What You Need to Know About Postpartum Mental Health

May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness month, and there has never been a more important time to talk about the challenges facing moms.

Maternal Mental Health (MMH) disorders include a range of disorders and symptoms, including but not limited to depression, anxiety and psychosis. These disorders and symptoms can occur during pregnancy and/or the postpartum period (together often referred to as the perinatal period).

Here’s what you need to know about postpartum mental health.

1. Maternal Mental Health Disorders are common.

Maternal Mental Health Disorders affect 1 in 5 women, but many cases are undiagnosed and less than 15% of women receive treatment. It’s time to come together and talk about one of the most common childbirth complications.

Each year, TheBlueDotProject hosts Maternal Mental Health Awareness week. As part of a 5-day Making Over Motherhood challenge, moms are also invited post pictures of #realmotherhood – what it’s like behind the scenes of motherhood.

If you’re struggling with your mental health, head over to Instagram to join a community of women who are dealing with the same challenges.

2. There is more than one type of maternal mental health disorder.

The most common type of maternal mental health disorder is postpartum depression. Up to 20% of women experience clinical depression during and/or after pregnancy. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and, mothers with pre-existing depression prior to or during pregnancy are more likely to experience postpartum depression.

But pregnancy and postpartum anxiety is a bit different from postpartum depression: up to 15% of women will develop anxiety during pregnancy or after childbirth. Symptoms often include restlessness, racing heartbeat, inability to sleep, extreme worry about the “what if’s,” and extreme worry about not being a good parent or being able to provide for her family.

There is also dysthymia, pregnancy and postpartum OCD, and birth related PTSD. For more information on these disorders, visit 2020 Mom’s website.

3. It’s treatable.

Less than 30 percent of women who screen positive for depression or anxiety seek or receive treatment. But the numbers should be much higher — as a new mom, you need to take care of yourself first.

There are many options for treating mental health disorders, so if you have any signs and symptoms of maternal mental health problems, please talk to your doctor.