By Emily Denney, DO – SMH Primary Care
When I arrived in Sheridan in January 2023, I quickly started seeing patients as a primary care physician. Fairly early on, I had several moms come into the office for evaluation. As I was looking for resources and support for them, I could not find a local group that provided support for postpartum women.
The women I met through my healthcare work were making it through, but wouldn’t it be lovely if there was a support circle of new or not-quite-new moms for them to talk with? The group could give them the opportunity to empathize, share experiences and feel seen. To me, such a group would provide a safety net as women enter or re-enter the world of caring for a new life.
The goal of the group initially centered around post-partum depression, but what I found among new mothers was a wide spectrum of anxiety, depression and overall stress.
Having a baby can be wonderful, but the physical and emotional changes it brings for a new mom, to marriage or partnership, and to other children in the home can be a lot. Then add in all of the other dynamics including financial stress, work stress, etc.
What our community needed was a circle of peers – women who could talk and make friends. In the process of exploring such a group, I was fortunate to find like-minded women in the community. They all agreed we needed such a group and offered to help develop a format and get the program started.
We have had several meetings since starting the new group in November.
We have talked about stress management, boundary setting, sleep and our birth experiences. Going forward, we plan to talk more about self-care, relationships with family and partners and how they change, returning to work, choosing a child care provider and how our own childhoods shape our parenting. We may have some guest lectures as well from community counselors, public health and others. Any and all topics are on the table as we go forward.
The experiences of the moms we have met so far have been wide and varied. There have been wonderful stories, inspirational stories and stories that made me want to cry. Several stories also allowed us to laugh.
What I have learned so far is that women are resilient and amazing, and my hope is that this group can support women to realize that as well. As I have participated in this group, I have reevaluated my own postpartum experiences in a new way, and found gems in the midst.
The free Moms Supporting Moms group will meet Wednesday, March 20, and then each first and third Tuesday of subsequent months at 5:30 p.m. at the Sheridan Memorial Hospital Primary Care community conference room.
Learn more about the hospital’s Moms Supporting Moms group at Moms Supporting Moms – Sheridan Memorial Hospital (sheridanhospital.org).