Life was not going well for Angela. DSS had just taken away her 4 month old daughter because of problems she was having, many of which were related to her postpartum depression. She was devastated, and had no where to go. She felt stigmatized and ashamed and was deeply grieving the loss of her baby. Was it her fault that she had postpartum depression? Was she truly a "failure" as a mother? She was haunted by these questions.

Depressed and frightened, Angela found MotherWoman's Postpartum Stress Support Group, the only weekly support group designed for mothers experiencing postpartum stress, depression and anxiety in all of Central and Western MA, and the entire states of CT and VT. Within months, Angela's life was turning around. Rather than feeling depressed, stigmatized and alone, she felt accepted, respected and supported by a community of women for the first time in her life. Our compassionate, empowering group approach helped her to realize that postpartum depression is common and can happen to anybody. She felt supported and found all kinds of resources she needed to get back on her feet again. Her depression lifted and she won regular visits with her daughter.

Six months later Angela came back to the group pregnant again. She was frightened but determined to do things differently this time. She came to the group every single week and found support, built her self esteem and developed skills to ensure that she would be a more effective mother to this new baby. A few weeks before she was due to give birth, the group held a Blessing Way for her, telling her of the strengths they saw in her and offering her encouragement for her birth. Angela was in tears. Never before had she received such unconditional love and support from a group of women.

People who saw Angela when she first came to the MotherWoman group saw a frightened, insecure, fragile girl. When she came back to the group with her new baby, she was a smiling, proud and confident young woman. She is emphatic that the support and skills she received from the MotherWoman group were the number one reason why she is a better mother to her second child. What the MotherWoman group gave Angela was self respect when she had none, confidence when she had none, a safe place to talk about her many feelings where she had none, access and referrals to important community resources, and a community of women who believed in her.

Now Angela is doing well. She is taking good care of her new baby, and she is re-gaining custody of her first child. She says her life will never be the same. She thanks MotherWoman for making her the mother and woman she is today. This, and the stories of many other women, is why we need MotherWoman.

Help us get hotter and hotter Fund raising thermometer to track your fund raising events

What will we do with $100,000? Maintain & expand our programs to reach more mothers Groups and Retreats- supporting mothers of all ages Postpartum Support Initiative- supporting the emotional health of pregnant & postpartum mothers & their families MomsRising of the Pioneer Valley- impacting legislation & policy MotherWoman Journal Amazing community events Improve infrastructure Pay our staff- all mothers- a basic living wage MotherWoman is currently running on adrenaline, faith, caffeine (fair trade of course) and a little money. Our current situation is unsustainable. More funds are needed for MotherWoman to survive and thrive.

YES! I will help MotherWoman survive and thrive. Please accept my tax deductible contribution to support MotherWoman's vital work Donate via PayPal: Or make checks payable to: MotherWoman, Inc. 79 South Pleasant St Amherst, MA. 01002 Any amount welcome. Email MotherWoman at circle@motherwoman.org if you'd like to be contacted with information about volunteer opportunities. Thank you for your support!