Women's wellbeing following childbirth: voices from Caerphilly

This paper outlines a review of the processes involved in setting up a pilot community group for mothers and babies around the theme of postnatal wellbeing. The group was designed and run by the Caerphilly Family Intervention Team (an Action For Children Project in South Wales) to meet what was considered to be an unmet need in provision in this area. The design and facilitation of the programme was framed relationally, with a focus on providing a context in which women could share their experiences and allow them to think about the transition to motherhood and their relationship with their baby. The report describes the background, context and intended purpose of the pilot, and then continues to give detail of the content, evaluation process and results. This article also offers a review of what works in this specific area of practice and suggests that community groups with a focus on transitions to motherhood, rather than mental ill health, can have a significant impact on wellbeing.