“I was feeling very low and angry”

A Montgomery mother-of-four has opened up about the mental health challenges that she has faced by telling others who may be going through similar that they are not alone.

Georgina Taylor, 35, said that the birth of her fourth child coincided with her third being diagnosed with autism, leaving her feeling as though her world had come crashing down on her all at once. 

“I was feeling very low and angry and I was trying to block out that one of my children had additional needs,” she said.

“Trying to juggle it all, and contend with the diagnosis at the same time, I just felt as though I wasn’t being the mum I should have been to my children.

“It was difficult relating to other mums too, as most didn’t seem to connect with what I was going through in terms of having an autistic child. I felt really quite isolated and struggled to make friends.”

Georgina took part in a Mums Matter course, organised by Mid and North Powys Mind, after her son’s autism nurse suggested it might help her.

She said: “The course helped me to understand how important selfcare was, and that I needed to just stop every so often and give myself time to breathe – whether that’s by taking a short walk or having a bath. It’s given me the confidence to know that I deserve that time to myself.”

After completing the course, and with the support of Tracy Lewis, Mums Matter facilitator, Georgina set up a peer support group for parents of children with additional needs.

She said: “Being a volunteer has given me something else to focus on, and it helps me manage my mental health. Seeing like-minded people on a regular basis is so important to me.”

Mums Matter has been designed to help mums with low to moderate mental health needs, such as depression or anxiety, with a focus on prevention.

In addition to the formal course sessions, there are ongoing peer support groups and social activities, including a weekly Zumba class, that all Mums Matter participants are invited to take part in, enabling them to build and maintain lasting friendships. 

All sessions include a supervised crèche that is also free to access. The programme has been running in Mid and North Powys Mind for over five years with a new May course opening up in Welshpool. Zoom classes are also available for those who can’t attend in person. 

Tracy, the Mums Matter facilitator, said: “Becoming a mum can be very isolating, particularly for those of us living in rural areas.

“New responsibilities, feelings of self-doubt and the struggle to get out and about and see friends can all impact negatively on a new mum’s mental health. So many of the mums I meet worry that they’re not good enough – which couldn’t be further from the truth.

“Our Mums Matter course offers practical tools and guidance around self-esteem, unhelpful thinking patterns, money management, sleep problems, birth trauma, feeding problems and so much more.

“We also offer one-to-one sessions, and regularly signpost mums to other Mind services and external support groups should they have any additional needs.”

To find out more or to sign up to a course email mums@mnpmind.org.uk or call/text 07960 271696.

PICTURE: A Mum’s Matter group with Tracy Lewis, Mums Matter facilitator (front row, fourth from left).