Maternal Mental Health Awareness

Beginning this week, April 30th – May 6th,  is “Maternal Mental Health” Week and we wanted to help support and raise awareness of the challenges that women face in becoming a mother and the significant life adjustment that impacts women and their families.

Approximately 1 in 5 women will experience some form of mood disorder before or after delivery.  This is not the “Baby Blues” which occur during the first 2 weeks postpartum. These are mood disorders which include depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and psychosis.  Many women who experience this most common complication in pregnancy and after birth are unprepared and uneducated about what is happening to them and what they can do about it.  This is where raising awareness is key.

The more we know about these complications related to pregnancy and motherhood the more empowered we are to treat it.  This is something that can be treated!  Women need to know that they are not alone, that this is not their fault, that they will feel better and that there is support and resources available to them.

Here is a link to the Maternal Mental Health Awareness campaign entitled, “The Blue Dot Project.”  We hope that you can find valuable information there that can help you or someone you love struggling with these maternal mental health issues.

https://www.thebluedotproject.org/whataremmhdisorders/