What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 5pm

The Mother's Club

Home
India
Chennai
The Mother's Club

A structured, supportive approach to motherhood—helping women move from confusion to clarity, confidence, and support. Founder - .chandni

04/11/2026

Building Stronger Collaboration Between Obstetricians, Lactation Professionals and Childbirth Educators

A mother shouldn't have to be the messenger between the professionals caring for her.

Yet I hear versions of this far too often.

Her obstetrician is helping her plan a medically safe birth. Her childbirth educator is preparing her for labour and informed decisions. Her lactation professional may only enter the picture when feeding becomes difficult.

Each person is doing important work.

But when they don't communicate, she's left trying to connect the dots, often when she's exhausted, frightened or recovering from birth.

Sometimes, the problem isn't a lack of expertise. It's a lack of connection between the expertise we already have.

After years of working alongside families, I've come to believe that collaboration needs to mean more than exchanging phone numbers or sending referrals when something goes wrong.

So where can we begin?

1. Prepare together, before birth.

A childbirth educator explains labour, common interventions and informed choices. An obstetrician provides individualised medical guidance. A lactation professional prepares families for early feeding and potential challenges.

Different responsibilities, but the information should complement each other.

2. Create clear handovers, not vague referrals.
With the mother's consent, communicate relevant concerns.
Who follows up after a caesarean? Who assesses painful breastfeeding? Who should she contact when something doesn't seem right?
She shouldn't have to figure this out after discharge.

3. Ensure consistent, evidence-based information.
When professionals offer conflicting advice, the mother is left wondering whom to trust.
Communicate with one another, clarify differences in clinical recommendations and respect professional boundaries.
Collaboration doesn't mean stepping outside our scope of practice.

4. Review the mother's experience, not just clinical outcomes.
Did she understand her options? Did she know where to seek help? Was the information consistent?
These conversations can reveal gaps that clinical records alone may not capture.
And none of this necessarily requires an expensive new programme.
A shared referral checklist, regular multidisciplinary discussions and a clear postpartum follow-up pathway can be meaningful starting points.

WHO quality-of-care standards emphasise effective communication and functioning referral systems. WHO and UNICEF's Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding also recognise the importance of skilled support and coordinated discharge.

We don't need every professional to do everything. We need professionals to recognise how their work connects to everyone else's.

Because ultimately, the mother shouldn't have to navigate the gaps in our healthcare system.

Our responsibility is to make those gaps smaller.

03/11/2026

Building Trust, One Mother at a Time

The first time I gave birth, there were things I didn't know I could even ask.

I went through the experience, came home with my baby, and only later found the words for some of my questions.

By my second birth, I had learnt much more.

And I understood something that would eventually shape my work with mothers.

Knowing what is happening changes how you experience it. So does knowing that your voice matters.

When I began working as a childbirth educator and doula, I thought my biggest responsibility was to share everything I had learnt.

But mothers have taught me that information alone doesn't build trust.

Sometimes trust begins with a question she's afraid will sound silly.

"Is it normal to be this scared?"

"What if breastfeeding doesn't work?"

"Can I ask my doctor why I need this?"

And sometimes it begins with silence. A mother nodding along because she doesn't want to appear difficult.

I've learnt not to fill that silence too quickly.

To ask, "What worries you most?"

To explain without making her feel ignorant.

To say "I don't know" when I don't know.

To refer her to the right professional when something is outside my scope.

Most importantly, I've learnt that supporting a mother doesn't mean convincing her to make the choice I think is best.

She should feel comfortable disagreeing with me. Changing her mind. Asking for another opinion.

Because the goal isn't for her to depend on me. It's for her to trust herself, too.

Over the years, I've worked with thousands of mothers.

Some need help preparing for labour. Some are overwhelmed by feeding advice. Some simply need a space where they can say, without being judged, "I'm not coping."

I cannot promise them an easy birth or a problem-free postpartum.

What I can offer is honesty, knowledge, and the willingness to listen before I advise.

And often, the moments that stay with me aren't the big milestones.

They're the moments a mother finally asks the question she was holding back.

Or tells me she's comfortable making a decision because she understands her options.

That's what building trust looks like to me.

Not a title. Not a certificate. Not being the person with all the answers.

Just showing up with enough knowledge to guide, enough humility to listen, and enough respect to leave the decisions where they belong.

With the mother.

One mother at a time.

To others who work with families: What has taught you the most about earning a mother's trust?

02/11/2026

Lessons From Working Alongside Families Through Birth

There's a moment in labour I've seen in different forms over the years.

A contraction begins. The mother reaches for her partner's hand. He wants to help, but he's not quite sure what to do.

Then someone mentions a procedure, and both of them look uncertain.

Sometimes, what they need in that moment isn't another instruction.

It's someone to explain what's happening, answer a question, or simply give them a moment to process.

Working alongside families through birth has taught me things no certification could have taught me on its own.

I've learnt that a partner who looks calm may actually be terrified of getting something wrong.

That a mother who says very little may have a hundred questions she doesn't feel comfortable asking.

That well-meaning family members can sometimes offer so much advice that the woman giving birth struggles to hear her own voice.

And that the words we use in a labour room can stay with a family long after they leave it.

One lesson stands out above the rest.

Support is not the same as taking over.

My role isn't to decide what a mother's birth should look like. It's to help her understand her options, feel comfortable asking questions, and know that her preferences matter.

I've also learnt not to measure a birth experience only by whether it went according to plan.

Birth is unpredictable.

A mother may need interventions she never expected. A birth plan may change completely.

But that doesn't mean her experience has to be one of fear or helplessness.

Being informed, listened to and supported can still make a difference.

And perhaps that is what has shaped me most in this work.

The families I remember aren't defined by the type of birth they had.

I remember the partners who found their confidence.

The mothers who finally felt able to ask, "Why are we doing this?"

And the quiet relief when someone realised they didn't have to figure everything out alone.

After years of doing this work, I've come to understand that birth support isn't just about knowing what to do during labour.

It's also about knowing when to listen, when to speak, when to advocate and when to simply be present.

We cannot promise families a particular birth outcome. But we can do so much to change how they experience the journey.

And that, to me, is what makes this work so meaningful.

If you've supported someone through birth, professionally or personally, what's one lesson that has stayed with you?

01/11/2026

You don’t realise how much support you need during birth until you’re in a moment where you don’t know what to do next.

I’ve spent years supporting mothers and their families through pregnancy and childbirth. And if there’s one thing this work has taught me, it’s that being surrounded by people doesn’t always mean feeling supported.

I’ve seen partners desperately wanting to help but not knowing how.

I’ve seen mothers silently agreeing to things because they didn’t know they could ask questions.

And I’ve seen how much difference it makes when someone takes the time to explain, reassure and simply listen.

Here’s something I wish every pregnant woman understood.

You don’t have to wait until labour to figure out what support you need.

Birth preparation isn’t about planning a perfect birth or avoiding every intervention.

It’s about understanding your body, knowing your options, preparing your partner and having the confidence to participate in decisions about your care.

Because even when birth doesn’t go according to plan, you still deserve to feel heard, respected and supported.

After all these years, I don’t remember families by whether they had a vaginal birth or a C-section.

I remember the mothers who found their voices and the partners who discovered they had a meaningful role to play.

And that’s why I continue doing this work. ❤️

🤰 If you’re pregnant, especially for the first time, don’t leave your preparation until the last minute.

At The Mother’s Club, we help you and your partner prepare for birth through education, practical guidance and compassionate doula support.

💌 DM me “BIRTH” to explore how we can support you.

Because you deserve more than just getting through birth. You deserve to feel supported through it.

01/11/2026

The Role of Family Support in Maternal Health

"Just rest when the baby sleeps."

It sounds like good advice.

But who's making sure she gets a meal? Who's handling the visitors? Who notices that she hasn't slept properly in days?

And who's listening when she says she's struggling, instead of telling her, "Every mother goes through this"?

This is something I see often in conversations around motherhood.

A woman can be surrounded by family and still feel completely alone.

Because having people around isn't the same as being supported.

Sometimes, help comes with instructions. How to feed, when to pick up the baby, what she should eat, how quickly she should recover.

And somewhere in all that advice, the mother's own voice gets lost.

Family support isn't a nice extra in maternal care. It can influence how a woman copes through pregnancy, birth and postpartum.

A 2024 systematic review found that social support is associated with postpartum mental wellbeing, including depression and anxiety. WHO also recognises the role of families in a positive postnatal experience.

So what does meaningful support actually look like?

During pregnancy: Attend education sessions if she's comfortable with it. Learn about labour, recovery and warning signs. Ask what she needs instead of assuming.

During labour: Respect her choices. Be the steady presence she wants, not another person making decisions for her.

**After birth:** Share the work without waiting to be asked. Meals, laundry, older children, visitors and night-time caregiving are not automatically her responsibility.

**And emotionally:** Listen without minimising. Notice when she's overwhelmed. Help her reach qualified care when something doesn't seem right.

Support also means knowing when to step back.

A mother's feeding choices, body and recovery are not family decisions to be made on her behalf.

And no amount of family love replaces medical or mental health care when she needs it.

After years of working with mothers, this is something I believe strongly:

**We cannot keep telling mothers to ask for help while building homes where they must manage everyone else before they can rest.**

A supported mother isn't simply one who has people around her.

She's one who feels heard, respected and able to recover without carrying everything alone.

**What is one small thing your family did that made motherhood easier for you?**

31/10/2026

“Throw away that yellow milk. Wait for the proper milk.”

If you hear this after birth, remember: colostrum IS milk—your baby’s first milk. 💛

Its thick consistency and yellow or golden colour don’t mean it’s dirty or stale. It provides concentrated nourishment while your milk volume gradually increases.

Colostrum helps:
🤍 Protect against infections through antibodies and other immune factors.
🤍 Support your newborn’s developing gut.
🤍 Your baby pass their first sticky black stools, called meconium.

It should be offered to your baby, not routinely discarded.

Ask for support with early breastfeeding when you’re both medically ready. If your baby cannot latch, your feeding team can help you express colostrum and plan how to give it safely.

Before birth, tell your family: “The first milk is valuable. Please support me in giving it to my baby.”

Save this and share it with the people supporting your first feeds.

31/10/2026

Improving Breastfeeding Outcomes Starts Before Birth

"I wish someone had told me breastfeeding might not be easy at first."

It's a sentence I hear in different forms from mothers after childbirth.

She may have spent months preparing for labour and buying things for her baby.

But no one explained what the first feed might look like. Or that frequent feeding doesn't automatically mean low milk supply. Or when pain, poor milk transfer or inadequate intake needs skilled assessment.

Then the baby arrives.

She is tired, recovering, and surrounded by advice. Sometimes conflicting advice.

"Your milk isn't enough."

"Just keep trying."

"Give it a few days."

And suddenly, something she hoped would feel natural becomes a source of anxiety.

This is why I believe breastfeeding support must begin during pregnancy, not only when a mother is struggling after birth.

WHO includes antenatal breastfeeding conversations in its Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.

The 2025 US Preventive Services Task Force also recommends breastfeeding education and support during pregnancy and after birth, with evidence that continued support improves breastfeeding outcomes.

But antenatal counselling needs to be more than telling women that breastfeeding is good for their babies.

What should we actually prepare mothers for?

1. What to expect: Colostrum, early feeding patterns, normal newborn behaviour and the signs of effective feeding.

2. What to do when things are difficult: How to recognise pain, latch concerns and signs that a baby may not be getting enough milk, and where to get timely help.

3. What support looks like: Involving partners, discussing feeding after a caesarean, and planning for skilled lactation support after discharge.

4. What informed choice means: Listening to a mother's feeding goals without using fear, pressure or guilt.

And for hospitals, this can be practical: include a short, structured breastfeeding conversation in antenatal visits, offer a reliable referral pathway, and make follow-up support easy to access.

Antenatal counselling is not a guarantee of exclusive breastfeeding. Some mothers will face medical challenges or make different feeding choices.

But no mother should have to learn everything for the first time while exhausted, in pain and worrying whether her baby is getting enough.

The first few days after birth matter. So does the preparation that happens before them.

What is one breastfeeding question you wish every expecting mother had answered before delivery?

31/10/2026

“She chose to work. Why is she always angry?”

I hear this from well-meaning husbands and family members.

And I often wonder… did her choosing to work change anything about what everyone expected her to do at home?

Because she can finish a full day of work and still be the person who knows what’s for dinner, which uniform needs washing, when the school fees are due and why the child hasn’t been sleeping well.

Even when she sits down, she’s remembering something.

And when she struggles, the first suggestion is often, “Then stop working.”

Why does her passion become optional, while carrying everything at home remains compulsory?

She wanted to work. She didn’t agree to squeeze two full-time jobs into the same 24 hours—and feel guilty for being tired.

Of course, anger deserves a conversation. But so does the exhaustion, the repeated asking and the responsibility underneath it.

Before telling her to give something up, take something off her plate. Own it fully. Let her stop thinking about it.

Her dreams deserve space in the family too.

What’s one responsibility you wish you could put down completely?

30/10/2026

How Birth Experiences Shape Postpartum Recovery

A mother can leave the hospital with a healthy baby and still be trying to make sense of what happened in the labour room.

Maybe her birth took an unexpected turn.

Maybe an intervention happened before she understood why.

Maybe she felt frightened, unheard or alone.

Now she's home. Everyone is asking about the baby.

But she's still replaying her birth.

"Was that really necessary?"

"Why didn't anyone explain?"

"Could things have been different?"

And sometimes, the response she receives is, "But your baby is healthy!"

Of course she's grateful. But that doesn't mean her experience didn't affect her.

This is a part of postpartum recovery we don't talk about enough.

Recovery isn't only about stitches healing, bleeding settling or breastfeeding getting established.

It's also about how a mother feels after everything she has been through.

Research has found associations between traumatic childbirth experiences and postpartum depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms.

That doesn't mean every difficult birth causes trauma. But it does mean the experience deserves attention, not dismissal.

And I want to make something clear.

A positive birth experience isn't defined by whether it was vaginal or caesarean, medicated or unmedicated.

A medically complicated birth can still feel supported and respectful.

And a clinically uncomplicated birth can leave a mother distressed if she felt ignored or powerless.

So how can we support better recovery?

During labour: Explain what's happening. Ask for consent. Keep the mother involved in decisions and support her chosen birth companion.

Before discharge: Don't ask only about pain and feeding. Ask, "How are you feeling about your birth?" Listen without minimising her experience.

After discharge: Offer an opportunity to discuss unanswered questions, assess emotional wellbeing and arrange appropriate mental health support when needed.

None of this replaces skilled medical care. It makes that care more complete.

Through my work with mothers, I keep coming back to one thought.

The way we care for a woman during birth can become part of what she carries into motherhood.

We may not be able to control every outcome.

But we can do more to ensure she isn't left carrying confusion, fear or unanswered questions alone.

Because postpartum recovery deserves attention to both her physical healing and her emotional wellbeing.

Are we giving enough importance to a mother's birth experience when planning her postpartum care?

Address

Chennai

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://www.themothersclub.in/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Mother's Club posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.