The phrase “modern village” is often used in the world of parenting. It’s usually said with a hint of irony. We post our lives on social media while sitting alone in a dark nursery, and then we wonder why we feel so disconnected from everything. We wonder why the experience of having a baby feels so isolating.

For many families in Edmond, Oklahoma, that isolation is not just a feeling. There is a systemic gap. In a world that has the best hospitals and the most stunning baby nurseries, and yet, once you’ve been released from the hospital and you have signed all your papers, you find yourself trying to navigate a recovery that you weren’t prepared for. This is where Becky Harman and Community Motherhood take the stand. This is not just your average mommy-and-me club; this is the kind of movement dedicated to rebuilding the support system we have lost in modern society.

Postpartum Navigation

The world shares a collective belief that the postpartum phase is meant to be a blur. For almost 1 in 5 women, this is actually far more complex than that. According to Postpartum Support International, the most common complications of childbirth are actually the maternal mental health conditions that come with it, such as postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety. This is one of the most common things women might experience, yet it’s probably the least talked about.

In Edmond, thousands of babies are born every year. Edmond’s medical providers are incredibly skilled at getting these new babies into the world safely, but the mothers who are in their fragile window, which is usually the three-month window after birth, have their health and feelings usually left to chance. It can be incredibly challenging for a mother to navigate physical healing, hormonal crashes, and the feeling that they’re having an identity crisis. Oh, and let’s not forget, they are doing all this while still trying to keep their new tiny human alive.

Becky Harman understands all these struggles.

A Non-Linear Journey

Community Motherhood was created out of a survival story. After she gave birth to her child, Becky did not find the happiness and glow she had been promised. She instead found herself battling with postpartum depression and anxiety. It became so severe that it actually included suicidal ideation. It’s a very terrifying thing to admit, especially when we live in a world that expects mothers to be grateful and lively all the time.

Becky’s healing journey was not linear. This was, as you might expect, an uphill battle that involved specialists, support, and the realization that medical intervention, while still important, is not the only solution. Becky realized that what she truly needed was a space where she could be honest, and this would be the best thing for her recovery. She needed a place where she didn’t have to pretend like she had everything figured out, but she could simply exist within motherhood.

What started as pain turned into professional expertise. Already a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with over a decade of experience in health care, Becky decided she needed to go all in and double down on her specialized training. She soon became certified in Perinatal Mental Health. She also became a Mom Congress delegate. She didn’t just want to feel better; she wanted to make sure that the next mom in Edmond didn’t have to burn herself out while fighting to survive.

A Map for Your Recovery

Community Motherhood offers a wide variety of recovery options. But one of the most transformative has to be the Virtual Postpartum Planning Session and Blooming Mothers.

Virtual Postpartum Planning Session

• This shifts the priority from the nursery’s appearance and the baby’s apparel to the mother’s mental well-being and physical recovery.
•  This is a great way to prepare mothers for anything that could happen before the baby arrives.
• This is a way for families to identify a reliable network of friends, family, and professionals who can assist them with their daily needs.
• This addresses lingering postpartum questions, such as who will provide meals and who will help care for the other children while the mother rests and recovers.
• This program trains partners to recognize red flags that indicate early Postpartum Depression.
• This is the perfect structured support system that lets mothers focus on healing and bonding.

Blooming Mothers

• This is a postpartum support group that focuses on the woman behind the “mom” title, rather than solely on the baby and its milestones.
• This provides mothers with a safe space to have honest conversations about the realities of motherhood.
• This support group explores the complex and confusing transition from focusing solely on your career to now being a primary caregiver.
• This focuses on topics that are often left out of parenting books, such as how new motherhood can strain marriages and partnerships, how mental health can take a toll, and the mental load of managing a household.
• This is a place that makes you feel less ashamed of what you might be experiencing during postpartum.

No Mother Should Ever Walk Alone

Community Motherhood also integrates caregiver-and-child programming from Baby & Me music classes to early literacy story times. This is great for your baby’s development and bonding, but it is also great for parents, as it provides a low-pressure way to get out of the house and actually socialize with other adults who are going through the same experience.

Oklahoma is filled to the brim with community spirit. As cities grow, it is easy to lose the neighborly support systems. Community Motherhood is a way of giving you that support system once again.

Becky had a vision for the future that involved providing more education, increasing access to support, and providing resources to help those in need navigate the challenges. It doesn’t just take a village to raise a child; it also takes a village to support a mother. When a mother is healthy, supported, and feels completely seen, her entire family can thrive. Through Becky Harmon’s leadership and the programs available at Community Motherhood, a safe space is being built. You do not have to do it alone, and you were never meant to.