Postpartum resource group provides assistance for mothers

Moms can feel a lot of shame about their feelings surrounding parenthood and meeting with others in support groups can help them feel connected in isolation.

“It helps them to diminish the shame,” says Postpartum Resource Group Network Director Brooke Jaszczak “It creates an aspect of community and helps them feel not alone. And moms can build each other up, they can encourage each other.”

The Postpartum Resource Group of Kalispell offers peer support groups, doula home visits and Mother In Need fund, which is a small monthly scholarship to help ease the financial burden for struggling parents.

“I think moms feel like if they have to ask for help, they're not a very good mom,” Jaszczak said. “Good moms don't need to ask for help with childcare or cooking meals. Good moms don't feel like it's hard.”

The organization aims to provide help for moms. It’s raising funds for the services it provides through its fourth annual Run For Mother’s Sake 5K, 10K and fun run event on Sunday in Kalispell on the Parkline Trail.

The organization was founded by local midwife Jana Sund, who was dealing with a mood disorder postpartum. Sund had patients who were also struggling with postpartum depression and anxiety, so she started meeting with a small group of them. This support system started coming together on a regular basis and is the foundation of the organization.

Jaszczak said the support groups are open to moms in any stage of life, not just those in the throes of postpartum.

Postpartum mood disorders are not the same as “the baby blues,” a term used to describe the worry, sadness and tiredness many women experience after having a baby, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC said one in eight women in the United States experience symptoms of postpartum depression, which can include frequent crying, feelings of rage, feeling distant from the baby or incompetence of caring for them. In more severe cases, symptoms can also include thoughts of the mother hurting herself or the baby.

According to the Postpartum Resource Group, there is an increased risk of developing a mood disorder during the perinatal period due to hormonal changes, physical changes related to pregnancy and stress related to role, among many other factors.

The group has partnered with area health care providers who will refer patients to their services during their follow-up appointments after the baby’s birth. They will ask trained doulas who volunteer their time to visit with moms and evaluate their needs, which might include needing to take a nap or needing assistance with food.

“The provider usually does assessments on the mother's mental health postpartum, this is just standard procedure. And they can then refer her to us if that mom is already diagnosed with a mood disorder or at risk of being diagnosed,” Jaszczak said.

The group’s newest resource is called The Village, referring to the proverb “it takes a village to raise a child.” Meal trains for the program are provided in good faith by a list of volunteer community members just looking to give back.

Participants in the Sunday event have the option to walk or run 1 mile, a 5K or 10K. It begins at SunRift Beer Company where participants will run west on the Parkline Trail.

Following the race, an after-party at SunRift Beer Company will include games for kids, live music and food trucks. There will also be booths from local health care providers. The after-party is free to attend, though all proceeds from the event go toward Postpartum Resource Group services.

For more information or to sign up for the run, visit postpartumresourcegroup.org.

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4433 or by emailing tinman@dailyinterlake.com.