Postpartum Support Groups: Great for ALL New Parents
Drop-In Groups
|
Group / Contact |
Cost |
Led By |
Who is Group For |
Where Meet |
How Often |
Meeting Content |
|
First Weeks Drop-in, no registration required. |
At each meeting, optional $5 donation to birth center |
|
For babies birth to twelve weeks. Usually moms and babies; other family members welcome. |
Community Birth and |
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from noon to 2 pm |
Support group. Discuss breastfeeding, sleeping patterns and other issues with professional leaders. Share joys and concerns with other parents of young babies |
|
Footsteps For info, call 781-9871 |
Suggested donation of $5 per
session |
|
Parents of babies newborn to
16 weeks |
Gracewinds 1421 NW 70th
Seattle |
Tuesdays 12 – 1:30 pm |
A place
for new moms to meet and share experiences, learn information, and form new friendships. May include
speakers, discussions, field trips, other activities |
|
Parent-Baby Group at
Evergreen |
See below |
|
|
|
|
|
Groups to register for
|
Group / Contact |
Cost |
Led By |
Who is Group For |
Where Meet |
How Often |
Meeting Content |
|
PEPS Newborn Group To register, call 206-547-8570 ext 10. Call at least a month before baby’s due |
$125 for one parent, $175 for both parents. Scholarships available. |
Trained Volunteer (experienced parent) |
“Closed” group of 10 -12 moms in daytime groups, or 6 – 8 couples in evening groups. Begin when baby is less than four months old. |
Meet in people’s houses. PEPS tries to match up group members in the same geographic area |
Two hours a week. Meet weekly for three months with volunteer. Many choose to continue meeting beyond that |
Meet with babies. Share weeks’ high points and low points, sing songs with babies, participate in a facilitated discussion on week’s topic (e.g. nutrition, sleep patterns, child-proofing, relationships.)
|
|
Listening Mothers To sign up for a group call 206.275.0104 www.listeningmothers.org |
$120. Scholarships available. Fee
covered by Microsoft and City of |
By a trained facilitator who is a professional therapist. |
Small, ‘closed’ groups. No more than 8 moms. Mothers and babies up to eight months old. |
In |
Meets for 1˝ hours each week for 8 weeks. |
Participants explore the complex range of emotions of motherhood. Topics include adjusting to the identity of being a new mom; how our own life experiences influence our parenting; how becoming a parent affects marriages and partnerships; emotional development of the baby; and parenting strategies. |
Hospital Based Groups
|
Mother-Baby Group at
Swedish. Call Margaret at 206-386-3321 |
$20 for four weeks |
Margaret Bergman-Ness, MA,
LICSW |
Moms and babies from newborn
to crawling age. Typically 4 – 8 pairs at a meeting |
Swedish Medical Center on
First Hill. 5N conference room |
Weekly. Four week sessions,
but can re-enroll till babies are crawling. |
This group is a place to
share with peers the genuine ups and downs of living with an
infant. Every mother gets a chance to review her recent
challenges/successes, and a topic arises from this. We look at
the work that mothers and babies do together. |
|
You and Your New Baby. 425-688-5259 |
$45 |
Parent educators |
Start when baby is 4 – 6
weeks |
Overlake Hospital: Bellevue
& Issaquah |
Weekly for five weeks. |
Transitioning from pregnancy
to parenthood. Group interaction and support. Topics include comforting baby,
coping with crying, feeding and weaning, choosing and managing child care,
changing family roles, infant development and stimulation, identifying infant
illness, safety, parenting styles and community resources. |
|
Parent-Baby Groups at
Evergreen. |
Free under
3 months. $77 per quarter for older babies. |
Parent educators. 425-899-3000. |
0 – 12 months |
Evergreen Hospital in
Kirkland |
Tuesdays or Wednesdays,
12:30 – 2:30 for newborns. Call them for older babies
schedule. |
Drop-In. Each week you'll
meet with a trained parent educator and other parents with same-age babies to
discuss infant developmental milestones, questions about feeding and
sleeping, and other topics of common interest. |
Specialized Postpartum Support Groups
Baby Blues / Postpartum Depression / Postpartum Mood Disorders
|
Beyond the Baby Blues.
Drop-in. For info call (425) 453-7890 ext. 268 |
Free. |
Professionally led, by
counselors from Family Services. In partnership with Postpartum Support
International |
Mothers with postpartum mood
disorders. Infants up to one year, and family members welcome. |
Eastgate Public Health Bellevue, 11911 NE 1st Street,
Suite 300 |
1st & 3rd
Wednesday 12 – 1:00 pm Spanish: 2nd & 4th
Wednesday 12-1 |
These professionally led groups offer an opportunity to receive information and support from others who have experienced or understand Postpartum Depression. Meetings focus on creating a sensitive, supportive environment for mothers to tell their stories, hear other’s stories. Resources, coping tips, and hope are shared. |
|
This is Not What I Expected. No registration required. 425-899-1000 |
Free. |
Led by Wendy Dean and Laura Zeman.(doulas and family educators) |
For any new mother who has or wonders if she has postpartum depression. Can bring infant. Can bring support person. Typically 4 – 8 families. |
Evergreen Hospital. (Ask the volunteer at the entrance where the meeting is scheduled.) |
1st and 3rd Thursday of every month, 7 – 9 pm |
Meeting begins with one of the facilitators sharing her own story of PPMD. Information about PPMD is offered. Then each family is invited to share their story. Members provide support to one another and facilitators offer information about resources, medications, life style approaches to feeling better, etc. as appropriate. |
|
This is Not What I Expected |
Free |
Leaders Christy Christian
and Merrielynn Rice |
Puyallup Library 324 S. Meridian |
2nd & 4th
Wednesdays 11:30 – 12:30 |
253-370-7970 for more info |
|
|
Understanding the Moods of
Motherhood |
Free, drop-in |
Margaret Bergman-Ness, MSW 206-386-3321 |
|
|
Mondays from 4 – 5:30 |
Affiliated with Postpartum
Support International |
Moms who struggle with breastfeeding
|
Nurturing Moms Women who want to attend, call Jeannie at 425-899-3496 |
Free |
Jeannie Schneider, nurse and lactation consultant, and Cindy Blair, school psychologist |
For women for who breastfeeding has been very difficult or not possible |
Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland |
1st Thursday of each month from 11:30 – 12:30 |
Women who are unable to or struggling with breastfeeding meet to address feelings of anger, sadness, disappointment, or guilt, and the many facets of being a wonderfully nurturing mom. |
Special Needs Babies
|
Mother’s Circle 425-747-4004 x209 |
Free |
|
For women raising kids w/ special needs. |
Kindering Center |
Alternate Thursdays 7 – 8:30 pm |
Join us for tea and lively discussions. Please call to reserve child care. |
|
Father’s Network. 425-747-4004, ext. 218 |
$30 voluntary one-time donation |
|
For fathers of children with special needs. Fathers encouraged to bring their children. |
Kindering Center |
2nd & 4th Saturdays, 9:30-Noon |
Join us for a cup of coffee and some stimulating discussion. Meet some terrific men, all committed to being involved, knowledgeable fathers. Periodic speakers. |
|
ARC Support Group. RSVP for childcare (206)364-4635 x 121 |
Free? Free childcare provided. |
Jodi Reimer, Parent to Parent Coordinator. |
For parents of developmentally disable children. |
Meadowbrook Community Ctr |
Second Wednesday of every month, 6:30 – 8:30 pm |
Parent to parent support. The meetings usually have a focus topic or speaker of interest to parents of children with special needs. |
Premature Infants
|
Parents of Prematures |
Free |
(206) 283-7466 |
|
Valley Medical Center |
3rd Thursdays |
A support group for parents of premature babies. |
|
Parents of Prematures |
Free. |
425-688-5259. Special Care Nursery Nurses |
For those with hospitalized premies, and those who have experienced premature birth |
|
2nd Tuesdays |
Discussion topics include: Feeding , sleeping, well baby/sick baby, safety issues,
developmental milestones, couple relationships and parenting challenges, and community
resources. |
Infant Loss
|
P.S. Support Group. Call LeighAnn and Ed 253-520-0883 |
Free |
|
For those who have lost a child thru miscarriage, neonatal loss, or SIDS |
Overlake Hosp |
3rd Tuesday, 7:30 – 9:30 pm |
|
|
PS My Baby Died |
Free |
|
For parents who have
experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth, or newborn death. |
Seattle - Children's
Hospital Room G - 1027, 7:30 pm First
Thursday. Sarah 425-562-8039 Everett. |
||
|
SIDS Foundation of |
|
|
|
|
|
|
LGBT
|
LGBT Playgroup. 425-497-1125 |
Free |
Andrea Winninghoff, lesbian parent, doula, educator |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender parents and children birth- age 3 |
|
Mondays, 10-11:30 am |
Have fun, find support, and information about parenting in our child-friendly, gay friendly environment. |
Attachment Parenting
|
Attachment Parenting |
Free |
For parents of children of
all ages, who practice attachment parenting (may include breastfeeding,
co-sleeping, babywearing) Multiple activities each
month. See website for more details. |
Adoptive Families
|
Support for New Adoptive Parents. 206-903-9664 |
|
Experienced adoptive parents |
For new adoptive families and their baby. |
|
Eight sessions, spread over 4 months |
Support group focusing on parenting issues and adoption issues. See www.affgs.org for info |
Post-Cesarean
|
ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Networks). No need to register. For info, call Daisy 206-709-8603 |
Free. Optional annual dues of $30 |
Veruschka Goerz and Daisy Fulgham |
Women who have had cesarean births. Typical meeting 4 – 16 adults. Nursing / young babies welcome at all meetings. Children welcome at morning meetings |
Community Birth and Family Center |
2nd Tuesday 7 pm |
Meeting content reflects ICAN's mission: to improve maternal-child health by preventing unnecessary cesareans thru education, providing support for cesarean recovery, and promoting Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC). At evening meetings, time is spent on a specific topic (ex: planning a hospital VBAC, Dads & Cesareans, Recovering from Birth Trauma). Morning meetings are shaped to meet the needs of the women attending. |
|
Homes in Seattle and on Eastside |
4th Thursday at 10 am |
Traumatic Birth Experiences
|
Birth Trauma Support Group.
Kathy Cornack. 206-938-4089 |
donation |
Kathy Cornack,
doula |
For women feeling
traumatized by their birth experience. Babies welcome. |
Big Belly Services / Rainy
City Midwifery |
first Wednesday of each month. 7.30pm |
An informal support group offering
kinship, emotional support, information and referrral
to resources. |
Parent Education Programs for Parents and Children
Several local community colleges offer parent education programs for parents and their children, from birth through age 5. Programs may include: mom and baby playtimes, toddler groups, and co-operative pre-schools. Generally a fairly low-cost opportunity for recreation, making new friends, art and music activities for kids, and parent education and peer support. Contact:
•
North
•
Edmonds (425) 640-1665. • Highline
878-3710 x3460 •
Other Options
MANY, MANY more support groups and social groups can be found listed in the calendar in the Northwest Baby and Child newspaper. Available online at nwbaby.com
New parents may also enjoy:
Mommy and Me Exercise classes, Postpartum Yoga, Gymboree, Kindermusik,
Infant Massage classes, etc. Anything that brings you together with other new
parents!