I thought it might be beneficial to share why I decided to run a postpartum support group. Initially another clinician decided they wanted to facilitate a Postpartum Depression Group due to the lack of resources and support in the area. Once I heard the idea, I was immediately on board with becoming a co-facilitator. Circumstances changed and I became the one to move forward with facilitating the group.
The Structure
This group was designed to benefit mother’s with infants ranging from birth to age one. The group was initially scheduled as a 6 week series. I felt like 6 weeks wasn’t enough time to really gain those meaningful connections and process through all the struggles of being a parent. I decided to switch it to an ongoing group and change the name from Postpartum Depression Support Group to Postpartum Stress Support Group. My reason was to make the group all encompassing to anyone experience postpartum struggles. Since then I have decided switching to a 10 week group as that sweet spot to meet the need. I plan to run it in a cycle of 10 week series all year round.
So why did I jump at the chance to facilitate this group?
First and foremost I am a mother. As a parent we all have our own idea of what having a baby might look like. We set these expectations and make plans in our mind. You might think you are prepared because you already have kids, worked with kids, watched kids, or have kids in your family. The one thing I learned from becoming a mother is “I was not.” All babies are different. Yes, I was prepared for the basic things in order to keep my child alive but there are plenty of things that happened that I wasn’t prepared for. Parents are going most likely feel challenged. They are going to have moments when they may feel like a complete failure. They are going to experience an array of emotions. But remember, that’s okay. There is no certain way you should feel or act. We all going on instinct and doing what is best for our child.
Experiencing postpartum struggles does not always mean that something went “wrong” or was “different”. Even having what society might consider a “normal experience” can still lead to parents developing feelings of sadness and anxiety. Many mothers and even fathers will experience the “baby blues” the first few weeks after giving birth.
For me there were some complications and my daughter was born 6 weeks premature in January 2020. None of what I planned for happened. And just two short months later COVID happened. I had to not only adjust to all of the emotions of being a new mom with a premature baby, but also the isolation of quarantine.
I wanted parents to know they are not alone. There is support and others who can empathize and understand what you are experiencing.
April graduated from Boston College in 2012 with her Masters in Social Work and is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. She is in the process of working towards her Perinatal Mental Health Certification and currently runs the Postpartum Sress Support Group here at Compassionate Counseling Company.
