Maternal Mental Health Matters

Having a baby is perhaps one of life’s greatest joys for a woman; motherhood is a blessing that brings new life into the world, and with it, an entire bouquet of experiences.

However, motherhood is not an easy journey; it is an experience of a roller coaster of emotions, a new role to understand, and unprecedented responsibilities to take on. While it takes a village to raise a baby, often, the new mother is forgotten. The woman who was doted over during her pregnancy suddenly feels a whirlwind of emotions, exhaustion, and hormonal changes deflating her joy. She has a new baby who is solely dependent on her, and the blues of post-partum changes tend to make her feel isolated in her journey.

With the growing influence of social media, parenting, and motherhood have now been attached to unrealistic expectations of what this journey should look like, and this pressure of being “perfect” and social judgment has led to a significant rise in post partum depression.

A new mother needs to be comforted with kindness and needs other women to support her in her journey and choices without judging her. She needs a partner who can shoulder equal responsibility for the baby as well as the house chores. She should be loved by her circle of friends and fellow mothers, who can reassure her that she is not alone. A mother should always be acknowledged for her tireless efforts and her unconditional love.

Maternal mental health has been on the decline for several years now, and it is time for all of us as a community, to start raising greater awareness about how emotions impact motherhood and what we can do to make motherhood a slightly easier journey to undertake.