For many women, motherhood can bring isolation, anxiety and struggles that often go unseen.
After experiencing those challenges firsthand, Bay Shore resident Lisa Lackner has created a new center designed to help local mothers navigate the postpartum journey together.
Beyond Motherhood, located at 94 W. Main St. in Bay Shore, officially opened June 8 and has already begun welcoming its first members. The center offers support groups, educational programming and child-watch services aimed at helping women experiencing postpartum depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other perinatal mental health challenges.
Lackner told Greater Long Island that while she spent more than a decade working in healthcare as a physician assistant, nothing fully prepared her for what she experienced after the birth of her daughter in 2024.
“My pregnancy was okay, but I was sick most of it,” she said.
Her daughter (pictured, with Lisa) arrived at 37 weeks weighing just 5 pounds. Two weeks later, Lackner was diagnosed with postpartum preeclampsia, which she said triggered severe depression, anxiety and OCD.
“I was pacing the hallway saying I was going to die,” she recalled. “Nobody would listen to me.”
For months, she struggled to find support before eventually connecting with a maternal mental health program in New York City that helped her begin to recover.
The experience sparked an idea.
Realizing that many Long Island mothers face similar challenges without nearby resources, Lackner set out to create a local community focused on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, often referred to as PMADs.
“I’m determined to bridge the gap of what happens to women after hospital discharge,” she said. “I want this to be the center where women go. I wish I had it.”
Membership-based programming includes three weekly peer support groups, postpartum Pilates classes, coffee chats and a two-hour child-watch nursery that allows mothers to attend programs while their babies are cared for nearby.
“Women can have someone watch their baby while they participate in the support groups,” Lackner said.
The center also partners with local professionals, including lactation consultants, while offering virtual participation options for mothers who are unable or not yet ready to attend in person. It has been designed to create a calming atmosphere, featuring soft sage-green tones, a coffee bar stocked with tea, snacks and seltzers, and private nursery rooms for breastfeeding.
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While services are geared toward women from pregnancy through the first few years of motherhood, Lackner said the center is intended for any mom looking for connection — not just those in crisis.
“This is a community where people get you,” she said.
Each week, facilitators lead guided discussions incorporating mindfulness, meditation, grounding techniques and goal-setting exercises designed to help mothers build practical coping skills and meaningful connections.
For Lackner, Beyond Motherhood represents more than a business. It is an effort to ensure other women do not experience the same isolation she once felt.
“We need a better system for women,” she said.
What mothers can expect
Since opening its doors earlier this month, Beyond Motherhood has expanded its programming with a growing schedule of support, wellness and educational offerings designed specifically for mothers navigating the postpartum period.
The center’s core peer support sessions are held Mondays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon and Tuesdays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sessions are available both in person and virtually, and every first-time participant receives a complimentary support session with child watch included.
Beyond Motherhood recently launched its first Mommy & Me Pilates class and plans to offer additional wellness programming throughout the year. Beginning in July, members will also have access to weekly gentle-movement Pilates classes designed specifically for postpartum bodies.
Lactation support services are scheduled to begin July 10, with classes, one-on-one consultations and home visit options available through a certified lactation consultant.
All memberships include access to peer-led support, mindfulness and meditation exercises, child watch services, coffee and refreshments, and a judgment-free environment where mothers can connect with others facing similar challenges.
“My mission is to bridge the gap for maternal mental health and provide a space that is completely dedicated to mothers,” Lackner said. “I want this to be the postpartum program on Long Island that people turn to when they need support.”
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