A groundbreaking initiative dedicated to fostering the well-being of expectant and new mothers has been launched by the RCSI Centre for Positive Health Sciences, in collaboration with the Dublin South, Kildare, and West Wicklow Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Working Group.

The Motherhood Programme will address the unique challenges faced by mothers during pregnancy and early motherhood. It is being launched as part of the Let’s Connect campaign, which is being run by the Minding Me Dublin South, Kildare and West Wicklow Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Working Group as part of World Maternal Mental Health Day.  

With a focus on promoting mental wellness, the programme offers a range of resources, support services and educational materials tailored to the needs of mothers and their families. The programme shares stories of women across Ireland as well as some tools and techniques to support well-being in areas including stress management, relationships, and sleep.  

Key features of the Motherhood Programme include:

• Online resources and information on maternal mental health and well-being 
• The Motherhood Podcast series sharing results from research conducted in Ireland and stories from women across Ireland 
• Resources and exercises on coping strategies and self-care techniques to support well-being during motherhood  

Dr Roisin O’Donovan, Postdoctoral Researcher, highlighted the importance of the course: “The Motherhood Programme is a valuable resource that is designed to address the maternal health and well-being needs that we have identified in our research. It provides evidence-based tools and information to help new parents build self-compassion during this time of change, to find ways to notice and appreciate the small joys and to let go of 'perfectionist' standards and accept that being a 'good enough' parent is more than enough.

“It offers support with areas including sleep, stress management, navigating relationships, connecting with community, managing worry and building positive emotion.”  

Established in 2019, the RCSI Centre for Positive Health Sciences is a unique academic centre that combines the scientific principles of positive psychology, positive organisational scholarship and lifestyle medicine to enhance health and well-being. The centre delivers several part-time academic programmes in positive health for health and allied professionals.   

Find out more about the free Motherhood Programme and how to get involved here.