8 week Pregnancy Group

The journey to motherhood is not for the faint of heart. Those who bear children understand what it has taken to get to the journey of motherhood. Surrounding yourself with others that are a similar spot in life can bring validation to the thoughts and feelings that a new mother is experiencing.

Some have weighed through infertility, others may have become pregnant unexpectedly, others may have been planning and conceived without issue, whatever your story is, there is space for you here.

Women have been gathering since the beginning – to share, to connect, to heal. This next phase of your life deserves that same level of community as other transitional life phases have benefited from.

Why Join?

The goals of this group are to help expecting and new mothers to:

  • Feel more present

  • Feel better about yourself during this journey

  • Increase self-compassion

  • Increase a sense of self-worth

  • Creating a less critical inner voice

  • Increase connections with others and yourself

  • Feeling prepared to go into this journey feeling more aligned with yourself so you can feel empowered to make the best decisions for yourself and your baby

  • Learn how to communicate with others and set boundaries with others as you enter into motherhood

  • Explore ways to communicate with your partner about how adding this new person into your relationship will impact your relationship with them and vice versa

In this support program we will cover topics that relate to the stage of becoming a mother that you are in, at any stage of pregnancy

Pregnancy, postpartum and parenting can be challenging, but it doesn't have to feel so overwhelming or lonely. This group offers virtual meet-up outside of the sessions to continue to support and build connections with those in the group to make your journey a little easier. The group is welcoming, open, and relaxed, led by therapists trained in Perinatal Mental Health with a focus on improving mental wellness to help you thrive, not just survive, during early parenting.

Group will start January 15, 2025 from 4:30pm-6pm and will run every Wednesday virtually for 8 weeks for $100/group

Consultation call with Stephanie Konter-O’Hara, LPC will occur prior to joining group to assure good-fit with group.

This group will be a mixture of support, process, psycho-education and mental health skills building to help everyone set up for success.

This group will have online videos and workbook to help you continue to prepare outside of group including prompts and exercises to do with your partner.

Group enrollment begins December 1st and final time to sign up for group will be December 30, 2024.

If you’re interested please email: hello@wellmindedcounseling.com to connect with Stephanie directly.


first phase

Exploring where you are on your journey towards motherhood & connecting with this new identity

Topics covered:

  • Changes that your mind and body will go through 

  • Talking to your healthcare providers: discovering different ways to advocate for yourself  

  • How to find support from other providers to help you have the experience you want prenatal and postnatal

  • Attachment styles: what are they, why are they important, and more

  • Childcare that feels best for your family 

  • What the heck with all these symptoms?

  • Sex/intimacy in this phase of life

  • Addressing fears and anxieties

  • Mental health considerations including: Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs), anxiety during pregnancy, depression during pregnancy, and perinatal bipolar mood disorders

  • Managing judgement and opinion from others

second phase

Preparing your mind, body and spirit for giving birth

Topics covered:

  • Connecting with your partner

  • Making decisions for yourself and your baby

  • Your pelvic floor and its importance

  • Hormonal changes to expect 

  • What boundaries do you want to have after birth 

  • Postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression

  • Breast-feeding/feeding preparation

  • Internal and external stressors in pregnancy, and surviving versus thriving in pregnancy

  • Boundary setting,

  • Planning on how to take care of your needs in all domains: basic self-care, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual

third phase

After birth, reconnecting to yourself while caring for your baby

Topics covered:

  • Healing after birth 

  • Telling of birth stories 

  • Restoring and nurturing your body and mind as a new mother 

  • Breast-feeding actual experience

  • You’re attachment to your baby and to yourself

  • Setting up well visits for yourself and ongoing self-care

  • Talking about your sleep and your baby sleep

  • Your relationship with your partner

  • Body changes

  • Sex drive/intimacy after birth

  •  Mindset and thinking patterns, self-criticism and self-judgment after birth

 

Why a group?

The intention of this group is to help expecting mothers and new mothers have a sense of community and build connections to help the journey of motherhood feel less lonely or isolating. Often new mothers have this feeling or belief that they have to go this journey alone or that you have to do this all by yourself. Especially in these early stages when being a new mother can feel like a lot, from the growing of a human, to the birthing of your child, to healing from brith yourself, to learning this new role and new self.

Finding a place where you can truly share your journey judgement free, feeling heard/understood, and connection is the not always easy in todays world. They say it takes a village to raise a child and in modern society thats not really built in to the current structure. So in order to build your own, I encourage you to reach out today.

Through group and intentional time spent together, the building of empathy, compassion, and connection can blossom. If you have an hour a week to be simply witnessed, held and supported, radical transformation and acceptance is possible.