BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — One local group of moms is starting out 2023 prioritizing their mental and physical health by taking group walks once a week with other mothers in local parks.
Bakersfield mom Moe Boyd says she joined the Mom Walk Collective when she couldn’t find other mom groups in Bakersfield.
“It just really helps to have someone also be like ‘I know that sucks and yea,’ so we talk about the little things that most people don’t understand unless you’re a mom or a parent.”
And Caitlyn Sunseri says she decided to co-organize the local group because she wanted to meet people in the same stage of life as her after she moved back to Bakersfield from the Bay Area.
“We had quite the journey to conceive this little guy. We did multiple rounds of IVF and had multiple losses on our way to conceiving him, and when I was going through that I found a lot of comfort in community and that need for community didn’t stop when he was in our arms.”
Sunseri said she dealt with postpartum anxiety after her son’s birth and told 23ABC that relating to other moms by sharing birth trauma, birth stories, and even nap schedules helped her feel less alone.
The National Library of Medicine says about one in seven women can develop postpartum depression and even more moms go undiagnosed due to a fear of abandonment or lack of support from family members.
“Getting outside is so critical to mental health more than anything. I think that moving my body, moving my body is a great aftereffect," explained Sunseri. "I think of getting outside and walking and prioritizing that for my mental health of course is going to have physical benefits too and I think it’s a great goal for the new year to just get outside more and build community.”
The Mom Walk Collective began in Orange County after founder Jamie Easton posted a viral TikTok video asking other moms to meet her for a walk and coffee after managing her own struggle with postpartum depression.
And with the New Year Boyd says this group will help her to get in shape after giving birth.
“After you have a baby the exercises are totally different, and so walking is a great one, especially with the little ones and getting that fresh air, and a big resolution for us is to work out more and to get into better shape for our kids.”
The group walks about a mile or an hour each week and the meeting times change weekly to accommodate anyone that wants to participate.
“We really hope to build and grow friendships and grow that community and friendships not just for us but for our kids too. There’s multiple babies who are months between my daughter and we hope in a few years they’re at the playground together hanging out,” added Boyd.
