GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — Nearly every new mother will experience the "baby blues"—85%, according to Johns Hopkins. It often goes away, but for many mothers, they can develop postpartum depression or anxiety. That can then affect a woman's ability to return to normal function.
That's where the Maternal Wellness Program can help.
"I think society portrays everything to be happy, sunshine, rainbows," said Heather Glenn, board member of the program. "What nobody talks about is those dark times, maybe the not-so-easy times. We know that a good support system is something that can help drastically in the postpartum period."
The Maternal Wellness Program has support groups for pregnancy and postpartum support; pregnancy and infant loss support; and pregnancy after loss support.
For Julia Schaefer, she began experiencing postpartum anxiety and depression after the birth of her first child in 2020.
"That was a week before the world shut down," said Schaefer. "I was like, okay, the whole world must feel like this, you know? But then it kind of kept progressing."
She was recommended to join a support group with the Maternal Wellness Program. While hesitant at first to talk to a group of strangers, she quickly changed her mind after the first meeting.
"I'll just say it bluntly, it saved my life. Literally," said Schaefer. "There's something about community, and when you feel like an outcast, and then you get into a group where you're not. It saves you."
Cassandra Bleeker had a similar experience. Dealing with postpartum anxiety, she struggled to leave her child home without her to even go to a meeting.
"I wasn't taking that time for myself," said Bleeker. "I wasn't getting that self care that is so needed. It's so necessary."
Heather Glenn is a board member of the Maternal Wellness Program and was an OB nurse for many years. She calls working with the program her "passion in life."
"Even though I worked in OB for so long, nobody really talked about it," said Glenn about postpartum depression. "And now, people talk about it more. Once I realized how common this is, I want to be there so women know that they're not alone. Over time, coming to group, I've seen so many women get themselves back, and they're themselves again. Just to see their excitement, their happiness again, it fills you up."
You can get more information about becoming part of a support group by visiting the Maternal Wellness Program website.
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