Why Mothers’ Groups Matter More Than We Realise
When I look back on my early days of motherhood, what I remember most isn’t the milestones or the routines. It’s the feeling of being alone in a room full of love. I had a baby in my arms, and yet there were moments where I felt completely unseen and unsure of myself.
Motherhood can be incredibly isolating, even when everything looks “fine” from the outside.
That’s why I believe so deeply in mothers’ groups, not as something extra to do, but as something essential. Not because they teach you how to parent “properly”, but because they remind you that you’re not doing this alone.
When a mother walks into a group for the first time, she’s often carrying more than she realises. Exhaustion. Self-doubt. Anxiety. Grief for who she was before. Fear that everyone else is coping better than she is. I’ve seen it again and again. I’ve felt it myself.
And then something simple happens. She hears another mum say, “Me too.”
That moment matters more than we give it credit for.
Research consistently shows that mothers who participate in local mothers’ groups experience higher levels of social support, stronger community connection, and better mental wellbeing compared to mothers who don’t attend at all (Strange et al 2015) But what the research doesn’t fully capture is the relief in a mother’s shoulders when she realises she doesn’t have to hold it all together in that space.
Mothers’ groups create a place where things are normalised. Where feeding struggles, sleepless nights, relationship strain, identity loss, and intrusive thoughts can be spoken out loud without judgement. Where no one rushes to fix you. Where you’re allowed to arrive exactly as you are.
What I love most about mothers’ groups is that the support doesn’t just come from the facilitator, it comes from the circle. From watching another mum soothe her baby and realising there’s no one “right” way. From learning through shared experience rather than instruction. From friendships that grow naturally because you’re all in the same season together.
Studies have shown that mothers’ groups support peer learning, reduce isolation, and help build friendships and a sense of belonging within the local community, especially for mothers who have moved away from family or don’t have an existing support network (Strange et al 2015) That sense of belonging is powerful. It’s protective.
And it’s not just emotional.
Mothers who feel supported are more likely to feel confident in their parenting, less anxious, and more grounded in themselves. Social support has been identified as a key protective factor for maternal mental health, particularly in the postpartum period, when vulnerability is high and support needs are often underestimated (Strange et al 2015).
From my own experience, some of the most healing moments in motherhood didn’t happen in isolation, they happened sitting on a mat, holding a coffee gone cold, listening to another mum share something she thought she was the only one feeling.
Mothers’ groups don’t just support mothers in the moment. They create ripple effects. They help mothers feel more connected to their community, more confident to ask for help, and more able to trust themselves. Over time, that support is often internalised. A mother learns how to hold herself because she has first been held by others.
At Intuitive Mummas, this is why we place such a strong emphasis on connection over perfection. On presence over performance. On community over comparison.
And sometimes, all it takes to change a mother’s experience is a room where she feels safe enough to say, “This is hard,” and be met with understanding instead of advice.
That’s the quiet power of a mothers’ group. And that’s why I will always advocate for them.
