In Italy, particularly in Naples, Flavie Pittet explains, locals have a habit of adding a few grains of salt to their coffee to reduce its bitterness and balance the flavors. "This is what we wanted to bring, with Sarah, our grain of salt to lessen the bitterness of postpartum".
The association Le Sel dans le café indeed addresses the issue of isolation among young parents during this particular period, especially young mothers. The main action is a collaborative, free, national online map aimed at listing places that welcome young mothers, with or without their babies, to help them easily get out of the house, preferably within a very close radius of their home.
It features parent/child welcome spaces, cinemas that organize “baby-friendly” screenings, restaurants or cafes where it’s easy to come with a stroller and where necessary equipment for the baby is available. It can also include associations that organize activities for families, support groups for mothers. Thus, a very wide range that is enriched by ten to twenty new locations each week, proposed by the structures themselves or by parents.
Suddenly finding oneself caring for a newborn almost 24/7 can lead to a lot of fatigue, anxiety, or even more serious difficulties like depression, which can lead to maternal suicide. An immense array of upheavals occurs, both physical, hormonal, physiological, professional, personal, familial, and romantic, that redefine everything. “This is a delicate period because it confronts reality with a certain idealization conveyed by society, social media, and films,” emphasizes Flavie Pittet.
According to a survey conducted by them at the time of the association's creation, the two young women found that 99% of the 1,100 mothers who responded in just 4 days reported feeling a sense of loneliness or real isolation.
Beyond the concrete solutions offered by Le Sel dans le café, it is also about freeing up speech, in line with many statements on social media, particularly through the hashtag “mon post-partum". “It’s very good to hear diverse narratives so that people can build families in an informed way,” insists Flavie Pittet. “Once we have the information, there will certainly still be tough moments, but we will be aware of them and they will likely be easier to navigate.”
