As a trained perinatal therapist, I’ve had the privilege of working with many postpartum moms. In prior blogs, I’ve written about reasons why joining a postpartum support group can be greatly beneficial to a new mom or any postpartum mom.
These reasons include increased emotional support, increased self-esteem, empowerment as a mom, normalization of your experience, information sharing, and having a sense of community. You can read more about these reasons here 6 Ways New Moms Can Benefit From Joining a Postpartum Support Group.
Every mother’s experience is unique and whether you are in a great place, a good place, or a not-so-good place, a postpartum support group can meet you where you’re at. I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact that being open to sharing your experience, receiving and giving support, and relating to others can have on mothers.
Let’s continue the conversation about why joining a postpartum support group can greatly benefit a new mom or any postpartum mom:
A Postpartum Group Can Help With Improved Sleep
Yes, please! We all know that it can be really hard to sleep when you have a baby yet sleep is so important for general overall well-being and for postpartum recovery. Restful sleep can help improve mood, enhance memory, increase productivity, promote creative problem solving, and help with physical recovery including boosting your immune system’s functioning and aid with the physical recovery from childbirth.
Talking about what’s going on and how you feel in a supportive group setting can help free up a lot of space in your mind and help you get better sleep. You may have experienced this similar effect after you go to therapy, allow yourself to have a good cry, engage in some movement or intense workout, or socialize with a close friend. Joining a Postpartum Support Group provides a supportive environment for you to express and share your experiences.
A Postpartum Group Helps to Improve Your Mental Health
A Postpartum Support Group is a great place for new moms to talk about what’s been going on and the symptoms that they’re experiencing. Many moms share how they feel when they’re not able to get enough quality sleep, struggles with finding time to spend with their spouse or other children, difficulty with keeping up with self-care routines, struggles with juggling the demands of motherhood with work responsibilities, and maternity leave not being exactly what they expected it to be.
Some moms in your group may be experiencing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. The opportunity to open up about that can help them get the support that they need. It is important to know that even though a support group may be facilitated by a therapist the support group isn’t therapy so any serious mental health concerns should be addressed by a professional in a different setting.
Groups Encourage Feeling a Sense of Community
Being a new mom can be a really lonely experience in general but it can be especially so if you don’t have many friends or family nearby. I’ve also noticed, though, that even for people who have local support sometimes the support that they are getting isn’t always that helpful.
Being a part of a Postpartum Support Group where you come back to the same members week after week can really provide you with the support that you’re lacking. Moms have mentioned to me that it’s really nice to have a place to be where you can be fully truthful about your experience with others who are there to understand, support, and cheer you on without judgment, criticism, or expectations.
Postpartum Groups Can Provide Access to Resources
Moms are really great about sharing information about resources that they know about. Whether you’re looking for someone for yourself like a pelvic floor physical therapist or a provider for your child like an occupational therapist or an allergy specialist, moms are really happy to share whatever information that they have. Moms are also a great resource for learning about different activities that you can do with your child like a mommy and me class or a moms group.
Moms in postpartum support groups also talk a lot about product recommendations. With so many options and opinions available for so many products out there, moms often find it very helpful to hear from other members of the group about their experience with specific products and items.
Engaging in a Support Group is an Act of Self-Care
Joining a Postpartum Support Group is a great act of self-care. Sometimes self-care involves treating or indulging yourself but real, sustainable self-care isn’t a temporary fix.
One way I like to think about self-care is that whatever activity you’re engaging in is taking care of your future self. This may look like committing to moving your body every day by going for a walk or doing a workout, going to therapy or joining a group, eating nutritiously, or doing something that brings you joy and helps you feel more like yourself after having a baby.
Postpartum Groups Can Build Resilience
Joining a Postpartum Support Group helps build resiliency in new and postpartum moms in numerous ways. Being able to talk through challenges and to receive support from others helps mom increase their ability to cope with difficult situations.
Since moms in your group will have different experiences with motherhood and different perspectives on many related topics, you will have the opportunity to learn from the experiences of others. You will also have the opportunity to consider different perspectives which may lead to new approaches to problem solving.
The postpartum period is filled with many new changes including physical recovery from childbirth and balancing new responsibilities with old ones. These changes can be a stressful and challenging time for new moms and the support of others going through the same experience can be incredibly impactful. Joining a Postpartum Support Group as a postpartum mom is a great way to invest in the current and future well-being of yourself and your family.
How We Can Help
Interested in learning more about a postpartum support group?
To explore your emotions, share daily challenges and helpful resources, and overall feel less alone in motherhood.
If you are looking for postpartum support, or if you would like to talk to someone more about how we can help you, follow these simple steps:
Contact us today for a free 20-minute phone consultation
Or, you can book directly online with the therapist of your choice
Begin your journey towards a calmer, more relaxed life
Other Therapy Services Available at Catalyss Counseling:
Here at Catalyss Counseling, we want to meet all of your counseling needs in the Denver area. Our supportive therapists provide depression counseling, therapy for caregiver stress, grief and loss therapy, stress management counseling and more. We also have specialists in trauma and PTSD, women's issues, pregnancy and postpartum depression or anxiety, pregnancy loss and miscarriage, and birth trauma. For therapists, we can also provide clinical supervision! We look forward to connecting with you to help support your journey today.
Author Biography
Pansy Ayala is a licensed therapist with Catalyss Counseling and specializes in treating adults with anxiety, depression, grief and loss, and relationship issues. She uses a holistic, individualized approach to better understand who you are, what areas of your life you find problematic, and how you can reach your goals. She especially enjoys working with parents. Follow Catalyss Counseling on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.