News

I’m grateful to continue my work with Many Mothers in the role of Maternal, Infant, and Family Programs Manager, after previously serving on the board. I’m a mother of five living children, an interdisciplinary artist, writer, published author, Certified Doula Trainer, and Certified Lactation Counselor, with over two decades of experience supporting families through pregnancy, birth, postpartum, lactation, and pregnancy and infant loss. I’m also the Executive Director of the nonprofit ILE IFE and the founder of Our Earth LLC, an educational academy dedicated to community-rooted childbirth and perinatal education. My life work spans maternal and infant health, the arts, writing, education, and community organizing. It is rooted in honoring culture, sharing stories, and creating spaces where people feel supported…

My name is Monica Gonzales, and for the past three and a half years, I have had the privilege of serving as the Bilingual Program Coordinator and Home Visitor here at Many Mothers. My work is dedicated to supporting our monolingual Spanish-speaking families, driven by a deep belief that no one should ever have to walk the path of parenthood alone. This mission is deeply personal to me. Seven years ago, following the birth of my first daughter, I struggled with postpartum depression. I know firsthand how challenging, overwhelming, and isolating those early stages of parenthood can be. Because of that experience, I hate to see any family suffer or navigate these struggles in isolation. Today, I am deeply passionate…

Santa Fe’s generosity never fails to surprise us. Many Mothers is grateful to be surrounded by such wonderful supporters, but often we are asked, “Do you accept donations?” Or what types of donations we accept. To help guide your generosity, we have developed Donation Guidelines that you can view here. As always, if you have any follow-up questions, please reach out to us at info@manymothers.org. In addition, take note: Please Don’t Leave Donations at the Door We are unable to accept items left unattended at our door. Unattended donations can’t be properly inspected, sorted, or secured. Please plan to drop off donations during our staffed hours. We offer drop-in hours, and if those hours don’t work for you, we can…

A Journey of Growth, Marissa Visscher Becoming a father is one of life’s most rewarding experiences, but it can also bring unexpected emotional challenges. New fathers often face stress, exhaustion, financial pressures, and the responsibility of caring for a growing family. While much attention is given to the well-being of mothers, it’s important to recognize that fathers can struggle too. Many experience anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation during the transition to parenthood. In fact, about 1 in 10 new fathers experience paternal perinatal depression, most often between 3 to 6 months after birth. Symptoms may include feeling “checked out,” irritability, fatigue, and increased aggression. Many fathers describe feeling invisible, unnecessary, overwhelmed, forgotten, inadequate, excluded, confused, trapped, or helpless. This…

There Is a Voice | Marissa Visscher 1 in 5. That’s how many new and expecting parents experience a perinatal mental health condition.  Not 1 in 100. Not rare. 1 in 5.  And yet, most people don’t know where to turn – or even that what they’re feeling has a name. Too many parents navigate this in silence.  May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month, and Many Mothers is here to help raise awareness, combat shame and stigma, and provide education and support.  From Bump to Baby is a workshop hosted at The Family Center for expecting parents and those who have recently welcomed a baby. Participants will learn about the warning signs of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) and the different avenues of support available.  We are here to help…

With nothing less than gratitude and love in our hearts, Many Mothers celebrated our team of wonderful volunteers last week, April 20th – 24th, for Volunteer Appreciation Week and National Home Visiting Week. Each day, our volunteers show up to support the families in northern New Mexico in ways that have lasting impacts. The appreciativeness we feel knows no bounds or time frame, but as this week of celebration comes to a close, a few of our volunteers share reflections from their previous home visiting matches. “I feel honored that I got to be a part of this family’s life. Watching the single mama of three stabilize and blossom into her new roles post-birth was incredibly inspiring.” “This match was particularly…

May is more than Mother’s Day – it’s a time when blood donations often slow. Mothers are among those who rely on blood every day, during childbirth, surgeries, cancer treatment , and emergencies. In fact:   Pregnancy-related complications require blood transfusions for 1 in every 83 deliveries in the U.S. Obstetrics and gynecology are among the top 10 medical specialties that need the most blood for patients. About 205,000 units of blood are used in the U.S. each year for OB/GYN patients. Many Mothers is proud to be partnering with Vitalant New Mexico to host the Donate for Mothers Blood Drive. Come to the Santa Fe Place Mall on Saturday, May 2nd, from 11 AM – 3 PM. You’ll find us near the fireplace in front of Dillard’s mall entrance. One donation can…

Spring is in the air, and so is a giveaway! To kick off the spring season, we’re here to share that Many Mothers is giving away THREE Osprey hiking backpacks. To enter, if you haven’t already, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and leave a comment on our pinned posts on Facebook and Instagram! The winner will be contacted on April 22nd through social media.

Embracing the Fourth Trimester Together How Community Can Make a Difference By Kai Shenandoah Forsley | Tumbleweeds You’ve prepared the nursery, read all of the books, and taken all of the classes. Or not. Either way, the time has come. The baby is finally here. While pregnancy and adoption journeys can feel like a whirlwind of research, appointments, and activity, the “welcoming baby home” phase can feel like falling off a cliff into the unknown. Through all of the happiness and elation, things like sleep deprivation and uncertainty began to take center stage. Welcome to the fourth trimester: that critical period just after the baby arrives, when many parents become overwhelmed as they are suddenly thrust into the role of…

October is also Breast Cancer Awareness month. Many Mothers honors the fighters and survivors of breast cancer, and lovingly remembers those who we lost. We want to take the opportunity this month to highlight that one of the many benefits of breastfeeding is that it reduces the risk of breast cancer. Decades of research and numerous studies confirm that the longer you breastfeed, the greater your protection can be, and that breastfeeding for longer than 12 months can decrease your risk by 26%. The protection is provided by multiple factors, including the hormonal shift that happens during breastfeeding, changes in breast tissue during lactation, and the development of immune-protecting properties in breast milk. Lifestyle factors as well as genetics also…

For caregivers, there is nothing more important than keeping their babies safe. October marks Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month, and this vital campaign is one that Many Mothers holds close to our hearts. This key time was created to share life-saving education that will support you and your babies. SIDS is the heartbreaking, sudden, and unexpected death of a baby under 1 year old that generally occurs during sleep and has no identifiable cause. While SIDS cannot always be prevented, there are proven ways to reduce the risk—and it starts with safe sleep practices. To reduce the risk of SIDS, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following: • Always place babies on their backs to sleep –…

Source: HumanKind.News A Soft Place to Land: How Many Mothers Is Building a Community of Care for New Families. For over three decades, this New Mexico organization has provided the essential support every perinatal family deserves, from diapers to deep human connection. The arrival of a new baby is often portrayed as a time of pure joy. But for many caregivers, it can also be a period of exhaustion, isolation, and overwhelming pressure. It was this gap between expectation and reality that inspired Anne McCormick to found Many Mothers more than thirty years ago. Believing that every parent of a newborn deserves support, McCormick developed “Muchas Mamas,” a volunteer-based program that provided free, hands-on help to families. It was likely…

Many Mothers is proud to support and promote World Breastfeeding Week. The physical and emotional health benefits of breastfeeding for both moms and babies are powerful for advancing local, regional, and worldwide health, and all mothers deserve support and encouragement to achieve their breastfeeding goals. Research from around the world has shown that breastmilk is the perfect, natural food for babies, and with rare exceptions, all birthing mothers are able to breastfeed their infants. To learn more about the amazing benefits of breastfeeding, visit La Leche League, Office on Women’s Health, and the CDC. *Many Mothers recognizes that breastfeeding and the circumstances around it are very unique and personal. While we encourage and support breastfeeding, we respect any feeding choice. Many Mothers se enorgullece…

It’s no secret that fathers play an integral role in children’s lives as well as in the lives of their partners. This past Sunday, we celebrated Father’s Day, honoring all the men who have taken on the role of “dad.” However, like motherhood, Many Mothers know it’s not always easy, and that fatherhood comes with its own unique set of challenges. June is also Men’s Mental Health Awareness month, and studies have shown that Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) also impact men. Did you know 1 in 10 new fathers suffer from postpartum depression? Their depressive symptoms spike between 3-6 months postpartum and can be expressed with the increase of substance use; they are more likely to be irritable,…

Thank you, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico, MolinaCares, and Con Alma Foundation, for investing in maternal mental health!