Walk and talk group 'saved me' as a new mum

Kayleigh Laverick struggled with postnatal depression after the traumatic birth of her second child

When Kayleigh Laverick was struggling with postnatal depression, she did not imagine a social media post would create a community of more than 70,000 mums three years later.

The 37-year-old, from Peterlee, County Durham, experienced a traumatic birth with her second child, which affected her mental health and made her feel like she was in "a dream-like state", and not being "all there".

One day, she said she experienced suicidal thoughts, something which she said scared her, having never had them previously.

In that chaos, she knew that she needed to take action and "find real-life connection" for her recovery. Mamma Social Co was born.

The NHS describe postnatal depression as a "common problem", affecting more than one in 10 women within a year of giving birth.

Mamma Social Co brings mums together to go for walks

Mrs Laverick said the social media post changed her life.

"I just went on Facebook, [wrote] is anyone finding parenting difficult? I'm going on a walk at this time and this place".

It got shared about 100 times. The next day, nine women she had never met turned up with their babies.

"Those women will never know how many times they saved me," she said.

"They're the ones that really showed me the importance of community and a village around you.

"We're not meant to do this alone, so if you don't have a village, and you don't have that support network, get in touch, get online and we can make it happen together."

She said she wanted to change the landscape of parenting with the group.

"On these walks it's an open space for free conversation of no judgement, fully accepting how you want feel in that moment.

"It's about sharing the load, and really the mental load of motherhood is something on another level, so to be able to share that is epic."

Louise Guess said being part of the group had boosted her confidence

Louise Guess, 35, discovered the Mamma Social Co community a year ago and became a volunteer, co-ordinating walks in her nearby village of Wingate.

She said being part of the group had really helped her.

"For me it's knowing that I'm not alone, realising that actually what you go through is normal as well," she said.

"It doesn't make you a bad mam that you feel rubbish that day, it just means that you're human and you have all of these emotions and sometimes you don't know how to process them".

She said being part of the group felt like being part of a family, and she had seen a lot of mums "find themselves".

"You lose yourself when you become a mam and they've found that actually they're not lost, they're just hidden under the sleepless nights, and the dirty nappies, and the endless washing, and they just needed a little walk, in nature, with their baby and meeting other mams that feel the same to realise that they're ok, and they will be ok."

Three years on, the group has more than 70,000 members across the UK, with over 100 volunteers holding walks up and down the country. A group is even set to start in Perth, Australia.

If you are affected by any of the issues detailed in this story, you can find help and support at BBC Action Line.