Pilot baby group empowers new mums

August 6, 2025

When CatholicCare Counsellor, Stefanie became a mother she felt very prepared for the pregnancy, the birth and the first few days as there seemed to be an array of information about these stages. However, she felt like there was a missing piece in the support available for new mums.

“There is plenty of practical information and support during pregnancy and birth, but then mums find themselves home alone with their babies and the flurry of questions begin … how do I connect with my child? Am I correctly interpreting their needs? How do I play with my baby?” she says.

Determined to fill the gap in support for new mums, Stefanie piloted a four week group in Brookvale this year for mothers and their babies. The aim of the group was to provide a nurturing environment for new mums to strengthen the bond with their baby, while learning about the principles of secure attachment whilst connecting with other mums.

Stefanie explains that a key driver for the group was the need for new mums to build connections. “Since COVID a lot of parents have been speaking about the struggle to connect with community, and we know that isolation can affect their connection with their baby.”

According to the National Mental Health Commission post-natal depression affects 16% of new mothers in Australia and can have impacts on an infant’s cognitive, behavioural and social development. By arming mothers with a community of other women and skills to connect with their baby, the goal was to empower them to embark on their motherhood journey with confidence.

“Week one of the group was all about infant massage,” Stefanie says. “We spoke about connecting with our babies through touch, and the mums got to practice infant massage on their babies. It was a big hit!”

The second week was all about attachment, connecting with baby and recognising their needs. We cover the changes that come with having a baby, particularly when it comes to our relationships and looked at ways we can care for each other and ourselves.

Week three was a popular one as the mothers and babies engaged in sensory play. “We wanted to show parents how easy sensory play can be,” Stefanie says. “If you look on social media it can be intimidating to see all the fancy activities that parents are doing, but we wanted to showcase how easy it can be. Sensory play is so important for a baby’s development, and you don’t have to buy anything specific. We spent the session playing with scarves threaded through balls, playing with mirrors, singing, and reading books.”

The goal of the fourth week was to tie everything together. “We made shaker bottles for the babies, and the mums opened up about their journeys from birth to now,” Stefanie says.

Kelly, who attended the group with her 7 month old daughter was grateful for the opportunity to share her thoughts and emotions in a safe place. “My child could just crawl around and explore while I took everything in,” Kelly says. “Baby massage gave me a new tool to interact with my baby and I appreciated the opportunity to hear from others.”

Stefanie says that programs like this are rare. There aren’t many groups that take mums through an experiential journey where they can connect with their baby in different ways and have someone available every week to answer questions.

Participants really benefited from the opportunity to normalise the struggles of new parenthood and talk through the emotional ups and downs.

We know now, more than ever before, how crucial those first 2000 days are to a child’s development and lifelong wellbeing. Moving forward, Stefanie and her team look forward to empowering more mums to create solid connections and healthy foundations in those deeply challenging and chaotic, but very precious days.