Ready to COPE: The free program supporting women during pregnancy
One in five pregnant women experiences anxiety in pregnancy and within the first year following birth, making it abundantly clear that motherhood comes with its challenges.
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Ready to COPE
Often new mothers feel scared, alone and out of their depth with the impending arrival of their little ones, and this can continue postnatally too.
What if there was a way for pregnant women to receive comforting, reassuring support every few weeks of their pregnancy? Turns out, there is.
The Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE) is a not-for-profit organisation devoted to reducing the impact of emotional and mental health distress in the pre and postnatal periods. It’s time we brought awareness to COPE’s incredible free resource. It’s called Ready to COPE and all expectant and new mums should know about.
Prepares, comforts and supports women
Ready to COPE is a free and confidential fortnightly email guide, which helps to prepare women for motherhood during their pregnancy and after the birth of their child.
The emails are customised around the baby’s due date and explore the realities around pregnancy and motherhood, tackling issues that are often not spoken about openly, like managing unwelcome advice, relationship changes, emotional preparation and also dealing with the normal disappointments and frustrations that occur during the early stages of motherhood.
Additionally, Ready to COPE helps women identify symptoms of mental health issues like anxiety, depression and stress, and encourages them to proactively seek support from a professional as soon as possible.
Since the program launched in 2018, over 4,500 expectant and new mothers across Australia have already signed up.
“Empowering women with information”
Dr Nicole Highet, Founder and Executive Director of COPE, says: “The Guide is playing a critical role in empowering women with information about the range of challenges that can come with having a baby. Of those women who identified as needing support for anxiety and depression, around two thirds, recognised Ready to COPE played an important role in encouraging them to seek professional help early. We’re delighted to see that Ready to COPE is having such a supportive impact during this period in women’s lives.”
“We know that women have high expectations of pregnancy and parenthood and, when these expectations are not met, this can impact upon their confidence and self-esteem. Often these challenges and feelings are not spoken about openly, leaving women feeling alone, and like they are the only ones who may be struggling to help.”
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 12 and COPE is encouraging expectant and new mothers to signup and spread the word about Ready to COPE to ensure that women continue to have the information, insights and support they need during this precious time.
For more information or to sign up, visit the website.
