4th Trimester Arizona conference in Mesa to support parents postpartum

PHOENIX — It’s been said that it takes a village to raise a child and a local nonprofit is hosting its annual conference in Mesa this weekend to support postpartum mothers.

4th Trimester Arizona offers resources and support to parents after the child is born. The eighth annual conference, held at the i.d.e.a. Museum, includes workshops on mental, physical and emotional health, parenting styles and how to identify postpartum depression in fathers.

It costs $25 and the day ends with a ceremony welcoming attendees into their village and acknowledging that the phase of life can be joyful and challenging.

“Nobody’s really watching you from a health standpoint and parents need a lot of support in that time and we’re usually not prepared for that,” 4th Trimester President Jennie Bever said.

One in five new mothers will have postpartum depression and it impacts one in seven new fathers, according to Bever. That’s because the relationship with a partner and friends changes, with men often feeling pressure to provide for their families.

Bever said it’s common for fathers to not say anything when they’re struggling because they’re too focused on caring for mom and baby that they don’t get the help that they need.

She said the goal of 4th Trimester is to learn how to take care of your mental, physical and emotional health.

“We know that parents who have mental health challenges their kids are more likely to have behavioral issues, other challenges like ADHA and acting out once they get older,” Bever said.

4th Trimester help goes beyond conference

4th Trimester has nine parent support villages each month, with locations in the West Valley and East Valley, as well as virtual options.

Rachelle Wayne was referred to the group shortly after giving birth to her daughter. Wayne said she was suffering from postpartum anxiety and having trouble sleeping.

“I would often get up in the middle of the night,” Wayne said. “When I finally did go to sleep and she finally was sleeping, I would get up to check if she was breathing.”

She loves attending village meetings because her daughter gets to spend the day at the museum and Wayne can socialize with the other moms after the meeting.

She said it was comforting to speak with other moms going through the same thing she was and to make new friends.

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