Community H.U.G.S.
H.U.G.S. stands for "Happiness, Understanding, Giving and Sharing"
This therapeutic playgroup was developed in recognition of the fact that postnatal depression can lead to disturbances in the mother-infant relationship, and that treatment of maternal symptoms of postnatal depression alone does not improve the mother-infant relationship.
Playgroups
The playgroup consists of 10 structured sessions. Each session lasts for 1.5 hours and focuses on enhancing the mother-baby relationship through:
- Exploring new ways to manage infants, while encouraging mothers to look after their own needs
- Facilitating positive interactions between mothers and infants
- Sharing observations and anxieties, in a supportive setting
- Experiencing fun, laughter and a positive, accepting atmosphere.
Session content includes:
- Play and physical contact
- Baby massage
- Learning about babies' personalities and preferred styles of relating, through observing and increasing parents' understanding of their baby's cues
- Examining mothers' feelings and responses to their baby's cues
Previous research has found that the H.U.G.S. Playgroup has a number of benefits for mothers and babies. However, so far the H.U.G.S. Playgroup has only been delivered in a clinical setting. The aim of this research is to see how H.U.G.S. works in a community based setting.