The peer support intents to provide a shared space for new moms to talk about their experiences, emotions, challenges and stories. It is not a place for providing or seeking therapy. It is a place where people know they are not alone and can reach out to their peers for support. This peer support is specially for those who are new mothers, to build connections and help each other through this phase of their lives.

We run a community centre and have started multiple support groups. We believe that intervention is required at multiple levels and support of multiple kinds is beneficial. A sense of belonging and being understood as well as being able to support someone else are important factors in one’s emotional contentment, sense of self and capacity to cope with everything life may throw at you independent of the specific topic of the support group.

The facilitator, Prity Maniar is a person of lived experience. She is a new mom herself, who has experienced a miscarriage and an infant loss. She is a Postpartum Doula and prenatal Postnatal fitness expert. She also run a support group for women who have been through miscarriage stillbirth and Infant loss.

Notes: The above information may change from time to time, and is shared with you to understand the background of where the support group comes from.

The group was founded in March 2024. Our intention for the future is to create a space for new moms to share their struggles and speak freely about their experiences with peers who might be feeling the same way. The aim is to create a community of individuals who can support one another through the different phases of motherhood.

Support Group for New Moms. Those mothers who have a newborn or an infant and would like a space where they can share their struggles of early motherhood.

We created a plan for the first few sessions based on the experience of the lived experience expert. We then take suggestions from the group about specific things they may want to discuss or share. We have also curated resources as this is not therapy and mental health is intersectional so there may be needs that this support group cannot meet. We like to go into depth for all our topics and look at them from a practical, day to day implication-point of view. We hold space and allow for venting but foster hope.

We have in house therapists, we know of external group therapy resources in case someone would like to go deeper. We also have a resource list for other needs that arise in everyone’s life because mental health is intersectional. We also have trained gatekeepers in suicide prevention and first aid and de-escalation.

Our team and psychologist are trained in suicide prevention. We do not do therapy. We only allow people above the age of 18. We are not wheelchair accessible but we could potentially put the person on a chair if that’s possible and carry them up. We can’t speak sign language.

Browse our website’s list of Peer support sessions. Register for the date you want to attend. Once you register once, we ask if you want to come regularly or just register every time you intend on attending Reach Out

Lived experience expert introduces the topic, it’s discussed as a group, different people share, the facilitator allows for whoever wants to speak to get a chance. Each session ends with a different kind of winding-down/meditation.

The session will start and end on time. Please arrive 5 minutes prior to the start of the session. If someone is more than 10 minutes late, we don’t allow them in. It will be a confidential space. Participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed. Members are encouraged to share their experiences that contribute to their journey. Kindly speak with respect and sensitivity as diverse viewpoints may exist within the group. Please do not interrupt other members while talking. You may raise your hand if you wish to speak. We will not be having a round of introduction, each participant may introduce themselves as they speak. Kindly note this is peer support and not professional intervention. If you feel overwhelmed, feel free to excuse yourself and step out for a while. Please ensure your phone is on silent mode and put it away in your bag. Recording of the session is not allowed to maintain confidentiality. The session will be conducted in English. This is a group where new members may join in for any session. The group is open for people from the community, their caregivers and support system.

We hope they feel heard, seen and understood. We hope they feel less alone in their experiences. We hope they feel the gratitude that comes with being able to support someone else, even if that is just holding space for them. We hope they learn tools or perspectives or insights from people going through similar situations.