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The Mummy Buddy Program – Making a Difference in the Lives of First-time Mothers in WA
Posted 14 May 2019
For this year’s National Volunteer Week, we’re sharing our platform with some of our partners, to profile how volunteers make the world of difference to local organisations and communities throughout WA.
The Mummy Buddy Program is part of an initiative developed by the Psychology of Active Healthy Living Group at the University of Western Australia.
The program is focused on assisting first-time mothers navigate the challenges of motherhood by providing them with support through a Mummy Buddy. The pilot phase of the program has yielded positive results and plans are currently underway to expand it further.
Our Mummy Buddy volunteers are women with children in the Perth area. They are part of a team that is trying to make a difference in the lives of first-time mothers in Western Australia. These women are paramount to the experience our program participants have (i.e., first-time mothers). Our volunteers are motivated by their desire to:
- Help other women to manage the challenges of motherhood
- Share their experience
- Give back to society
- Be connected to the larger community
As a mummy buddy, these women go through training to enhance their communication skills, spend time to work with first-time mothers to plan for the challenges in the postpartum period, support those first-time mothers through those challenges, and provide countless hours as a listening ear when needed.
Some of the challenges that our mummy buddies typically help with include:
- Sleep deprivation
- Lack of social support
- Dealing with expectations and criticisms
- Baby related tasks
- Purchase advice (e.g., strollers, car seats)
The time and effort that our mummy buddies have put into the program and in supporting first-time mothers have made a difference in the lives of many women in Perth.
About Psychology of Active Healthy Living (PAHL) Group
The UWA-based PAHL group, overseen by Drs James Dimmock and Ben Jackson, undertakes research aimed at improving people’s physical and mental health. The group is based within UWA’s School of Human Sciences. You can learn more about the group on their Facebook page.