Perinatal Support Washington

This Chestfeeding Awareness Week, we want to remind parents that the grief you feel when your feeding journey doesn't go according to plan is real.
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💙You are not broken.⁣
💙You did not fail. ⁣
💙You don't owe anyone an explanation. ⁣
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There is so much that goes into making decisions around feeding, and your mental health is one of them. ⁣
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When the reality of the situation doesn't align with our expectations, it can be hard to reconcile. When motherhood doesn't go as we expected, we often blame ourselves. ⁣
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You are not to blame ❤️⁣

Repost: Happy as a Mother

🤍 It's World Breastfeeding Week, a week for advocacy and action, pushing for the policies, education, and support that make feeding infants safer and more equitable for everyone.

We want to say something that doesn't always get said during this week: not every parent can breastfeed, and that doesn't mean you failed.

Low milk supply. Medical conditions. Past trauma. Prior surgeries. Mental health needs. Adoption. NICU stays. Exhaustion that has nothing left to give. There are so many real, valid reasons feeding doesn't look the way you pictured it, and none of them make you less of a parent.

Fed is what your baby needs. Supported is what you need.

If you're carrying guilt, grief, or shame about how you feed your baby, we see you, and we're here. You don't have to sort through those feelings alone.

📞 Reach out to our Warm Line at 1-888-404-7763. Support is free, confidential, and judgment-free.

Today is National Intern Day, a day to recognize and celebrate the hard work of interns across the country.

Here at PS-WA, each of our programs hosts interns. We have interns from around the country who provide peer support, therapy, administrative help, and more. We are so grateful for all they do to support people in the transition to parenthood. Cheers!

📱Join the Warm Line Volunteer Training!📱

Dates & Time: Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15 9:00-3:30 pm

Location: Zoom. Register here: perinatalsupport.org/event/new-volunteer-training-for-the-parent-support-warm-line

Volunteers offer peer support, wellness planning, and resources and referrals to callers on a short-term (2 weeks) or long-term (up to 3 months) basis.

Everyday volunteers provide a lifeline to parent's who are struggling and feeling alone. Talking to another parent who has been through it reduces the isolation and stigma that many new parents feel. That is why we need you!

We are staffed by parents with lived experience of a perinatal mental health issue such as postpartum depression, anxiety or experienced the NICU, a birth trauma or a perinatal loss. Now on the other side, our volunteers support parents who are in the thick of it, walking alongside each caller's journey to healing.

If you have any questions or want to learn more before filling out the volunteer application, please contact the Warm Line Volunteer Supervisor at [email protected]

We wanted to share a few ongoing in-person Spanish and Bilingual support groups from partner orgs in Kennewick and Pasco. You can also check our calendar for statewide offerings at: perinatalsupport.org/parent-support-groups

Upcoming Support Groups:

📍 Fatherhood Support Group (Bilingual)
Wednesday, July 22 | 6:00 p.m.
Kennewick Library
1620 S. Union St.
Kennewick, WA 99338

📍 Mamas en Comunidad (Spanish Support Group)
Saturday, July 25 | 12:30 p.m.
Pasco Library
1320 W. Hopkins St.
Pasco, WA 99301

Birth trauma doesn't just affect the birthing parent, it can affect partners, too.

During Birth Trauma Awareness Week, we're recognizing that partners can carry invisible wounds after a traumatic birth.

Watching someone you love experience a medical emergency, unexpected complications, or a birth that feels frightening or out of control can have lasting emotional effects. Research shows that 1–6% of fathers and non-birthing partners develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after witnessing a traumatic birth. Additionally, 1 in 10 fathers experience postpartum mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression during the perinatal period, and that risk increases significantly following a traumatic birth.

Witnessing a partner or baby in danger, or feeling helpless during labor, can trigger severe symptoms, including:
💙 Flashbacks and nightmares from the delivery room
💙 Difficulty bonding with their baby
💙 Increased stress, conflict, and intimacy challenges within their relationship

Too often, partners feel they need to "stay strong" for everyone else, pushing aside their own fear, grief, or anxiety.

Their mental health matters, too.

Healing from birth trauma is possible, and no one should have to carry it alone. If you or your partner are struggling after birth, Perinatal Support Washington's Warm Line offers free, compassionate peer support for both birthing parents and partners.

📞 Warm Line: 1-888-404-7763
💻 perinatalsupport.org

It's Birth Trauma Awareness Week, which runs from July 13 to July 19. The 2026 global theme is "The Cost of Birth Trauma," which highlights the physical, psychological, social, and financial impacts of traumatic childbirth on parents and families.

Birth trauma can be physical (e.g., pelvic floor damage, perineal tears) or psychological (e.g., postpartum PTSD, severe anxiety), affecting approximately 1 in 3 birthing parents.

This year, this awareness-building campaign focuses on shining a light on the hidden ripple effects of trauma, including medical expenses, therapy costs, strained relationships, and lost bonding opportunities.

If you would like to share your experience with birth, whatever it may be, please call or text our free, confidential Warm Line. You’ll be met with understanding from parents who’ve been there too.

📞 1-888-404-7763

Why refer to the Warm Line? We serve parents in the perinatal period with peer support and fast connections to resources. We never turn anyone away! Providers, please send your referrals our way. We are always looking for ways to partner with our network of people like you who care for those in need of mental health services and emotional well-being every day.

Please pass this number along to all parents in need! 1-888-404-7763

July is BIPOC Mental Health Month, a time to center the mental health and healing for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

At PS-WA we know that culture, identity, racism, and access all shape how someone experiences the transition into parenthood. That's why we offer culturally matched, community-rooted support from peers for BIPOC families across WA.

This month and every month, we’re committed to showing up for BIPOC families in the perinatal period with care that’s relevant, profound, and timely.

If you are in need of mental health resources and emotional support please reach out to our Warm Line at 1-888-404-7763 or visit perinatalsupport.org to learn more.