HAVING a new baby is not always the romantic scenario we all hope and dream of. It can be a shock to the system and leave new parents feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope.

Some are lucky enough to have supportive family members and friends around who can lend a helping hand and offer advice.

But others need extra support, particularly if there are other challenges they need to get to grips with.

For Suzanne Sparrow and Matthew Jones, of Stanley Wooster Way, Greenstead, in Colchester, a little extra support from Homestart was just what they needed to help resolve some housing and financial problems and also guide them on how best to care for, and enjoy, their baby son, Ronnie, now three.

Suzanne, 29, went so far as to describe her life as “chaotic” before the intervention of Homestart.

She explained: “We were living in privately-rented accommodation in West Bergholt when we first had Ronnie. I had trouble budgeting and would overspend, then not have money to pay the rent. The financial problems meant we had to move.

“I also couldn’t get into a routine with Ronnie and felt I was getting behind on housework. I didn’t have the confidence to take him out and do things with him.”

Suzanne revealed learning difficulties with speech and reading, migranes and short-term memory problems all added to the feeling she was losing control and unable to cope.

She was put in touch with Homestart, a charity that supports families in the way they need it, which helped her transform her life.

“The Homestart volunteer would sit with Ronnie while I did the housework,” said Suzanne.

“They would come for walks with us and my partner helped as well. I found reading difficult but now I read with Ronnie a lot and play with him.

“Them being here has shown me what I am capable of. I didn’t have the faith in myself before, but now I know I can do it.

“One of my biggest fears was keeping Ronnie safe around the house and they showed me what I needed to do. Now I have locks on the cupboards, they showed me how I could make the house safer.”

Heidi Kimber, senior co-ordinator of Homestart Colchester, based in Harwich Road, said: “Looking back to where the family were when we first met them, and where they are now, the change is amazing.

“Suzanne is now coping, confident and a brilliant parent.

“All our volunteers are parents themselves, so it is parents helping parents. They understand the challenges and difficulties being faced. We also try to bring back the fun into families.

“The support we provide is tailored to what a particular family needs and is not the same across the board.”

Heidi explained more people are approaching Homestart for help for various reasons, including depression and isolation after having a child. She said one of the factors is down to the shift in the type of society we now live in.

She said: “In the modern world, families do not live in close-knit communities. The network of support from family is not there, so we help them build a network of support through agencies.

“If parents are struggling and they feel they need support, they should just give us a call and we will help them if we can.”