We know that one in seven women in our communities is experiencing postpartum depression.
And we know that untreated, it can compromise mother-baby attachment, impair the developing baby’s cognition, emotions and behaviours, cause self-medication and/or substance use issues with the mom, as well as deeply impact family relationships.
In 2017, a new program was developed to support our new moms. Called “Motherwise — Support Group for New Moms,” this professionally facilitated peer support group run at local family service agencies has had a successful pilot year. Through 2017, Motherwise helped 75 new mothers in dealing with postpartum depression. The eight-week sessions were held in four Kootenay Boundary communities; Boundary (Grand Forks), Castlegar, Nelson and Trail.
Some feedback from moms who took part in the Motherwise groups included:
“Without this group, I don’t know where I would be today.”
“The camaraderie is so important. You know the other moms are out there. You know you are not the only one, but to actually see them and witness it is relieving.”
“I can’t say enough good things about the group. It was a life-saver in so many ways. I hope it continues.”
The Motherwise project team is urgently filling out funding applications, visiting businesses and looking for donations to match funding already sourced to support the program through 2018. As part of this drive, they have developed a YouCaring webpage to give community members the option of donating online to support this worthy cause www.bitly.com/motherwise.