Maternal Awareness Mental Health

By Jennifer Norris Hale, Mission: Motherhood

How does a mother say that she is not bonding with her baby? How does a mother say that she has anger—a sadness that she has never felt before? How does a mother say that she is afraid of being left alone with her baby or herself because she fears what she might do? How does a mother express these thoughts and believe that they will be understood?

According to The Blue Dot Project, “Maternal Mental Health (MMH) disorders include a range of disorders, including depression, anxiety, and psychosis and can occur within pregnancy or the postpartum period (together often referred to as the perinatal period). When left untreated, these disorders can cause devastating consequences for the mother, her baby, her family, and society.”

Modern motherhood can be isolating, overwhelming, and full of misconceptions, particularly thanks to the social media age in which we live. We have never been more connected while so deeply disconnected. Modern mothers are in dire need of spaces to be fully connected where they can feel safe enough to process their thoughts, experiences, and feelings and learn from each other.

From my own experience with postpartum depression and anxiety, I know that in the depths of those difficult times, the feelings did not want to hear what anyone else had to say. They are full of deception worthlessness as a mother, fear, sadness, and the daily unmet unrealistic expectations. But there is hope. You. A smile. A meal. A nap. A shower. A text from a friend. A simple, “how you are doing?”

As friends, family members, and a community, it is our responsibility to care for the mother, the caretaker, first. By doing so we ultimately raise our families and our children. That is why I started Mission: Motherhood to provide this level of emotional and social support to all mothers and remove barriers by getting back to basics by simply caring and wrapping support around mothers when it is needed most.

Every mother has her story. Every mother needs to be held and secure in her transition into motherhood. When a child is born, so is a mother. Every. Single. Time. Whether her story begins with natural birth, a medicated birth, a C-section, miscarriage, stillborn, adoption, or longing for a child in her heart it is hers and we are here for it.

It takes a village to raise a mother. That is why we are committed to raising community-wide awareness during Maternal Mental Health Awareness week (May 1-7), to raise the voices of our mothers and change the conversation surrounding modern motherhood.

All mothers must know that they will be heard, seen, and understood by an unconditionally supportive community. I encourage you to do your part. Hold the baby, yes, but hold the mother first.

If you or someone you know is struggling in their pregnancy or postpartum, please seek support. There are local resources available on our website for mothers, parents, and families. a missionmotherhoodfw.com