The Motherkind Café is a mum and baby group with a difference. It was set up to support mums with their mental health and wellbeing after having a baby. We think giving women space to explore motherhood honestly in a safe, non-judgemental environment is an essential part of navigating the often rough seas of becoming a parent. We are also a place you can come and say if you are worried about your mental health in any way in an informal, non-clinical environment. Estimates suggest around 1 in 10 women will be diagnosed with a post-natal mental health condition after giving birth, but we know many, many more often struggle in silence.
The Motherkind Café is run by volunteer peer supporters. We are all mums who understand what it’s like to struggle with your mental health after having a baby or have experienced finding motherhood overwhelming, exhausting, and stressful. We aren’t clinically trained and we can’t offer any specific therapy, but we can talk to you about the professional services in Oxford where you may be able to get more help and we are happy to just listen.
We want to break the stigma of talking openly about postnatal mental health. At our weekly drop-in sessions, you can come and chat to us about how you’re feeling and speak to other local mums who might be feeling the same. Once a month, we also run a circle session, where we will discuss a particular aspect of motherhood as a group. This might be sleep, relationships, birth, or various other topics. Sometimes they are led by a peer supporter and sometimes we will have external practitioners come to run them for us. Look out for what’s on each week on our Facebook page.
You don’t need a referral or diagnosis to come to a session: you can just decide to turn up on the day and drop in any time on Friday mornings, from 10.30 am to 11.45 am in the meeting room at Flo’s in Florence Park. We are a women-only space, but partners or friends are welcome to sit in the café next door. Babies and pre-school children can come with you too and we have toys and mats to keep them occupied, and there is tea, coffee, and biscuits for the grown-ups.
Don’t suffer in silence: we all find it hard! If you are worried about your mental health, please talk to your health visitor or GP first, and if you’d like to come and chat to us, then the kettle will be on. To find out more, visit our Facebook page, message us, or email us at [email protected].
If you are a midwife, health visitor, or other healthcare professional interested in our work, then you would be welcome to visit one of our sessions, though please do contact us to let us know first.