Roundup of New Parent Support Groups in Pittsburgh
We often hear from our clients how hard it is to find other new parents to connect with in their baby’s first year.
If you’re feeling isolated, or if you’d like to connect with other parents in a similar phase of life, postpartum support groups can be a great fit!
If you’ve thought about going to a postpartum support group but haven’t taken the leap yet, we encourage you to do so!
A few common myths about postpartum support groups:
You have to have a postpartum mental health diagnosis (postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, or another postpartum mood disorder) in order to attend.
Most postpartum support groups are open to anyone who has given birth recently-ish (unless the group name or description specifies otherwise).I’m an introvert, so a postpartum support group isn’t for me.
It’s perfectly ok to quietly observe at one of these gatherings. One huge benefit of attending can be identifying other people in the group you think you’d connect with, and exchanging contact information so you can talk outside of the larger group setting. We promise you won’t be the only introvert there!Partners aren’t welcome at postpartum support groups.
Mostly false, but unfortunately there is some truth to this one. Many support groups welcome anyone who feels they may gain something from attending. But there are some groups that are exclusive of anyone who isn’t a birthing parent.
If you want to bring your partner(s) to a group, or if you are a non-birthing parent looking for support, we encourage you to reach out directly to the facilitator and have a conversation with them ahead of time just to make sure.
And of course, at our support group all parents and caregivers are welcome!
Looking for connection and solidarity? Here are some places to start.
We’ve compiled the best information we were able to find for local Pittsburgh-area support groups. This info was last updated as of January 2023 - of course things change, and we’ll do our best to share updates here as we have them.
Note: The groups on this list are not inclusive of therapeutic treatment groups hosted through health programs and hospitals. If you’re looking for outpatient or inpatient treatment for more severe challenges, we have a list of perinatal mental health treatment options here.
Support groups for new parents in Pittsburgh:
Marlee hosts a monthly new parent support group! Meetings are virtual for now (2nd Tuesdays from 1-3pm Eastern, free)
Virtual Pregnancy, Birth, and New Parent in the time of COVID-19 Support Group is a virtual group hosted by Forward Wellness (Wednesdays from 2-3:30pm Eastern, $10 suggested donation per session)
New Parent Circle is a virtual group hosted by Forward Wellness that runs as a reoccurring 10-week series ($300 for the 10 weeks, sign up directly through the facilitator Cortney Seltman)
Out of the Blue is a virtual support group hosted by Social Emotional Change (Wednesdays from 10-11am Eastern, free)
Birth of a Mother is a support group hosted by Bloom Counseling (1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 3:30-5pm Eastern, $30 per session)
Baby Steps Postpartum Depression Support Group is a virtual group hosted by St. Clair Hospital (2nd and 4th Mondays from 7-8:30pm Eastern, free)
Empowering Moms has virtual gatherings and in-person meetups in Bellevue and Zelienople
Working Moms Support Group is hosted by the National Council of Jewish Women (3rd Thursdays from 7-8:30pm in Squirrel Hill, free)
TMC Postpartum Support Group is a virtual group hosted by The Midwife Center, only for TMC clients (2nd and 4th Mondays from 6-7pm Eastern, free)
