Maternal Mental Health: Prioritizing Mental Well-Being During Pregnancy and Post-Partum
Maternal Mental Health: Prioritizing Mental Well-Being During Pregnancy and Post-Partum
Motherhood can be a joy-filled and exciting time where many individuals find a profound sense of fulfillment, but it can also bring on significant emotional and mental challenges. For many new mothers, the transition into pregnancy and postpartum life is filled with intense physical, psychological, and emotional changes that can lead to maternal mental health issues.
On this episode of the More Than A Therapy Couch podcast, we sit down with the Clinical Director at Tree of Life Counseling Center, Shaina Davis, LCSW, LCADC to talk about maternal mental health and navigating the journey of early motherhood. Davis pulls from her clinical and personal experiences to offer practical advice on evaluating your specific needs, asking for support, and prioritizing your mental health during this transition period.
Understanding Maternal Mental Health
Maternal mental health refers to the emotional well-being of individuals during pregnancy and the postpartum period. While some individuals associate pregnancy often entails feelings of joy and excitement, it can also encompass a range of more difficult emotions such as anxiety, depression, and overwhelming stress. These feelings may be rooted in a variety of factors such as hormonal changes, lack of sleep, relationship dynamics, societal pressures and the responsibility of caring for a child. Some commonly recognized mental health struggles that individuals may experience during this transition include:
Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD): These disorders encompass depression and anxiety occurring during pregnancy and immediately after childbirth. Symptoms can include irritability, panic attacks, and feelings of worthlessness.
Post Partum Anxiety: A mental health condition characterized by excessive worry, racing thoughts, and fear about the baby’s health or the mother’s ability to cope. Post Partum Anxiety has been shown to affect 13% to 40% of pregnant women.
Post Partum Depression (PPD): A potentially severe mood disorder where individuals experience intense feelings of sadness, guilt, and hopelessness, and often feeling disconnected from their baby. According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 1 in 7 women experience PPD within the first year after childbirth.
Post Partum Psychosis: Although the estimated prevalence of Post Partum Psychosis is 0.089 to 2.6 per 1000 births, it is considered a psychiatric emergency and requires intervention from a team of specialized healthcare providers. Symptoms may include extreme confusion, loss of touch with reality, paranoia, delusions, disorganized thought process and hallucinations.
Maternal Mental Health in the Media
At the time of this episode’s posting, a relevant TikTok has been circulating the internet and went viral as a result of viewer’s reactions. In this episode, we ask Shaina Davis her clinical expertise on the situation as well as the public’s reaction.
For those who are unfamiliar with the video, Hannah, TikTok user @nursehannahbh, is a mother who is one month postpartum with her second baby. Early in October, Hannah shared a video on the social media platform TikTok showing the process of her cleaning up 17 dirty diapers that had been strewn around her house on a day she had been caring for both kids alone. The video quickly amassed a lot of attention, garnering over 6 million views and thousands of comments criticizing her parenting.
Upon hearing the negative feedback, Davis shared “I think a lot of people can be judgemental, when they are not in that position, especially so early postpartum…In regards to that mom, she is probably doing the best she can with her circumstances and I think people need to be a little kinder.”
While there was a lot of negative feedback to Hannah’s post, the ‘17 diapers’ trend emerged as a positive response to Hannah’s video. Over 60 thousand users began posting their stories of difficulties they experienced postpartum in solidarity with Hannah. This important trend draws attention to the mental health struggles new moms experience and how public perception can enforce stigma and discourage individuals from seeking support.
Davis believes “a big part of what needs to shift is society’s expectations of what is okay and what is not.”
Practical Strategies to Support Maternal Mental Health
Unaddressed mental health conditions during pregnancy or after childbirth can affect not only a mother’s well-being but also the baby’s development. Infants of mothers with untreated mental health issues may experience delays in emotional bonding, cognitive development, and social engagement. By prioritizing maternal mental health throughout pregnancy and postpartum, mothers can work to provide their children with a nurturing, supportive environment that fosters growth and connection. Some practical strategies to prioritize maternal mental health include:
Build a support system
Practice self care
Incorporate mindfulness activities, like journaling or meditating
Set realistic goals
Seek professional support
Davis advises new moms to “start really small. The expectation of going right back into your routine pre-baby can be extremely overwhelming in itself, and then on top of that there’s the feeling of failure because a lot of the time we won’t be able to meet those expectations”
When sharing her final thoughts on maternal mental health at large, she said “it’s a work in progress for a lot of people and that’s okay. Not everyone is comfortable asking for help due to many different reasons and it’s all good, but you have to also challenge yourself a little bit or nothing is going to change and you get stuck and that’s an even worse feeling.”
When should I see a professional?
If you or a loved one are experiencing mental health challenges during pregnancy or postpartum that cannot be managed on your own or are interfering with your daily life, it may be time to consult a mental health professional, such as a therapist or psychiatric nurse practitioner.
About Tree of Life Counseling Center
At Tree of Life Counseling Center in Princeton, NJ and Freehold, NJ, we have an experienced team of 50+ clinicians to help support you, and your family, through whatever you may be facing. Schedule an appointment today by calling 732-393-8391 or filling out an online form at https://www.treeoflifecc.org/start-today.
