Strain
• Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP): After the first six weeks at 90% of average weekly earnings, SMP drops to £187.18 per week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
• Low Replacement Rate: SMP equates to approximately 43% of the national living wage, leading many families into financial hardship during maternity leave.
• Debt and Savings: 76% of mothers have had to rely on debt or withdraw savings due to insufficient maternity pay.
• Early Return to Work: 43% of mothers returned to work within 12 weeks postpartum, often due to financial pressures.
Inequality in Maternity Benefits
• Private vs. Public Sector: Over 2.5 million women in the private sector miss out on enhanced maternity pay, compared to 150,000 in the public sector.
• Enhanced Maternity Pay: 97% of public sector employers offer enhanced maternity pay, while only 75% of private sector employers do the same.
Mental Health & Wellbeing
• Mental Health Impact: 72% of new mothers reported that cost-of-living concerns negatively affected their mental health during pregnancy.
• Loneliness and Isolation: Many new mothers experience significant social isolation during maternity leave, particularly without strong local support networks or access to inclusive social spaces. This can heighten risks of postnatal anxiety and depression. The Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness identified new mums as one of the groups most vulnerable to chronic loneliness.
Childcare and Employment
• Childcare Costs: An estimated 1.7 million women are prevented from taking on more paid work due to the high cost of childcare.
• Debt for Childcare: One-third of parents using formal childcare have had to rely on some form of debt to cover childcare costs.