Mental Wellbeing for Mothers With Tammy Viterbo

Say hello to the ever-so-lovely Tammy Viterbo, founder of Happy Fambam. Tammy has a background in psychology and social work, specialising in families and children. Tammy's goal is to take all she has learned through her studies, her ongoing research and her experience as a mother, and to pass it on to other parents in fun, digestible ways. She is passionate about helping other parents deepen their relationship with their children, and helping them to increase emotional resilience, mindfulness, gratitude, and peace in the home.

We believe Tammy has oh-so-much value to offer you, and we have no doubt you’re going to love what she has to share with you below. 

Without further ado, let’s get to know the incredible Tammy, and soak up what she has to share with us… 

Name: 

Tammy Viterbo - mother of 2 (almost 3), wife, Happy Fambam creator, ocean addict

Describe yourself in 5 words: 

Introverted, motivated, empathetic, clumsy, hungry.

Favorite simple pleasures:

Being in the sun, bedtime chats with Tom (hubby), reading with my kids.

What was your journey to motherhood like?

It was the most beautiful feeling I had ever experienced when I met Emi. It was a weird mix because although I felt so blessed it was hard to balance the shock my body was facing (excruciating breastfeeding, c-section recovery, exhaustion) with being a person who exists in society - being expected to have people over to see the baby immediately, pressuring myself to bounce back to feeling myself, keeping the house clean, studying my masters while Emi slept. I wish I had just for a while focused only on our new little family and gone easier on myself. I wish I had been more in touch with what I truly needed to heal mentally and physically from pregnancy and birth.

What are you currently most passionate about, and why?

I am passionate about helping other parents deepen their relationship with their children, and to increase mindfulness, gratitude, and peace in the home. I try to help parents navigate difficult situations in a way that enhances their child's emotional resilience, encourages them to be their most authentic selves, and actually deepens the parent-child connection.

Why is mental health so important for mothers?

I believe that it is every parent's responsibility to protect their own mental health in order to show up for their child as the best possible version of themselves. Prioritising their mental health, through modeling, also teaches kids how to do the same for themselves - such a valuable lesson for life. Dealing with sleep deprivation, hormonal changes, identity loss, mental overwhelm, etc, all with next to no time to attend to their own needs makes mothers particularly vulnerable to mental health decline. Without conscious effort, the role of being a mother can be all-encompassing and the woman behind the mother can lose herself and detach from what she really needs, physically and mentally.

Tammy’s top tips for helping mothers look after their mental health:

1. Surround yourself with those who support you and uplift you.

2. Remember how much you matter - your sleep is more important than cleaning the house.

3. Do not sacrifice peace inside you for the sake of peace outside: E.g., get comfortable with disappointing others if it means attuning to your and your baby's needs.

4. Exercise in a way that you enjoy.

5. Surround yourself with nature whenever possible.

6. If at all possible, find yourself a good therapist.

If you could help all mums master/implement one thing, what would it be?
To give them tools to help regulate their emotions when they are triggered by their child, and to turn difficult parenting moments into opportunities for connection and growth.

We hope you love what Tammy has shared with us just as much as we do.

We believe that mental well-being is incredibly important, and we want to support and champion mothers and mothers-to-be on this journey, always. 

In the words of Tammy, remember how much you matter.

You matter now, you matter always, you are worth looking after, and you deserve to thrive!

Tammy, your love for seeing families thrive, and your ability to help them do so, is second to none. The way that you place value upon mental health and well-being is something that this world needs, and we are so grateful for all that you do! Thank you for taking the time to share your incredible wealth of knowledge with us, we are oh-so thankful! Here’s to many more happy fam bams!

If you’d like to follow Tammy and continue to learn from her, you can do so right here.

All our love,
Team Baask Baby xx