Being a new mum can be tough for even the most well-supported women, but for those suffering post-natal depression, or who don't have friends and family around them, it can be an extremely challenging time.
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Having suffered post-natal anxiety and depression herself, Forster mum Alysha Luck knows this all too well.
That's why she started the Mum 2 Mum group, a new support network for mothers in the Great Lakes going through some of these issues.
"Having gone through it myself, I noticed the stigma around it and how hard it is to talk about it and have people understand," she said.
"I wanted to create a support group for mums, so they know they're not alone."
With 62 members having signed up to the Facebook group and a number of women attending the group's first catch-up at the Tuncurry Memorial Hall, Alysha said things were tracking well.
"It was great," she said of their first get-together.
"Everyone felt quite comfortable and we're all looking forward to another one."
Alysha said she planned to hold weekly catch-ups for the group as well as the occasional mums' night out, with the first one taking place at the Bellevue Hotel at Tuncurry this Friday evening.
And while some of the issues the women might be going through are serious, she says the overriding mood of the meetings is relaxed and informal, with mums more than welcome to bring their kids along.
"I try to choose places where there's space and mothers don't need to worry about what their kids are doing the whole time," she said.
"It's another mums' group basically. But I want them to know they have others around to call on for support.
"There's a lot of pressure around being a mum.
"Some days are hard and you just don't see that with social media.
"If you ask for help you're not a bad mother."
To join the group or find out more, click here.
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