Programme Description

Welcome to The Motherhood Programme.

This programme is designed to provide practical educational support to those who are pregnant, new parents, and their families and friends. It shares information and resources about wellbeing during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

At the beginning of every section, we will present some research findings about one area of health and wellbeing. These findings are based on a survey and interviews that were conducted across the Dublin South, Kildare and West Wicklow area to identify the health and wellbeing needs of pregnant and postpartum women living there. We collected 94 surveys and 6 interviews. This includes interviews with professionals who work in the area of health and wellbeing to capture their perceptions of the current needs of the pregnant or postpartum women they work with.

Click on any of the boxes below to start learning about any section of this programme.

The "Good Enough" Parent

Learn about the the "good enough" parent and how letting go of perfection can support your health and wellbeing during motherhood.

The Motherhood Podcast

Listen to the Motherhood Podcast to learn more about our research findings and to hear real stories from mothers living in Ireland.

Sleep

Sleep is an important part of both your physical and mental wellbeing. Because of this, it's important to try to get as much sleep as you can both during pregnancy and after having your baby. This can get more challenging after your baby is born and it's likely that you will be getting less sleep than you need. In this section, learn more about mothers' experiences with sleep, access some guided meditations that might help you sleep, and learn about "good enough" sleep.

Connecting with Community

Having a new baby is a wonderful and exciting time but it is also a time of huge change. This change can sometimes bring with it feelings of isolation and loneliness. It is important to know that you are not the only one experiencing this. Click into this section to learn more about experiences of loneliness and isolation after having your baby and ways you can connect with the people and community around you.

Navigating Relationships in Your New World

Our relationships play an important role in our health and wellbeing. This includes relationships with a partner, with parents, with friends and family members, as well as our relationship with ourselves. In this section you can learn more about how the women in our research experienced changes in their relationships after becoming a parent. You can also find resources and exercises for supporting relationships during parenthood.

Managing Worry and Building Positive Emotions

Because pregnancy and the postpartum period is a time of huge change, it can often bring with it some anxiety and worry. In this section, learn what to watch out for and find tips and tools to boost your positive emotions.

Services and Support

On this page you can find practical exercises to download and a list of services and supports that are available to you to support your mental health and wellbeing.