20 | NOVEMBER 24 • 2022 

OUR COMMUNITY

about the whole thing. They said 
it felt so nice to be remembered,” 
Mayerfeld said. “They’re grateful 
to have the information, the list of 
resources and appreciated the care 
that was put into the package. This is 
such a great program — supporting 
mothers ultimately benefits the entire 
community.”
As a nurse practitioner and MWI 
consultant, Phyllis Meer is one of 
the professionals who trains the 
ambassadors; she shares how new 
mothers often feel emotionally after 
childbirth and how to communicate 
with them in a positive way. When an 
ambassador feels “her” mom needs 
more resources, she can turn to Meer, 
who will reach out to the mom with her 
wealth of information and experience. 
“New moms come home from the 
hospital after having a baby very 
quickly, usually still in pain from 
the birth, and often with lots of 
responsibilities waiting for them at 
home. Moms really need to recover 
in order to take care of their babies 
properly,” Meer said. 
New moms often look around and 
wonder why they’re struggling when 
everyone else seems to be managing 
just fine. 
“Moms are superheroes,” Rothenberg 
said. “We make everything look 
easy, but we’re really balancing a 
lot, and everyone can benefit from 
knowing that someone is there for us, 
particularly after such an intense time 

like childbirth. “This program is for 
the women in our community who give 
birth, and it helps normalize the need 
for help,” she added. “We also never 
assume that just because a new mom 
has lots of family in town that all her 
needs are being met.”
Meer is quick to point out that 
everyone assumes having a new baby 
is a joyous experience — and while it 
usually is — mothers also often feel a 
mix of emotions, coupled with pain 
from childbirth, exhaustion from lack 
of sleep and hormonal fluctuations as 
well as guilt from not feeling blissfully 
happy. Others lack confidence in their 
ability to take care of their newborn 
babies. Meer can help meet the mother’s 
needs after childbirth.
According to the CDC, about one in 
eight new moms experience symptoms 
of postnatal depression. Low social 
support is an increased risk factor. 
“Research shows that women who 
feel alone or isolated after birth are 
more likely to develop anxiety and 
depression,” Ungar said. “Our goal 
is to make sure that no mom in our 
community falls through the cracks.”

EDUCATION AND PEER SUPPORT
The MWI kickoff event, presented in 
conjunction with Lev Detroit and JBaby, 
was a community-wide educational 
webinar, with discussions on mental 
health, the hormonal changes of 
childbirth and even the spiritual aspects 
of pregnancy. 

During the summer, MWI offered 
three “mommy and me” classes, 
bringing in instructors from Nature’s 
Playhouse in Ferndale to teach baby 
yoga, baby sign language and baby 
massage. Held at Aish Detroit in Oak 
Park, the 15 new moms in attendance 
were treated to a delicious catered 
lunch. The participants were so 
enthusiastic about it, MWI plans to 
start regular “mommy and me” music 
classes soon. 
“The ‘mommy and me’ summer series 
were unbelievable, I was so excited 
about them,” Kahlani shared. “It was so 
comforting to be part of this group. I 
had my first baby during COVID, and 
there was absolutely nothing going on 
for new moms. This socialization and 
support are so important for women, 
especially stay-at-home moms.”
Shoshana Beznosov of Oak Park also 
attended the classes and raved about 
her experience. 
“I loved the warmth there. I felt very 
seen and accepted,” Beznosov said. “I’m 
a first-time mom, barely know what I’m 
doing, and here I felt so encouraged 

continued from page 19

Ambassador 
Debbie 
Mayerfeld

Phyllis 
Meer

Shoshana 
Beznosov and 
her new baby

continued on page 22

