Moms’ group outreach

New motherhood can be a joyful yet vulnerable time. There's so much to learn about being a parent – and some women can feel abruptly disconnected from work environments they enjoyed.

Joining a mothers group can be helpful as you learn the ropes, but some of them are pretty inwardly focused.

“It was pretty much all about diapers and breastfeeding,” says Toronto mom, Debbie Wolfe, who joined a group after her first son was born. “While I badly needed the information and insight other moms could provide, I felt like the wider world – and my connection with it – had all but disappeared. This was a bit depressing.”

Instead, here are five suggestions for staying connected with your community and the world through a mothers' group:

Research a little:Learn about your local shelter for abused women and their children, or the challenges faced by new moms in developing countries.

Take the temperature:Be sensitive to the fatigue that other new moms are feeling. Make it easy by offering to read something you've learned about moms and babies elsewhere.

Keep it positive:Find out what Canadians are doing to help moms and babies locally, nationally or globally. How is the group making a difference?

Turn learning into doing:Ask group members to bring in outgrown baby clothes for that local women's shelter, or hold a bake sale to raise funds for organizations like World Vision who are saving the lives of mothers and children overseas.

Be an encourager: Let the group know how they've made a difference to others, perhaps sharing a thank you note from the women's centre, or sharing the update you've received about those mothers you're helping overseas. (NC)