The Womxn’s Centre is the first Carleton University centre to launch a student mother support group on campus.
The centre held its first meeting on Feb. 14 and has been holding meetings every Friday since from 2 to 4 p.m. The club runs on a drop-in basis, to accommodate the students’ different schedules.
The support group allows Carleton student mothers the chance to relax and chat about balancing motherhood and academics. Snacks, drinks and a supportive atmosphere are available for the mothers to enjoy during the meetings.
Other supports exist at the university for student mothers, such as subsidized childcare regulations for graduate students. This allows students with financial need to have childcare services covered at the on-campus Colonel By Child Care Centre by the City of Ottawa.
However, there was previously no peer support for the actual mothers themselves on-campus, according to Daniela Ochoa, the Womxn’s Centre’s administrative coordinator.
Having a strong support system is especially important for mothers. Without it, they can be vulnerable to mental illness.
Just over 17 per cent of Ottawa mothers self-reported a mental health concern, including symptoms of anxiety and depression, during pregnancy to their health care provider in 2018, according to Ottawa Public Health.
This number is also likely lower than the actual number of Ottawa mothers struggling with mental health issues as it only includes self-reported cases.
“I think [the mothers] really enjoyed meeting each other and getting to talk and everything,” Ochoa said of the success of the meetings.
“You can come in and relax, wind-down, and talk to other people that can relate to what you’re going through,” she added.
Featured image by Marieta-Rita Osezua.
