Peer Support in Action

One of the primary services of our mission is providing peer support to new and expecting families. The desire to seek the support of a village, particularly through the perinatal period, is biologically hardwired into our systems. Community has always been a pivotal part of human survival.

Both the medicalization of birthing - which intentionally stripped birthing families of the comprehensive and emotional aspects of traditional midwifery care - and, the increasingly transient nature of our communities, makes raising babies within the trusted and supportive village we innately crave incredibly hard to come by.

Isolation during this time can significantly impact mood, nervous system regulation, and access to infant care education, all affecting the parent and the infant. The isolation can literally hurt. The relief of knowing you are not alone can provide a hope one might only understand if they've ever lacked support in the first place.

Going to the support groups allowed me the opportunity to be seen in a period of time in my life that was deeply dark and lonely. - Sarah

Our first endeavor as a nonprofit was to create a free, easily accessible and judgment free peer support group environment with the goal of having options to suit different schedules, locations and needs around the greater Charlotte area.

While our offerings have evolved several times over last four and a half years, including the massive pivot required by the COVID 19 pandemic, we have stay consistent and have remained a reliable, safe, and welcoming space for those seeking support.

Our facilitators are trained in the common warning signs of mood disorders and understanding our own implicit bias. Our format is focused on the caregivers wellbeing to provide a listening ear, evidence based information and perspective where desired, a place to meet others on the same journey and sometimes, an extra set of hands to be "hands free" for a just moment and focus on themselves. True to one of our guiding mantras - "When we take care of the parent, we're also taking care of the baby!"

MBB has shown me that there is support available to me and that there are many other mothers struggling with the same issues that I am. - Celin

So far in 2022, Mind Body Baby has hosted 120 free, recurring groups with over 480 caregivers wanting to join us. It is our desire to have more location options, including reviving our West side and North West Groups, aa well as, adding a North East and Spanish speaking group. And we are thrilled to see increasing numbers of other independent peer groups popping up that didn't exist when we started. We love to share those groups on our resource website, in addition to our own.

However, reliable peer support groups require reliable locations and reliable, trained facilitators. This one of the vital ways sustaining donors are the life blood of our work. Need has only grown since the pandemic with an estimated 25-35% increase in already very high numbers of traumatic births and perinatal mood disorders - mental health resources have not grown to match the need.

We need your help to remain a safe space to be counted on.

Become a sustaining donor today.

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I thought it was the end and I wasn’t going to make it a lot of days because of the birth trauma I experienced. Through it all, MBB helped me persevere and have more compassion for myself and family. - Kelly