Celebrating Kent Mums in Business: The Fourth Village

claireroads
3 days ago
4 min read

If you are new to my site (hello, it’s so lovely to have you here 😊) each month I dedicate a blog post to one of the amazing Mum-owned local businesses here in Kent.

We really do have so many fantastic businesses right on our doorstep which are owned and run by incredible local Mums, and I think it is beyond important to celebrate them and show them what a great job they are doing.

This month I have the pleasure of introducing the wonderful Rosie Maguire – the loveliest local Mum and the founder of The Fourth Village - a postnatal course dedicated to supporting mothers during the crucial fourth trimester.

I was lucky enough to spend some time with Rosie as she ran one of her weekly sessions…

As well as making me rather broody (it was always going to happen!) it was such a beautiful experience.

Not only is Rosie building a business with a little one herself (really little in fact, he has only just turned a year old) but the space she has created for new Mums is just wonderful.

I wish I had found something like this when my own babies were born.

Tell us about your business and what services you offer?

The Fourth Village is an 8-week postnatal course designed to support mothers through the crucial fourth trimester and beyond.

Each week, a different specialist leads an open, guided session focused on the realities of early motherhood.

Topics include birth reflections, postnatal recovery, mental health and wellbeing, mini first aid, gentle fitness, nutrition, sleep, and baby development - giving you both practical tools and reassurance during those early months.

But The Fourth Village is about more than information.

It’s about finding your people - your village.

I truly believe it takes a village to nurture and care for both mother and child, which is why this is a space where you are seen, heard, and understood.

Over the eight weeks, you’ll connect with other mums navigating the same challenges, joys, and milestones. Whether you’re facing sleepless nights, emotional shifts, or simply adjusting to this new chapter, you don’t have to do it alone.

Whether you’re looking for practical guidance, emotional support, or just a safe place to share your experience, The Fourth Village offers a nurturing environment where you can grow in confidence and form meaningful, lasting connections with other new mums.

Is there a story behind the name you chose?

The name came to me during a 2am feed with my son, Austin.

I wanted to include the word Fourth because the “fourth trimester” so often feels forgotten about - there’s so much focus on pregnancy and the first three trimesters, and far less support once the baby is actually here.

Village reflects the idea that, historically, raising a child was a shared effort.

Mothers were supported by a wider community, not expected to do everything alone.

That sense of connection, care, and shared responsibility is exactly what The Fourth Village represents.

I was pretty certain about the name from the start - the logo, however, took a little longer to get right.

There were… several versions along the way (some best left in the drafts), but the final result feels like the right fit.

What do you offer to your clients that no-one else does?

The Fourth Village offers something genuinely different: a space that puts the mother first, not just the baby.

So often, the question is “How’s the baby?” - while the mum is overlooked.

Again and again, the feedback we hear is the same: there simply isn’t anywhere else that focuses entirely on the mother during this stage.

Many baby classes create only surface-level connection - a quick check-in, the class itself, then everyone heads off.

At The Fourth Village, we’ve intentionally created something deeper. Our sessions are designed to give mums the time and space to focus on themselves, have real conversations with other mothers, and feel truly heard.

Each week, leading postpartum specialists join us to guide and support these conversations, helping mums navigate the emotional, physical, and mental realities of the fourth trimester.

The discussions are real, raw, and honest - the kind you don’t usually see on social media - and yes, the tissues are always close by.

Where does your inspiration come from?

I became a mum to my beautiful boy, Austin, in March 2025.

Like many new parents, I found there was plenty of information and support available to prepare for birth - but very little that truly helped with what comes after. The postpartum period, and the fourth trimester in particular, often feel overlooked.

With family and close friends living two hours away, I found myself feeling overwhelmed, unsure, and at times deeply lonely.

I struggled with breastfeeding and the constant feeling that nothing was working - that I was somehow failing.

What I longed for most was a safe space: a community of people who genuinely understood what I was experiencing in that moment.

The Fourth Village was born from that need.

My mission is to create a nurturing, empowering space where mothers feel supported, informed, and more confident during the transformative early months of motherhood.

I want to build a community where mums can come together to share both the joys and challenges of motherhood, learn from trusted specialists, and form meaningful, lasting connections.

By sharing our experiences openly and honestly, we don’t just support ourselves - we may become part of someone else’s survival guide.

What is your favourite part of your job?

My favourite part of my job is seeing the moment it clicks for a mum - when she realises she isn’t alone, that someone else is experiencing exactly what she’s going through.

You can see it on their faces: the relief, the softening, the weight being lifted.

Witnessing that sense of connection and community forming in real time - and knowing someone feels a little lighter when they leave than when they arrived - is the most rewarding part of what I do.