Because Moms Need Support Too
I recently wrote a blog post about the reality of postpartum and the struggles so many women experience after having a baby. Bringing a new baby into the world is an incredible and life-changing experience, but what often gets overlooked is what comes afterward.
The postpartum period is a time of intense physical, emotional, and mental adjustment. Many women quickly realize that postpartum life can be far more isolating and overwhelming than what is portrayed on social media and other platforms.
Clinical support for postpartum depression, anxiety, and the “baby blues” is incredibly important and should absolutely be utilized when needed. But women also need something beyond clinical care – community, connection, and the opportunity to be surrounded by other women who truly understand what they’re going through.
Having a space where you can talk openly, be heard without judgment, and simply realize that you are not the only one struggling can make such a difference.
A Local Resource for Long Island Moms
For women on Long Island, there is a peer-led community that was created specifically to help mothers navigate the postpartum period and remind them that they don’t have to go through it alone.
Beyond Motherhood – Bay Shore, NY
Created and founded by Lisa Lackner, PA-C, Beyond Motherhood is a safe and supportive space for women navigating the many emotions and challenges that come with motherhood and beyond. At its heart, it is about connection, understanding, and standing together so that no mother has to feel alone.
Lisa Lackner, PA-C, is a physician assistant and the founder of Beyond Motherhood, a postpartum support organization based in Bay Shore, NY. The organization focuses on helping women navigate perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs). After experiencing postpartum OCD, anxiety, and depression herself, including time in a partial hospitalization program, Lisa recognized just how difficult it could be to find the right resources and support. She set out to create the support system she wished she had during that time.
Beyond Motherhood offers peer-led support groups, lactation support, Pilates, and educational programming while working alongside clinical providers to provide mothers with comprehensive care. They also offer unique on-site child watch, allowing mothers to attend sessions while their babies are cared for nearby because getting the support you need shouldn’t mean having to choose between caring for yourself and being close to your child.
- Lisa Lackner, PA-C – Beyond Motherhood Founder
What Beyond Motherhood Believes
* Healing happens through connection.
* No mother should feel alone in her experience.
* Support should feel safe, human, and judgment-free.
* Every woman deserves a space to be heard and understood.
Why This Matters to Me
As a newborn photographer on Long Island, all my clients are right in the middle of the postpartum period. I know that many are struggling silently behind the smiles and the excitement of bringing home a new baby.
And as a mom myself, I understand how difficult postpartum can be. I have personally struggled with postpartum depression and I remember how incredibly alone I felt in those moments. Looking back, I wish I had a support group or community where I could have connected with other women who understood what I was experiencing.
Sometimes, even comments that may seem harmless – “You don’t seem like yourself” or “What’s wrong with you?”- can make a woman feel even more isolated when she is already struggling to understand what is happening to her.
The truth is, postpartum can be beautiful, difficult, joyful, exhausting, overwhelming, and lonely all at the same time. There is no single way you are supposed to feel.
If you are struggling during this season of motherhood, please know that you are not alone, and you don’t have to suffer in silence. There are people who understand, resources available to you, and communities where you can be heard without judgment.
For women on Long Island, Beyond Motherhood is one of those places. A community is waiting to remind you that what you’re feeling matters, that you deserve support, and that you don’t have to navigate motherhood alone.
www.beyondmotherhoodli.org
