LAKE COUNTY >> Maternal mental health disorders are often under-recognized, even though they can affect any mom and are the number-one complication of childbirth.
About 20 percent of expecting and new moms experience a maternal mental health complication, including postpartum depression, with effects that are potentially devastating for moms, their babies, families, and communities.
Mother-Wise is a safety net for Lake County moms, offering a surprising amount of support (at no cost) in an effort to help prevent or minimize the effects of maternal mental health disorders. The Mother-Wise approach depends on community people and resources to provide individualized support. Program services include a stock of donated supplies, weekly moms’ groups in Lakeport, and home visits with trained volunteers called Saathis, which is Sanskrit for companion.
May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month, and the Mother-Wise team invites the community to join them on Tuesday, May 8 for an official proclamation, followed immediately by an open house at their Lakeport office. The declaration is at 9:10 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Chambers at the Lake County Courthouse (Lakeport), and the open house is just a short walk from the courthouse at 180 N. Main St., Lakeport.
This is an opportunity to see where moms meet up weekly, meet program staff, and find out how you can be a part of the solution.
On Sunday, May 20, Mother-Wise will host a presentation of Dark Side of the Full Moon, a captivating documentary that lays bare some hard truths about postpartum depression, and promises to change the way we think about maternal mental health. The film will show at 2 p.m. at the Soper Reese Theater in Lakeport and will be followed by a community forum on the topic.
Finally, registration is now open for the next Mother-Wise volunteer training on Saturday, June 23 from 9-5 p.m. For questions about the program or any upcoming events, please call the Program Director, Jaclyn Ley, at (707) 349-1210.
Jaclyn Ley is the Mother-Wise Program Director.
