Maternal Mental Wellbeing - Bending Birches NP

Summary

Maternal mental wellbeing is important. Many women experience mental health symptoms during pregnancy and after childbirth. A recent study provided data on the number of women who experience mental health symptoms during pregnancy and during the postpartum period; how mental health symptoms lead to death in pregnant woman; and how health disparities contribute to the fact that Black mothers are more likely to experience mental health symptoms and to not receive treatment compared to White mothers. In New York state, there are resources for women who have mental health symptoms. Address your mental health symptoms; you deserve it.

May 2024 is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month.

Maternal mental wellbeing refers to the mental health of women who are mothers and who have children.

Why This Matters

Caregivers of children have responsibilities towards their children. Caregivers’ mental health needs are important because their mental health symptoms can affect their ability to be caregivers. Women who are caregivers of children may need to seek mental health treatment in order to be able to deliver the best care they can.

According to the World Health Organization, worldwide, 13% of pregnant women and 10% of women who have just given birth experience mental health disorders. In developing countries, 15.6% of pregnant women and 19.8% of women after childbirth experience a mental health disorder.

In a report by CNN on February 21, 2024, data from a recent meta-analysis was summarized. The researchers published their article in JAMA Psychiatry and stated that mental health disorders are the leading cause of death among pregnant women in the USA and include suicide and opioid overdose. Health disparities worsen the situation for some segments of the population. The rate in the USA is 2 to 3 times that in other high income countries. Black mothers are 2.6 times as likely to experience mental health conditions and half as likely to receive treatment as White mothers.

CNN: Maternal mental health conditions drive climbing death rate in the US, research says https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/21/health/maternal-mental-health-mortality/index.html

Maternal Mental Wellbeing Across the Lifespan

Maternal mental wellbeing crosses several periods of a mother’s life. Mental wellbeing prior to becoming a mother is also important and may affect a woman in her role as a mother.

Prior to becoming pregnant, a woman may experience mental health symptoms. If these are not addressed, they may persist or worsen, affecting the functioning of the woman. Hormonal changes during puberty, psychosocial stressors, environmental catastrophes, genetic predispositions, substance use, and accidents can contribute to the emergence of mental health symptoms.

During pregnancy, hormonal changes can affect the mental status of a woman. A previous history of mental health symptoms may predispose a woman to experience mental health symptoms during or after pregnancy. Medical conditions during pregnancy may influence the mental health of a pregnant woman. Stressors during pregnancy can impact a woman’s mental health during the pregnancy and in the postpartum period.

Hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause may lead to mental health changes.

Life in all of its complexity for any woman may provide the festering soil for mental health symptoms to emerge.

Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Mental Wellbeing

Symptoms of mental distress which occur during a pregnancy and during the postpartum period need to be addressed in order for the woman to manage well in all of her roles in her life. The goal is to keep the mother healthy, optimizing her ability to function.

Mother-To-Baby (https://mothertobaby.org/) and Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Women’s Mental Health (https://womensmentalhealth.org/) are two resources for additional information about mental health issues in women and medications prescribed for mental health symptoms.

During Pregnancy

Do not stop psychotropic (psychiatric) medications when you become pregnant without consulting the prescriber of the medications. While certain periods of time during pregnancy are more vulnerable periods for potential effects of medications on the developing fetus, standard practice is to discuss the costs and benefits of continuing the medication (s) and the costs and benefits of discontinuing the medication (s). The person prescribing the psychiatric medications for you will inform you of potential risks and will recommend a medication regimen that keeps you, the mother, as healthy as possible during your pregnancy.

After Childbirth

During the postpartum period, medications may be necessary to treat mental health symptoms in the mother, even if the mother is breastfeeding. Medications for the breastfeeding mother may be different than the medications prescribed during pregnancy or they may be the same medications as those prescribed during pregnancy. Two variables to consider for medications prescribed to a breastfeeding woman is the fat solubility of the medication and its ability to cross from breast milk into the newborn. There are many other variables which contribute to the decision-making process when medications are prescribed to a breastfeeding woman.

Maternal Mental Wellbeing Later in Life

After raising children who have become adults and who are on their own, women must continue to maintain their mental wellbeing. A woman’s life does not end when child-rearing ends. There is plenty of life beyond raising a child. In order to participate fully in life, every parent needs to be mentally well, men and women alike. This post relates to the mental wellbeing of mothers. Thus, I am focusing on women.

The departure of children from the home may lead to sadness and a sense of loss for any parent. If a mother whose children are no longer at home experiences mental health symptoms affecting her functioning, she should seek mental health treatment. As the body ages, medical conditions change and the medical changes may be part of the reason for a change in mental health.

Resources for Maternal Mental Wellbeing

In New York State, there are a number of resources available to parents experiencing mental health concerns:

A toll free, statewide Helpline offered by the Postpartum Resource Center of NY: 855-631-0001, 7 days per week, 9am to 5pm.
National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (1-833-TLC-MAMA OR 1-833-852-6262): https://mchb.hrsa.gov/national-maternal-mental-health-hotline
Parent Stress Hotline (based in Massachusetts): 1-800-632-8188, 24/7.
Crisis Text Line: Text “Got5” to 741741
Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 9-8-8

Takeaways for Maternal Mental Wellbeing

Mothers and all women deserve to enjoy life. In order to enjoy life, women need to be productive. In order to be productive, a woman needs to be mentally well.

Take the time to address your mental wellbeing. Your children, your partners, your family, your friends, and, most importantly, you deserve it. Yes, you deserve to experience mental wellbeing.

Reach out to local mental health services. Contact NYS Office of Mental Health (800-597-8481) to find an OMH office near you. Speak with your medical provider who may be able to refer you to a mental health provider.

Be safe. Be well. Be proactive about getting the right treatment for you.