Post Natal Support
But, what if it doesn’t feel like sunshine? What if it feels like rain?
‘It takes a village to raise a child’ is a proverb which means that an entire community of people must provide for and interact positively with children for those children to experience and grow in a safe and healthy environment. But what happens if we don’t have a village around us?
Parenting and parenthood is a time of excitement and fun, but there are also huge changes and challenges. It is sometimes the best time of a mum’s life, but it can also be the hardest.
Remember back when you went for your driver’s licence? In Queensland, when you are learning to drive, you can only drive whilst you are being supervised and this supervision is for at least one year. You must know the road rules, record 100 hours of supervised driving and have 10 hours of supervised night driving before you are allowed to go it alone.
But when you have a baby … well! You might get to go to an ante-natal class where they will teach you about the birthing process and how to bath the baby – but that’s about it. If you are having your baby in a private hospital, the average stay is about 2- 4 days (a little longer if you had a Caesarean delivery). In the public system, you might be released as soon as 6 hours after giving birth.
In Korea, they practice Sanhujori. Sanhujori is a traditional form of post-natal care where new mums are encouraged to eat healthy foods, exercise and warm up the body. Sanhujori was traditionally provided by the mother’s and in-law’s families. The families cook, take care of the newborn bub and liberate the new mother from housework – sounds amazing!
In our modern society though, we seem to have forgotten about mum. After the excitement has worn off after a new life is brought into the world, most mums are left to their own devices to navigate their new life of being “mum”. Just like when we were learning to drive, some of us needed more support than others and you know what .. that’s ok.
There are many support services out there to help new mums. In our One Month Box is a list of both private and public Post-Natal Units (also called Mother + Baby Units) in Australia that provide specialist care for mums who might be struggling with post-natal depression, anxiety or psychosis. We have also included details of various organisations, both private and public, that provide all sorts of support for new mums, including assistance with feeding and sleep issues.
There are many support groups for new mums – with Friendly Dummy and Raising Mamas – just to name a few. Both of these organisations were started by mums who were feeling a bit isolated and overwhelmed by societal expectations of motherhood.
Believe me, you are not alone and you will find your village.
☀️ Nicole, Founder of Twelve Months of Sunshine
What if it doesn’t feel like
sunshine but feels like rain?
‘It takes a village to raise a child’ is a proverb which means that an entire community of people must provide for and interact positively with children for those children to experience and grow in a safe and healthy environment. But what happens if we don’t have a village around us?
Parenting and parenthood is a time of excitement and fun, but there are also huge changes and challenges. It is sometimes the best time of a mum’s life, but it can also be the hardest.
Remember back when you went for your driver’s licence? In Queensland, when you are learning to drive, you can only drive whilst you are being supervised and this supervision is for at least one year. You must know the road rules, record 100 hours of supervised driving and have 10 hours of supervised night driving before you are allowed to go it alone.
But when you have a baby … well! You might get to go to an ante-natal class where they will teach you about the birthing process and how to bath the baby – but that’s about it. If you are having your baby in a private hospital, the average stay is about 2- 4 days (a little longer if you had a Caesarean delivery). In the public system, you might be released as soon as 6 hours after giving birth.
In Korea, they practice Sanhujori. Sanhujori is a traditional form of post-natal care where new mums are encouraged to eat healthy foods, exercise and warm up the body. Sanhujori was traditionally provided by the mother’s and in-law’s families. The families cook, take care of the newborn bub and liberate the new mother from housework – sounds amazing!
In our modern society though, we seem to have forgotten about mum. After the excitement has worn off after a new life is brought into the world, most mums are left to their own devices to navigate their new life of being “mum”. Just like when we were learning to drive, some of us needed more support than others and you know what .. that’s ok.
There are many support services out there to help new mums. In our One Month Box is a list of both private and public Post-Natal Units (also called Mother + Baby Units) in Australia that provide specialist care for mums who might be struggling with post-natal depression, anxiety or psychosis. We have also included details of various organisations, both private and public, that provide all sorts of support for new mums, including assistance with feeding and sleep issues.
There are many support groups for new mums – with Friendly Dummy and Raising Mamas – just to name a few. Both of these organisations were started by mums who were feeling a bit isolated and overwhelmed by societal expectations of motherhood.
Believe me, you are not alone and you will find your village.
☀️ Nicole, Founder of Twelve Months of Sunshine
Antenatal and Postnatal Depression and Anxiety (PNDA)
- tearfulness and depressed mood
- loss of motivation
- excessive worry, anxiety or obsessive traits
- panic attacks
- intrusive thoughts
- lack of energy
- difficulty sleeping not related to baby
- feelings of guilt
- worries about bonding with baby
- negative self-talk
- difficulty getting organised
- avoiding social contact
- loss of interest in sex
Antenatal and Postnatal Depression and Anxiety (PNDA)
- tearfulness and depressed mood
- loss of motivation
- excessive worry, anxiety or obsessive traits
- panic attacks
- intrusive thoughts
- lack of energy
- difficulty sleeping not related to baby
- feelings of guilt
- worries about bonding with baby
- negative self-talk
- difficulty getting organised
- avoiding social contact
- loss of interest in sex
☀️ Carla Anderson, Clinical Psychologist Perinatal Child & Family Hub
The Importance of Community for New Mothers
When you become a parent, everything changes. You can read all the books, watch all the movies, and listen to all the Ted Talks—but the realities of parenthood often still come as a surprise—even for parents who already have kids. Having a baby in the house shakes things up, even when you think that you are prepared for it. During these strange, unusual, and beautiful times, you need a community that you can depend on. Let’s take a closer look at this.
New Mama, New Baby, New Isolation
After you have your darling little bundle of joy, movies would have you believe that it is all baby cuddles and a total lack of sleep. While this is true, you might be surprised to see just how many other changes there are. When you’re running on Newborn Time, you might find yourself struggling to remember when you last spoke to someone other than your baby. With all of the nappies, naps, and feeding times, it is easy to fall out of touch with the people that you used to speak to daily. That’s right—you are likely to fall out of contact with the people you love during the time when you need them the most.
Communities Help New Mothers Embrace Parenthood
Parenthood comes with so much beauty, but it is not without its challenges. New mamas find themselves running on barely any sleep. You’re more likely to be more low on energy, and things like taking a shower and eating a full and balanced meal can go out the window. A study with postpartum women found that energy levels for women can stay low for up to 19 months after giving birth!
What happens when we don’t eat well, don’t sleep well, and don’t have time to talk to the people we love? Well, we can end up pretty unhappy. Fortunately, a social circle might just be the difference between being able to enjoy motherhood and having a fairly pessimistic attitude about it. Studies show that mothers with more support feel happier and more optimistic about parenthood in general.
Building Your Support Network
Since community can have such a big impact on how women feel about being mothers, women should absolutely be striving to build a community to see them through their new journey. The
question is: how?
The truth is that everyone has a different support network. You might be able to explain these studies to your loved ones and get them to rally around you—or you might need to connect with some other mamas who actually understand what you are going through. Whether you find an online circle, connect with friends and family, or sign up for a weekly yoga class for new mums, you want to find your village. Support makes us happy—and it reminds us to focus on the good.
The Takeaway
Life after having a baby is something that you can really only understand if you have been through it. For many new mamas, this can be fairly isolating. No matter how high that pile of nappies gets or how little sleep you get, you want the right people to help support you through it. At Raising Mamas, we help mums to find their village and get support during their postpartum journey. We know just how much a tight-knit community can mean during those early months, and we are happy to help you find one of your own!
The Importance of Community for New Mothers
When you become a parent, everything changes. You can read all the books, watch all the movies, and listen to all the Ted Talks—but the realities of parenthood often still come as a surprise—even for parents who already have kids. Having a baby in the house shakes things up, even when you think that you are prepared for it. During these strange, unusual, and beautiful times, you need a community that you can depend on. Let’s take a closer look at this.
New Mama, New Baby, New Isolation
After you have your darling little bundle of joy, movies would have you believe that it is all baby cuddles and a total lack of sleep. While this is true, you might be surprised to see just how many other changes there are. When you’re running on Newborn Time, you might find yourself struggling to remember when you last spoke to someone other than your baby. With all of the nappies, naps, and feeding times, it is easy to fall out of touch with the people that you used to speak to daily. That’s right—you are likely to fall out of contact with the people you love during the time when you need them the most.
Communities Help New Mothers Embrace Parenthood
Parenthood comes with so much beauty, but it is not without its challenges. New mamas find themselves running on barely any sleep. You’re more likely to be more low on energy, and things like taking a shower and eating a full and balanced meal can go out the window. A study with postpartum women found that energy levels for women can stay low for up to 19 months after giving birth!
What happens when we don’t eat well, don’t sleep well, and don’t have time to talk to the people we love? Well, we can end up pretty unhappy. Fortunately, a social circle might just be the difference between being able to enjoy motherhood and having a fairly pessimistic attitude about it. Studies show that mothers with more support feel happier and more optimistic about parenthood in general.
Building Your Support Network
Since community can have such a big impact on how women feel about being mothers, women should absolutely be striving to build a community to see them through their new journey. The
question is: how?
The truth is that everyone has a different support network. You might be able to explain these studies to your loved ones and get them to rally around you—or you might need to connect with some other mamas who actually understand what you are going through. Whether you find an online circle, connect with friends and family, or sign up for a weekly yoga class for new mums, you want to find your village. Support makes us happy—and it reminds us to focus on the good.
The Takeaway
Life after having a baby is something that you can really only understand if you have been through it. For many new mamas, this can be fairly isolating. No matter how high that pile of nappies gets or how little sleep you get, you want the right people to help support you through it. At Raising Mamas, we help mums to find their village and get support during their postpartum journey. We know just how much a tight-knit community can mean during those early months, and we are happy to help you find one of your own!
☀️ Kailah Cuckson, Founder of Raising Mamas
