About Postpartum Support Center
Postpartum Support Center (PPSC) is a community-based nonprofit organization focused on the well-being of expectant and new parents and their families. Our purpose is to help perinatal families navigate the postpartum period, reduce parental stress, build effective support systems, and prevent postpartum depression whenever and wherever possible.
PPSC works with hospitals, clinics, local organizations, and other partners to bring our programs to parents and their families in need in our community. We provide more than support, we provide hope and relief.
PEER SUPPORT
Via text, phone call, chat, support group, face-to-face
Feeling sad, worried or overwhelmed? You are NOT alone! We are here for you.
PPD PREVENTION
The ROSE is an evidence-based program that teaches pregnant women skills to prevent PPD.
MARIN DIAPER BANK
To request diapers or to find out about community diaper need and where to drop off donations, click below.
WANT TO HELP?
Learn how YOU can make a difference, how to volunteer, donate, or take action. Your help is needed.
WHY NEW PARENTS NEED SUPPORT?
Women face unique physiological demands from pregnancy, labor and delivery, and recovery, while also typically doing most of the child-rearing and housework. New mothers run an increased risk of developing Postpartum Depression and Anxiety through exposure to chronic stress, decreased social support, and the fast pace of modern life.
Many women enter motherhood without a support system in place.
Developmental scientists consider parenthood one of the biggest transitions in life—one that changes the brains, endocrine systems, behaviors, identities, and relationships. Without support, relationships can be strained to the brink, and depression and anxiety can set in.
The effects of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders are wide-reaching. They affect the mother, partner, child, extended family, workplace, community, etc. Perinatal Mental Health Disorders can have a ripple effect on society in addition to their effects on the parent, who is often suffering in isolation and often without information, resources, understanding, or help. Some of the societal impacts of PMADs include:
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Breakdowns in marriages/relationships
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Family conflicts
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Interruption of attachment between parent and child
Studies show that when a child is exposed to conflict in the home a range of issues can later develop, including drug/alcohol addiction, learning difficulties, mental illness, suicide, and delinquency.
Fatherhood is a time of major adjustment in many different ways: one's identity, responsibilities, routines, and relationships may all change. This adjustment period brings stress which, when it builds up, can put dad's mental health at risk.
Since partners don’t experience all the physical changes of pregnancy and childbirth, they may not begin to really feel like a parent until after the baby’s birth. This can be especially true if they are in a same-sex relationship, using a surrogate or adopting.
Often, partners feel like they don’t ‘fit in’ with the pregnancy experience, given that so much of the attention is focused on the pregnant woman. This can be a real struggle for partners, leaving some feeling left out of the experience.
