UAMS Begins New Moms Support Group

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences recently began the New Moms Support Group, which is free and open to any woman who has become a mother in the last year.

The support group meets each Thursday from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at the Parent Center, 5905 Forest Place, Suite 205, in Little Rock, providing new moms a chance to share their experiences and get expert parenting tips.

"Sometimes new moms need tips or a shoulder to cry on, and sometimes they need to share with someone who knows the joy of a first smile or sleeping more than four hours," said Allison Montiel, a labor and delivery nurse at UAMS. Expectant parents, new moms (adoptive or birth) and grandparents are welcome. Child care for older children during the support group meetings is available, but advance notice is necessary so that arrangements for care can be made, Montiel said.

The New Moms Support Group is sponsored by UAMS ANGELS (Antenatal and Neonatal Guidelines, Education and Learning System) and the Centers for Youth and Families, a Little Rock-based not-for-profit that provides help for emotionally and behaviorally disturbed youth and prevention services to at-risk youth.

"Central Arkansas has a wealth of community resources for new parents, and sometimes it just takes making a connection to get the help that they need. The New Moms Support Group is that connection," Montiel said. Parenting experts will share advice on topics such as sleep, feeding, attachment parenting, changing relationships, new roles, transitioning back to work, developmental stages, anxiety, baby blues and positive coping techniques. The group is led by Barbara Baldwin, a social worker for ANGELS, Sharon Long, a parent educator from the Centers for Youth and Families, and Montiel. All are mothers.

Guest experts also will address topics such as immunizations, breast-feeding tips, postpartum body care, developmental stages and baby massage.