Mama Village
Mother’s Groups
Mama Village Mother’s Groups
The Mama Village mother’s groups will focus on your emotional experience as a mother by bringing you together with other mothers to have honest, raw and vulnerable conversations. The groups are facilitated by Clinical Social Worker Karen O’Mara, who has expertise working with hundreds of mothers over nearly 30 years in the areas of perinatal support, breastfeeding support, grief and loss, trauma, as well as baby sleep science as an NDC practitioner with Possums Clinic, a Parenthood and Family Relationship Guide with Elly Taylor’s Becoming Us, and a Circle of Security Parenting program facilitator. As a mother herself, you are in good hands!
The 4-week groups will be broken into common topics for discussion and exploration of your feelings around these topics. However, the nature of the conversation will be guided by what each mum brings to the table, and Karen will expertly guide the direction of conversations the mums feel best meets their needs. If at any time you identify that a particular topic is triggering for you and you would like more space to process your feelings, Karen always keeps a couple of counselling sessions available for follow up from the group if you would like to have a one-on-one counselling session as well. Please talk to Karen if this arises for you.
Are you ready to walk into a really safe space and be nurtured?
What to expect
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Whether this is your first, second or third baby, all of your time might be spent on thinking about, reading about and talking about the baby. Sound right?
When do you get to talk about yourself? When do you get seen? You are seen and heard at Mama Village mother’s groups!
This is time for you. Your emotional experience matters enormously. Through group sessions with other mums, you will have the opportunity to learn about evidence-based responsive, gentle, attachment parenting where you have the opportunity to have open, honest and vulnerable conversations about your experiences as a mother.
We cover a wide range of topics that cover all aspects of the adjustment to motherhood to help support you on your journey. In this process, you will build connections with other mums to help form your village of support.
If you are looking for a little more than a coffee catch up group where there's no waitlist and you are supported by a health professional, Mama Village mother’s groups are for you!
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The great news is the research tells us we only have to be good enough, not perfect. But sometimes our own high expectations get in the way, the high expectations of partners, in-laws, parents, friends, social media - the whole world seems to demand perfection and you know what we end up feeling? Like a failure, judged by others, feeling not good enough, surrounded by mother guilt. Join us to learn the very important skill of not listening to the critical voice so much, and building self compassion.
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It’s really common for mothers to experience changes in her mood during pregnancy or after having a baby. Sometimes it’s really hard to understand whether what you are experiencing is normal, or whether you might need extra support. Is it baby blues? Is it postnatal depression? Anxiety? Rage - why am I yelling uncontrollably?? Why do I feel like my mental load is so HIGH compared to my partner? When do I get time for meeeeee?
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Has your relationship with your partner changed since you had a baby? Most mums find that it changes significantly, especially in the beginning. Romance disappears, emotional connection weakens, arguments often become the norm. Join us to take a look at what is normal for most relationships after baby, how to bring some closeness back between you and your partner, and how to focus on the person you still are, underneath all the baby caring. Let’s find you again.