How to Start a Mothers' Support Group

Mothers can get encouragement from other mothers.

Support groups are designed to get individuals facing the same situations together so that they can share information and encourage each other through difficult times. Becoming a mother is both a joyful experience, and a scary one. There is so much to learn that it can be very beneficial to belong to a mothers' support group. If you do not have a mothers' support group in your area, you may want to start your own.

Things You'll Need

• Notebook
• Pencil
• Volunteers
• Meeting location
• Meeting date
• Meeting schedule

Instructions

1. Decide what type of mothers' support group you want to have. You may want to start a breastfeeding support group, mothers of preschoolers support group, or a support group for mothers of disabled children. You could also start a support group for working mothers, or one for stay-at-home moms.

2. Make appointments to attend other support groups in the area to see how they are run. Preferably, you want to visit other mothers' support groups. However, if there aren't any, visit any support group to get a general idea about how such groups operate. Take a notebook and a pencil and record the order of the meetings, and anything else you observe. Stay after and ask the coordinator any questions that you may have.

3. Get a few volunteers to help you begin the support group. You might want to find a volunteer who can do the recruiting, or advertising for the support group. You may need another person who is good at organization and can plan meetings and events for the support group. You may also want to find a volunteer who can make sure that an appropriate venue is secured prior to meetings. Remember, each mother will have a different talent. As a coordinator, your job is to find out what that talent is and put it to good use.

4. Find a central location for meeting with your support group, and pick dates for your meetings. Ideal locations for a mothers' support group include schools, hospitals, and churches. It is best if you pick the same date each month, or the same day each month. For example, you could have your meetings on the first of each month, or on the third Wednesday of each month.

5. Meet with the volunteers to discuss whether you will charge a membership fee to fund group events, or whether you will hold fundraisers. Have a plan in place before you open the group up to members of the community.

6. Create a plan for the first meeting. Plan out the order of the meeting, such as socializing time, new annoucements, the agenda, and time for any new suggestions.

7. Start advertising for members of your mothers' support group. Know ahead of time how many members you can accept. You may want to keep the group small, or you may want to limit the number of members to the maximum occupancy of the meeting location.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider offering some healthy snacks and water at each meeting.

• Take advantage of free advertising. Support groups qualify for free public service announcements.

References

• Inter Faith Disability: How to Start a Support Group
• How to Care: Support Groups/Self Help Groups