Cessation of New Maternal Support Groups

Cessation of New Maternal Support Groups

New Moms Find Solace and Support

in the Heart of Quebec

Not long after the birth of her son, Catherine Drolet found herself struggling. She wasn't adjusting well to her new role as a mother and felt far from her best. "I wasn't feeling great in my motherhood," she remembers. One day, during her postnatal yoga class, a fateful poster caught her eye.

Posted on the walls of the perinatal center Le Berceau, in Beloeil, the poster showcased group meetups for new mothers – Les meres-veilleuses. "I figured it might do me some good," Catherine thought to herself. Eight years have passed since she joined one of the groups led by Sandra Juarez, coordinator at Le Berceau.

Catherine is not alone in her gratitude for taking the leap to join one of these groups. "It was just what the doctor ordered. Seeing that I wasn't going mad in my head, that it was possible to survive this challenging time, that other mothers were surviving it too, all made a world of difference," she shares candidly.

When Catherine welcomed her first child, services like the one offered by Le Berceau were still fairly scarce. Concerned about the mental health of new mothers, the Quebec Perinatal Resource Center Network (RCRPQ) has recently trained over sixty interveners to lead support groups across the province. "The goal is for every perinatal center to have the capability of offering these support groups," explains Marie-Claude Dufour, the Network's director. The content of the training has been validated by perinatal mental health professionals.

The topics discussed in these meetings vary greatly, as Sandra Juarez, who helped develop the training and leads groups for 13 years, explains. Matrescence, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, or even traumatic births are among the topics that come up. "Communication within the couple is a common theme," Sandra mentions, "the sharing of mental loads, communication, roles... it all comes up."

Karine Hebert Landry, director of Le Berceau, underlines that each group is unique, with attendees facing a myriad of challenges.

"From the parent that struggles with anxiety and can't bear to let go, to the parent who feels no parental feelings, they all coexist," Sandra Juarez explains. "And yet, everything works out surprisingly well."

"What I loved most was the sense of release we felt," confides Catherine Drolet. "It was a judgement-free space. We all had different reasons for joining, but we all had the shared experience of struggling with our own motherhood. It was reassuring to know we were not alone."

Sandra Juarez points out that new mothers are often hesitant to seek help, thinking it's just the baby blues and that they'll snap out of it. But she urges mothers to turn to support groups at the perinatal resource centers as soon as the first signs of distress appear. "From the moment there are small instances where we think we're not enjoying this, that it's difficult – that's when they should reach out," Sandra summarises. Pregnant women can also participate in these groups.

The primary goal is prevention, adds Karine Hebert Landry, who hopes that these free services, now offered province-wide, will become increasingly well-known.

Navigating the Arrival of a New Baby

The Quebec government has also launched Toi, Moi, Bébé, a free digital self-care tool geared towards promoting the mental health of new parents. After signing up for the platform, parents can access its ten modules which cover a variety of themes such as communication within the couple, emotional journaling, or relaxation exercises. "For instance, there's a module on communication within the couple and between new parents and their closer support circle," remarks Jennifer Dahak, co-director of the Centre of Expertise in Mental Health Information Technology, Dependence, Homelessness, which developed the tool with CHU Sainte-Justine. Toi, Moi, Bébé targets the period from pregnancy to the baby's first birthday and has garnered over 40,000 users in only six months.

In addition to hospital-based care and community programs like Le Berceau, online platforms like Momwell offer virtual therapy sessions and resources, providing another complementary option to new parents. Postpartum depression rates (around 23% nationally) underscore the ongoing need for expanded specialized services to support new mothers through their transition to motherhood.

1. Catherine Drolet, who struggled after her son's birth, found solace in a support group called Les meres-veilleuses, which she discovered during a yoga class at the perinatal center Le Berceau.
2. Marie-Claude Dufour, the director of the Quebec Perinatal Resource Center Network (RCRPQ), emphasizes the importance of these support groups for new mothers, such as the one Catherine attended, and aims to ensure every perinatal center in the province can offer them.
3. Sandra Juarez, coordinator at Le Berceau and one of the developers of the support group training, discusses various topics that come up in these meetings, including matrescence, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and communication within couples.
4. Karine Hebert Landry, director of Le Berceau, highlights that each group is unique, as attendees face a wide range of challenges, from anxiety to a lack of parental feelings.
5. Jennifer Dahak, co-director of the Centre of Expertise in Mental Health Information Technology, Dependence, Homelessness, introduces Toi, Moi, Bébé, a free digital self-care tool geared towards promoting the mental health of new parents, which covers themes like communication within the couple and has garnered over 40,000 users in six months.

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