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Becoming a parent is an incredible experience because you go from essentially only needing to worry about yourself to then having a cute, tiny human that is totally reliant on you. Before having children, this shift can feel overwhelming, and sometimes it is. However, the great majority of those feelings are those of gratitude and an immense love you have never felt before.
Life is filled with beautiful experiences, such as drinking espresso at a café in Paris, sailing on a warm July morning, or looking at art in a museum. But nothing comes close to the fulfillment of having children. However, it isn’t always bliss, because there are real responsibilities that come with raising your little human, and many of these duties fall on the mom to manage. These responsibilities can occasionally be challenging, and sometimes friends and family, while we do love and appreciate them, are not enough. Fortunately, there are options for mothers looking for a supportive community.
New Mom School in Lake Oswego is a spectacular space for new mothers to receive specialized care, support, and guidance. All of their classes are in-person and designed by experts to give moms the confidence and knowledge they will need to become the best version of themselves for their little ones.
Motherhood faces enormous pressure, and I see this firsthand with my own wife. She is a stay-at-home mom, but prefers the title homemaker because she sees her role as more holistic than just tending to her children. Her day is jam-packed with the demands of motherhood, and she handles them with such graceful calm that I am constantly in awe. I think this shows the strength women have in overcoming challenges. The New Mom School leans into this fact about mothers and helps to guide them along the way.
Their classes are set up as cohorts. For 8 weeks, you will have one 90-minute class per week, along with an exclusive, round-the-clock digital community. The classes are set up for mothers of Newborns (0-3 months), Infants (3-6 months), and Rising Toddlers (6-12 months). They also offer a course for second-time moms with babies aged 0-3 months. And as a dad with a second child who is only a couple of months old, the jump from one kid to two is big. Class series topics vary by your baby’s age, but for newborns, some topics include Transition to Motherhood, Your Baby’s Development, and The Postpartum Body.
These classes are all-encompassing and successfully cover subjects for both mommy and baby. Not to mention, you will be with the same moms over the 8-week course, which allows for the opportunity to form friendships and community. New Mom School also offers additional classes worth looking into. One of these extra classes is their Breastfeeding Support Group, which many moms find to be very beneficial.
I was fortunate enough to speak with the owner of the Lake Oswego location, Liberty. When Liberty became a mom for the first time, she was immersed in both the beauty and overwhelming nature of having a newborn. Her experience raising her little ones highlighted that mothers deserve a strong community alongside evidence-based guidance. She has an impressive background that includes working as a designer for companies like Apple and as a storyteller for Pixar. She used her professional skill set and knowledge as a mother to open the New Mom School.
The classes she teaches and oversees are set up so that moms are paired with other moms whose babies’ ages are within just a few weeks of each other. This creates a tailored experience that is relevant to everyone in the room. The class also follows a consistently reliable structure, which is essential for new moms who may feel nothing but anarchy in the early days of parenthood. They also partner with trusted local experts, including pediatric PTs, lactation consultants, sleep specialists, pelvic floor PTs, mental health therapists, relationship experts, and more.
Postpartum Distress affects up to 80% of mothers. Liberty told me that New Mom School creates a space for these intense and sometimes sudden emotional transitions. She makes a space where mothers feel supported and genuinely cared for. Each week, there are built-in times for check-ins, open conversation, and gentle education for every mom. Liberty then shared with me that the environment is created so that sitting with other moms who understand the same season of life helps women feel seen and less alone. For the moms expecting their second child, Liberty told me it’s a whole new season of parenthood. Caring for a newborn while juggling the energy of a toddler is an experience my wife and I are currently enjoying. However, I must say that the lack of sleep hits a little differently this time around. These Second-Baby classes cover topics such as Sibling Transitions and Shifting Identities.
The New Mom School is an all-around fantastic space for mothers and is worth taking part in. Mothers are strong, resilient individuals, and they are the foundation of our society. They must be properly supported, and the New Mom School is an excellent way to assist in that.
Alex is a devoted husband and father born and raised in Portland, Oregon. He is a professional artist, author, and advisor for both Yale and Harvard University’s arts departments. His books, ‘Selling Leonardo: The Art World’s Greatest Scandal’ and ‘Holy Ghost: Decoding Leonardo da Vinci’s Final Painting’ are available wherever books are sold.