Words by: Carla Louise Gailey
Carla chatted to Carmen Levey and Mama-Aso Peprah, founders of The Nurture Hub, a platform that empowers and supports mothers through their journey of motherhood.
The Nurture Hub initially started as a consultation service to help moms in the immediate postpartum period, and has quickly evolved to more comprehensive parenting support service, through pregnancy and beyond. Founded by Carmen Levey (physiotherapist and mom of two) and Mama-Aso Peprah (OBGyn and mom of two) with a shared vision to support moms in their journey through motherhood.
The idea for The Nurture Hub was born out of Carmen’s experiences with postpartum depression and anxiety and Mama-Aso’s experiences with a complicated pregnancy and delivery. The two women met through a mutual friend and quickly realized that they shared a passion for supporting mothers, and thus The Nurture Hub was born. Both women recognized the lack of support available to mothers and wanted to create a platform that would provide a safe and supportive community for mothers to share their experiences, have access to information, resources and support on all aspects of maternal and child health while receiving expert guidance and advice. The goal of The Nurture Hub is to empower moms with knowledge and support so that they can make informed decisions and feel confident in their parenting journey.
“We offer support during pregnancy, birth scenario workshops, in-hospital and home support for postpartum issues (infant feeding/wound care/mental health screening), postpartum evaluation, rehabilitation and educational content. We do this through online webinars, in-person workshops, in-hospital and home consultations, public speaking and support groups”, explains Carmen and Mama-Aso. “The aim is not necessarily to provide moms with information, as there is a plethora out there. We aim to provide parents with tools: tools to help them cope with change, to address stress and burnout, recognise mental health issues and to build resilience. Tools to ask for help, build a support system and to reintegrate back into society and the work force, where necessary. A lot of what we do is assisted by a large referral network, all of whom are experts in their field. We rely on the inter-referral system to identify and assist these parents, where we can’t. We believe that this sort of care needs to be made available to every single parent out there. There is a gap in pregnancy care and services rendered and we wonder if some of it then leads to mental health challenges. We hope to help fill that gap”.
Carla: What are some of the common challenges you see moms facing today?
Carmen: For me, as I think it is for a lot of moms, it was unrealistic expectations of pregnancy and birth, lack of social support (parents, friends etc), the stigma around mental health and its prevalence, and our inability to ask for help. The “village” is gone. We are expected and expect to be able to handle everything ourselves, and we can’t.
Mama-Aso: Most moms these days are working and trying to raise our children, trying to be perfect in every aspect. This can lead to stress, burnt out and mental health distress. I saw a lot of those struggles in my practice and struggled with them myself.
Carla: Can you share a memorable moment from your work with moms?
Carmen: Mama-Aso always laughs at me when I say this, but my favourite moments are when a mom cries. This means that she feels comfortable enough to show you her vulnerability. Those are the moms that we are able to help because they have accepted that they need help and are often very receptive to it. It means they have found a safe space with us or our support group, and so every tear is a success story for me.
Mama-Aso: We often meet new moms that are overwhelmed and unprepared for their new babies. To be able to help them through their struggles and eventually realise that the power is in them as mothers is the most satisfying thing.
Carla: What advice would you give to new moms who may be struggling to find balance or seeking support and guidance?
Carmen & Mama-Aso: The mental load of the modern mother is insurmountable. You cannot do this alone, so ask for help, and be specific in your requests. Becoming a parent brings great joy, but also great change in your life, and this change is not without consequences. Asking for help can come in the form of recruiting family to help when possible, being honest about your needs, and seeing a coach to address all the mental and emotional changes that becoming a parent uncovers. A lot of what we tell moms in consultations is something we have learnt recently through our own journeys. We are both continuously learning ourselves!
