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Postpartum moms group where you get unconditional support while discovering what becoming a resilient mother means to you.
A professionally facilitated support group for moms and their new babies where we share experiences and learn personalised strategies to deal with and process the emotional impact of early motherhood.
When reality doesn't meet your expectations
If becoming a mother hasn’t gone exactly as you expected it to, you are more normal than you’d think and you are not alone.
After meeting several incredible mothers in our previous moms groups, we have never been more convinced of this. We have beautiful expectations of what having a baby is going to be like. However, most mothers experience the reality of mommyhood very differently. When their expectations aren’t met, many new moms worry that there might be something wrong with them. Luckily, this is far from the truth!
In fact - new mothers rarely feel completely happy during the first months after childbirth.
Being a mother is a rewarding adventure full of peaks and valleys. First comes the initial excitement and curiosity of what is to come. You spend months preparing and equipping yourself with all of the baby essentials and strategies. Then after months of anticipation, the marathon of labor and birth arrives, and suddenly there is a little living breathing person right in front of you. Everything feels brand new. And it might not be at all how you had pictured it. Your life becomes full of bliss and chaos while you constantly navigate the changes and challenges that you and your family are experiencing.
Whether you become a mother via birth, adoption or surrogate, all moms are expected to instinctively know how to deal with the newness as if it’s easy to navigate through it all.
If you’re a mom that birthed your baby, you’re most definitely dealing with physical changes like hormonal shifts, stomach cramps and bleeding (to just name a few of many). Although these physical aspects are already challenging by themselves, every kind of motherhood also comes paired with an inevitable emotional impact.
Can you relate to this experience shared by one of our Postpartum Moms Group Members? “As a mother I was expected to bond with my new baby while managing the hospital personnel, visitors, messages and phone calls. Once we arrived home, the whole coordination of sleep, food and household felt overwhelming and even impossible at times. I constantly wondered why it felt so difficult to me and whether I was suited to become a mom. Although I really tried to do well, I felt as if I was failing at every little mom task. I was exhausted and lonely. And as I believed having a baby wasn’t supposed to be this hard, I convinced myself there was something wrong with me.”
the emotional impact of motherhood
Staying connected with your own emotional and physical well-being whilst taking care of your growing family is a challenge that no mother should have to face alone.
On top of the many motherhood responsibilities, the challenges related to “discovering how to take care of your little baby” and “what it means to be a mother” often trigger insecurities and self-criticism.
My house is a mess, I don’t enjoy visits as much as I thought I would, I don’t feel like being touched by my partner. What’s wrong with me?
I’m not doing this right. Why is the baby crying? Did they get enough milk? Are they tired? How do I make sure they have everything they need? Why don’t I instinctively know what they need?
Is this sleeping position safe? Is my baby still breathing?
It can’t be normal that I have so many questions. Why do I need so much help?
Other moms seem to know exactly what to do, why don’t I?
Can you relate to all or some of this never-ending list of worries and self-doubt? Congratulations, you have similar thoughts to other new and not-so-new mothers. This is normal and you are doing great.
The false and utopic expectations of motherhood care causing emotional harm to new moms.
Although talking about the good, bad, and ugly realities of new motherhood would clear up a lot of these misconceptions, it is still considered taboo for most people.
Imagine what would happen if a new mom were to admit out loud: “I feel awful. My body is aching terribly. I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m not enjoying motherhood at all. I’m not even sure I totally bonded with my baby yet.”
Most new parents do have similar thoughts to this, but almost never feel like they can say it out loud. First of all, because saying it out loud requires them to actually be aware of these feelings and have the courage to own up to them. And secondly, most people probably fear judgment and incomprehension from others.
Let’s clear the air and dare to say it out loud: new mothers usually don’t feel great. Yes, you are lucky to have a healthy baby and yes, you are happy about it. Nevertheless, these positive emotions go side by side with all the more difficult feelings that appear when entering motherhood.
This is where Grow Parent’s moms group comes in. With us you can not only say it all out loud, but you’ll also be listened to and professionally guided towards a personalized solution.
the realistic and doable solution
The postpartum period can feel confusing and isolating, even if you are surrounded by family, friends and professionals that mean well and have your best interests at heart.
Although by now you might understand it’s normal to not just instinctively know how to be a mother and it’s ok to not enjoy every second of it, it’s still a big challenge to get clarity on what it is you and your family actually needs. The plethora of books, courses, websites and resources out there might feel rather overwhelming and confusing. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to Google and find an instruction manual that fits all families. To cope with your particular situation, you need a personalized toolbox.
You need more than advice. You need a safe environment to share your honest emotional struggles. And you need tailored strategies to cope with your specific motherhood challenges.
Most mom groups are focused on sharing practical experiences and doubts; tips and tricks are shared to deal with eating, sleeping and developmental milestones. Although it is of most importance that mothers can share and ask for advice, our experience has shown it’s not enough. This is why we take a different approach.
Through our professionally supported moms group we are opening the dialogue about the variety of emotional challenges new mothers face. It’s a safe space where your personal doubts, challenges and insecurities get the attention they need so you can identify personalized strategies to deal with them. Mothers share their raw and honest mommyhood experiences whilst being guided by both our life coach and psychotherapist. Conversation, challenging questions, exercises and worksheets are the tools we use in our moms group to boost your resilience as a mother.
Each of our meetings cover a common motherhood topic following a 4 step process:
First step: space to process feelings and share experiences.
Second step: create (self-)awareness.
Third step: identify strategies tailored to your specific needs.
Fourth step: apply strategies, evaluate, adapt and repeat
By following this process, we make sure most aspects are addressed and dealt with by the end of the program. Each topic is paired with a different expert in the field that will join the conversation and add on-topic expertise to the session.
Does this sound like something you’d like to participate in? Take a look at our schedule and see when our next moms group starts.
Keep on reading if you’d like more specific information on our moms group program.
our unique mom group approach
Moms Groups Program
Where new moms are nurtured into resilient and satisfied mothers.
What makes this program so powerful is the combination of peer support with professional guidance. Our moms group is a place where new moms, their babies and perinatal professionals come together. This unique blend creates the ideal environment to process your early motherhood experience while uncovering personal coping mechanisms to effectively deal with it all.
This is what you will get out of our unique moms group set-up:
- Companionship: Get to know other moms who are also discovering what it means to be a mother of a newborn.
- Connection: Share your experience, thoughts and feelings while learning from others.
- Self-growth: Understand yourself better and create awareness of your “here and now”.
- Acceptance: Get the space and safety to connect to your authenticity and vulnerability.
- Education: Learn skills and tools from perinatal professionals and experts in the field.
- Personalization: Discover how to adapt the theoretical toolkit to your specific mom struggles.
- Unity: Apply constructive communication strategies to stay connected with your loved ones .
- Resilience: Develop the ability to adapt when faced with adversity and become a confident mother that knows it’s ok to fall down because you will know how to get up again.
- Role model: Be the person you would like your baby to become when they grow up.
Both our life coach and our psychotherapist will help you navigate through the newness so you can discover your new identity as a mother. While these professionals facilitate the group conversation, our guest expert in the weekly topic will share valuable expertise adapted to your personal struggles.
The weekly preset topics cover the impact motherhood has on relationships, roles, self-confidence, body transformation, and intimacy. We also address the common challenges related to daily needs such as food, sleep and self-care. Your birthing and 4th trimester experience get the attention they deserve so they can positively be processed and shared.
This moms group runs for 6 weeks, with weekly meetings of 1,5 hours. We offer both online and in person sessions.
The groups are limited to a maximum of 6 moms (and their babies). We choose to keep the groups small so we can guarantee personal attention and enough space for your unique situation.
Ready to embarque on this adventure together? Take a look at our schedule and see when our next moms group starts.
Check out more detailed information in the dropdown menu below.
the nitty gritty of our mom group session
- professional emotional guidance in group for new mothers (within the first year after birth)
- processing, awareness and practical tools to take home and use in your day-to-day life
- a safe & intimate space to share experience, expectations and emotions (max 6 participants)
- information about existing perinatal support
- private online platform for continuous support between participants and professionals
- Accessible and affordable options for everyone who might benefit from our program (low rates + different formats)
Grow Parents’ Moms Group is created for new mothers who are looking for emotional guidance and peer support to help them positively and constructively walk through the motherhood journey. All english speaking moms (not necessarily native speakers) and their babies are welcome. The moms in this group are typically somewhere in their first year after giving birth: from one week after birth to 11 months in. Whenever you feel ready to share and learn is the perfect moment for you to join the group.
We chose to use group sessions as our vehicle to help you process your early motherhood experience. We believe we learn most and feel most understood when surrounded by peers and trained professionals. The meetings are guided group conversations between mothers, conducted by both our psychotherapist and our life coach. Additionally, a specialist in each week’s topic is invited to participate. Each session focuses on a specific topic related to emotional struggles that most commonly arise throughout parenthood. Take a look at the topics down below. Read more about our team members and experts here
Each session starts off with an introduction of the session’s topic and is followed by a guided conversation where each participant can, but doesn’t have to, share their experiences and emotions regarding the weekly topic. Moms can support each other, while both our psychotherapist and life coach will facilitate the group dynamic. They will help you create awareness and space by asking inspiring and mind-opening questions. On top of that, an expert in the week’s topic will offer his/her expertise.
We know busy mom bodies have particular needs, so at the in-person course we offer comfortable seating to carry and (breast)feed your newborn. For the bigger babies we offer toys, bouncers and playmats. Also snacks, water and tea are offered to all participants before, during and after the in-person sessions.
We offer 4 different course formats that are all arranged differently. Each of them include the same content, tools, and professionals.
DURATION | Online | In person |
6-weeks | Weekly online sessions of 1,5 hours (via zoom) | Weekly in-person sessions of 1,5 hours |
Weekend intensive (still in the test-phase) | 4 online morning sessions of 2,5 hours each – divided into two weekends | 4 in-person morning sessions of 2,5 hours each – divided into two weekends |
Check out our agenda (link) for more info.
All weekly topics are related to emotional challenges that commonly arise throughout early motherhood. They range from:
- dealing with physical changes and body image
- finding time for self-care
- normalizing thoughts and feelings
- shifts in relationships
- the influence of a multicultural environment on parenting
- coping with opinions of others
- navigating personal, professional and family roles
- understanding the food and sleep related struggles for both mother and baby
- and much more
Topics can change slightly per edition. Check our agenda for more details.
our multidisciplinary team
Facilitators and Experts
Laura Vanderputten
Social worker & Life Coach
Founder & CEO of Nurture to Grow
Laura is the founder of Nurture to Grow and a mother of 2 energetic toddlers. In addition to running the company, she participates in the Grow Parents’ Projects as a social worker and life coach. She is passionate about helping parents (re)connect with themselves and their own integral well-being so they can be the nurturing person, parent and partner they truly are.
Amy Temple
Psychotherapist (Counselling Madrid)
Amy is a trained existential psychotherapist, mother of two young boys, and bonus-mom to a teenage girl. She has years of experience in family dynamics and special needs. She makes sure we hold the space for our parents’ emotions and gives them the breathing room to just be, while graciously guiding them through their difficult situations.
External Experts
Polly Revaliente
Sleep Consultant
Denise Suarez
Parenting Coach (Con Cariño)
Lucy Allen
Prenatal and Postnatal Personal Trainer (The bump)
Marina
Nurse & Natural birthing midwife (One to One Dr. Ana suarez)
Belen Chocano
Midwife and pediatric nurse (Bel & Mums)
Mariana Legaki
Family therapist and child & adolescent psychologist
Javier de Domingo
Perinatal Psychologist
Bex Laufer
Psychologist, Sex coach and Sexological bodyworker
Madison Kannapel
Pre and Postpartum Doula
testimonials
Don’t just take our word for it. See what previous participants say about the moms group.
“Grow parents is an amazing, beautiful safe space for families. Before I attended these moms group sessions, I struggled with a lot of self-doubt and some loneliness – motherhood is tough, and even if you don’t feel you need any help, Laura and Amy are amazing professionals that will give you the tools to feel good about your decisions as a mum, whatever these are. I looked forward to every session and felt at home, and my little one was absolutely in love with these professional, thoughtful, helpful, strong women! A lot of what I learned at Grow parents is still useful in my day-to-day, not only as a mum, but as a woman. Thank you so much, Laura and Amy!” Santana – Yoga teacher
“I attended these unique postpartum meetings when my baby was just over 3 months old and it was the best thing I have done since becoming a mum! Laura and Amy create a warm and caring place to explore all the challenges that this new phase in your life brings to the surface and that no matter what, you can never fully be prepared for. The topics were completely relevant and handled in a wonderfully sensitive manner by Laura, Amy and the expert for that week. I wish I had done the GrowBellies too, but just doing the GrowBabies improved my relationship with my son, and also how I felt about myself and my new role. I recommend this to all new mums whether it’s their first, second or more!” Clarissa
“The GrowBabies postpartum meetings were fantastic! I attended when my fourth baby was 3-4months and it was helpful to meet and process emotions with other new moms. Each postpartum experience is unique and I really appreciated having this facilitated space. The experts and Laura and Amy all had great insights and helped me understand my own needs and feelings. Thanks for curating this fabulous and very needed space for new and expecting parents.” Madison
“This group provided such an amazing network of support and resources for parents, whether you are a first timer or have several kids. I wish it had been around when my first child was born, but was grateful to be part of it after my second son was born. I found the topics to be really relevant, the experts knowledgeable and supportive, the ambience among group members open and honest, and the facilitators Laura & Amy were incredibly loving and encouraging. I would highly recommend Grow Parents (specifically Grow Babies in my experience) to anyone who has a little one. There may be issues you need to talk about and things you can learn about that you didn’t even realize would benefit you.” Jessica
“A really great opportunity to share experiences and for me to talk through things as a new mum in the first couple months of my son’s life. Great to feel supported and meet people in similar situations. Also just a great chance to learn from experts about the different aspects of motherhood!” Claire
“Highly recommend it! I’ve had a great experience. This group was exactly what I needed during the postpartum. Laura and Amy are really professional and knowledgeable. They always ask the right questions to make you reflect.” Ana
Would you like to get unconditional support, just as these mothers benefitted from? Sign up for the next moms group or reach out with any questions you might have!