August 1, 2012

It’s called “Welcome to Motherhood” and it’s a support group for new moms.

“This is the place to just ask the questions. There’s no fee,” said Betsy Collins, Maternity Education at Martha Jefferson Hospital.

Cindy Printiss has a five month old son and decided to check out the support group a few months ago.

“I kind of was bewildered and overwhelmed with the responsibility of having a new one so it was very refreshing to be around other parents and see that they were going through the same things that I was going through,” said Printiss.

Whether it’s learning more about how to feed the baby or the best ways to get your spouse or partner involved, staff members say this is a good opportunity for mothers to do a little teaching.

“As staff, we facilitate the group, but we’re not there to tell them as a class to do this and that. It is really a sharing of moms,” said Collins.

Printiss says having mothers share their own experiences is what makes the group work.

“You can't put a check list out there and just have people say this happens or this is what I do because it doesn't happen like that in the real world. You will get thrown for loops, you will have a lot of surprises, and it's really good that you know you're not the only one being surprised,” said Printiss.

Not only is the support group helpful for moms, Printiss says it can also be good for babies and give moms an indication of their future development.

“You’ll get to see what they’ll be developing like if one child is one month ahead, etc,” said Printiss.

The “Welcome to Motherhood” support group meets every first and third Thursday of the month at Martha Jefferson’s Education Center located next to the hospital.

The class runs from 10:30-12 and moms can drop it at any time.