Questions to ask about who is facilitating your mums group

This blog post may be a confrontational, but this one needs to be said.

As society becomes more aware of the needs of new mums, we are seeing more support options offered. Sometimes this support can be in the form of mothers groups, fourth trimester groups or in home assistance. Targeted support is important but, with no requirements or experience needed to run these groups, I encourage new mum’s to step back and ask what qualifications does the person have who is running the group?

You might ask why is this important?

In Australia we have 1 in 3 women describing their birth as traumatic and 1 in 10 reporting obstetric violence during birth. Haphazardly talking about birth stories in a fourth trimester group can be extremely triggering and traumatic. If it isn’t being facilitated by someone who is trained and understands these challenges, we can re-traumatise mums who have come along seeking connection and friends.

I believe that anyone facilitating a fourth trimester or mums group must look after the mums that turn up each week. It is a core responsibility to be able to refer on mums who are experiencing distress and to know how support a mum who shares their account of a distressing birth.

So when you are deciding on your mums group, find out if they have a FREE trial. That way you can see if it is the right one for you. If they don’t offer a FREE trial ask the following questions;

💖 Who is facilitating the group?

💖 Who is presenting at each session?

💖 What experience do they have in the fourth trimester? (you want more then solely their own lived experience)

💖 What relevant qualifications do they hold?

As a Certified Postpartum Doula, Certified Lamaze Childbirth Educator and Babywearing Educator who also has a Bachelor in Health Education, I pride myself on ensuring that the information that I give my parents who attend my Mums n Bubs sessions at the YMCA, is evidence based and I also refer on to other professionals when needed. I also won’t schedule to talk as a group about your birth story, unless a mum wants to share this.

So please when picking a mums group, ask the important questions and ensure the person who is facilitating the group has the qualifications to do so.

If you are looking for recommendations on mums groups in the Ipswich and Springfield check out my blog here and if you want to know how to find the best mums group, read my other blog post on how finding a mums group is like speed dating.