Maternal Mental Health Awareness: What is Maternal Mental Health

Maternal Mental Health awareness week 

May 4-10th

A space to talk about mental illness during and after pregnancy

A time to raise public and professional awareness of perinatal mental illness

Advocating for women affected by it

Opportunity to help women gain access to information, care, and support

What is maternal mental health?

Pregnancy and postpartum period can affect your emotional well being

Mental health is also referred to as emotional health or well being. Is always important and impacts your physical well being too. 

Aspects of healthy emotional well being:

Feeling confident

Smiling

Good self-esteem

Happy for others

Feeling content

Participating in daily activities

While some women experience great joy and happiness others have rapid shifts in their mood, overwhelming anxiety, and increase in stress level during pregnancy or the postpartum period. 

These symptoms used to be referred to as postpartum depression, but it wasn’t all encompassing of the symptoms some women experience during this time. 

Now these symptoms are referred as Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD) which include the following:

-depression

-anxiety

-bipolar disorders

-Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

-psychosis (rare)

If you or someone you know is expressing distress call and reach out today. Feel free to email me with any questions to alison@hartmantherapyco.com

Everyday this week I will be posting related to maternal mental health! Be sure to check them out

with care,

alison

Https://Maternalmentalhealthalliance.org/news/maternal-mental-health-awareness-week-2020/

Alison is the owner of Hartman Therapy in Colorado. She offers online counseling helping tired, overwhelmed moms, sad teens, and frustrated parents. Alison has been working with adolescents, families, and adults for the past 7 years helping to build healthy, resilient families. She specializes in perinatal mental health and teen girl depression and anxiety.