Mental Health
Take care of yourself hun, you deserve it!
A healthy you means a healthy baby, too. As a mother, it's crucial to ensure you look after yourself in order to put your best foot forward. Motherhood is a hard road to navigate, so don't be afraid to reach out for the help you need. A healthy mind is the key to a healthy mother.
Use What You Got
Take advantage of the postpartum coverage you have, especially now that it's recently been extended to a full year! Mental health is just as important as every other aspect of a mother. Caring for yourself fully is the ultimate goal and is especially crucial during the pregnancy and postpartum periods. The first 6 months after childbirth are crucial to the health of the mother. Childbearing is extremely demanding both physically and mentally which can take an immense toll on mothers. In order to care for your baby, you need to be in good health yourself, so ensuring mothers are doing well in both mind and body helps vastly in every way.
Quick Facts
~ Mental health issues are the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth.
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~ Approximately 1 in 7 women experience postpartum depression, and 1 in 10 experience postpartum anxiety.​
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~ March of Dimes has identified five key elements that are critical to addressing and improving maternal mental health.​
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~ Access to and insurance coverage for all types of mental health care
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~ Universal screening of all pregnant and postpartum women
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~ Referral to behavioral health providers for treatment
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~ Public education on the prevalence of maternal mental health issues that focuses on normalizing the stress new parents face and stigma reduction strategies.
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~ And robust funding to support tracking maternal mental health disorders, as well as data collection on maternal mental health screening initiatives and treatment outcomes.
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~ Untreated maternal mental health disorders cost the U.S. an estimated $14.2 billion in 2017.​
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~ Evidence suggests that rates of maternal mental health disorders are increasing during the COVID-19 pandemic
Courtesy of March of Dimes
“Mental health issues are the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth, and when left untreated, maternal mental health disorders can have serious medical, societal, and economic consequences. ​”
