by Dr. Natalie Brei and Ann Peters-Miller, LMHP
Immaculate Heart of Mary Counseling Center
The joy of new motherhood brings many blessings, but it is also challenging, perhaps even more so now during the time of COVID-19.
This special time of welcoming a new baby into the family has changed. There are restrictions and cautions, limiting the initial in-person support from family and friends a new mother may receive.
During the postpartum period, all women experience physiological changes that may impact their physical health, behavior, mood, eating/sleeping, and thinking patterns in varying degrees. New mothers (and even seasoned new mothers) may experience what is known as “baby blues.”
A period of baby blues, in which a mother may experience increased crying, irritability, and fatigue, is very common and generally occurs during the first couple of weeks after baby’s birth. The “blues” usually come and go and are manageable. Postpartum depression is another possible experience for new mothers but lasts longer—sometimes several months—and is more intense. In addition to sadness or irritability, a mother may experience difficulty wanting to be around her baby, strong anxiety about baby, difficulty with self-care, and extreme fatigue, among other symptoms. Center for Disease Control (CDC) research shows that nationally, about 1 in 8 women experience symptoms of postpartum depression.
The Immaculate Heart of Mary Counseling Center (IHMCC) had planned to introduce and begin “Loving Hearts and Little Feet,” a group focused on Postpartum Support, just prior to the restrictions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. With a desire to still support new mothers amid continued health concerns and social distancing requirements, an online version has now been developed. Loving Hearts and Little Feet is now ready to launch online. The group focuses on a mother bonding with her baby and supporting the mother’s mental and physical health during the postpartum period through video presentations and online group support.
The focus of Loving Hearts and Little Feet is to provide mental health education and emotional support for mom and baby. The program’s structure, which includes both pre-recorded video sessions and a weekly one-hour online support group, is intended to fit into the life of a new mom. This will be a five-week series beginning in October, the month of our Blessed Mother Mary.
On Monday of each week, a new video, approximately 15 minutes in length, will be shared and each participating mother will have opportunity to watch at her convenience. On Friday of each of the five weeks, two counselors from IHMCC, Dr. Natalie Brei and Ann Peters Miller, LMHP, will conduct an online live support group from 9 to 10 a.m. to further discuss the weekly topic and to allow time for questions and interaction with other new moms—and babies too.
Loving Hearts and Little Feet is open to any woman with a new baby age 0-12 months. It is designed to support mothers experiencing postpartum blues, postpartum depression, anxiety, irritability, fatigue, difficulty bonding, insecurity about parenting, or women just desiring extra support as mothers while navigating the social isolation associated with the pandemic.
Often we think of women we have seen on TV ads for medication—a new mom may think, “I don’t look like that”—but sometimes depression and anxiety look like irritability, brain fog, scary thoughts, numbness, insomnia, or physical symptoms like headaches, upset stomachs, or panic attacks. Any mother who desires a little extra support and opportunity to enhance her relationship with her newborn is welcome.
Topics to be covered will be the importance of physical touch, the importance of emotional attunement, physical health and self-care, the power of play, and supporting mom’s mental health.
For more information on Loving Hearts and Little Feet please visit the IHMCC website at www.immaculateheartcounseling.org/loving-hearts-little-feet. For group registration, please call 402-489-1834.
