Maternal Mental Health Awareness

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week begins on May 3 through to May 9, and we’re supporting The Dreamwork Collective (TDC) author and postpartum specialist, Tilda Timmers, in campaigning for May 5 to be globally recognised as Maternal Mental Health Day. The topic of maternal mental health is important to us at TDC, as our team and army of authors is made up of so many amazing mommas!

When untreated, maternal mental health is one of the main sources of death for women during pregnancy and after birth. According to the World Maternal Mental Health Day Website, in many countries, as many as 1 in 5 new mothers experiences some type of perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMADs). These illnesses frequently go unnoticed and untreated, often with tragic and long-term consequences to both mother and child.

Regardless of culture, income level, age or race, any woman can develop perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. The symptoms can appear any time during pregnancy and the first 12 months after childbirth. There are effective and well-researched treatment options available to help women recover but unfortunately due to lack of information available, many women go untreated.

Through building awareness, different organisations are working on giving maternal mental health the importance that it requires.

Want to help? Sign the petition for official recognition by the UN here

Motherhood is messy, raw, beautiful, scary and gratifying and women all over the world need support and understanding as they cope with the changes that motherhood brings.

In order to raise awareness about the importance of maternal mental health we want to create a space to have real and vulnerable conversations around motherhood and shine a light on the challenges mommas & their families face during this season of life.

High levels of stigma and lack of mental health awareness create a negative environment for people seeking access to mental health support. It’s time to destigmatise mental health in all areas, but especially for mothers around the world.

Do you feel your mental health is being challenged during postpartum? Try this book its a must read.

THE TDC FAMILY TALKS ABOUT MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH:

“I had twin boys 5 years ago. It was an emergency c-section meaning they were six weeks premature. The whole experience makes me tearful even to this day as it was the most harrowing, frightening time of my life. I think the moment a baby is born, a mother loses the capacity to put herself first, she is automatically ‘programmed’ to immediately think first of her baby/babies. This is why support and care for her, should be prioritised by those around her. She is not the same person she was the day before!” — Gemma Taylor

When I became a mother in 2016 to my son, the old saying rang very true; you have no idea how you'll feel until it happens to you. I had read all of the baby books, asked all of the questions but still, when I left the hospital and became responsible for that little person's life everything shifted. Everything.
Priorities changed and I embarked on a brand new chapter not quite knowing what to expect. Those first few weeks are a hazy memory of nappies, feeding and trying to keep on top of things all whilst suffering from lack of sleep. I felt lost and not like myself anymore. It took months for me to find my rhythm and start to understand who this new version of myself was. I was surrounded by lots of friends also experiencing this life changing experience which helped through making sense of my experiences, without which I would have definitely struggled more than I did. It's important to share our experiences of motherhood because it can differ for everyone and there is no such thing as normal. — Rhiannon Miller

“I clearly remember the days when I would put my precious new baby to sleep and then cry in the shower. I would cry myself to sleep almost everyday. How could I feel so much love and so much desperation and loneliness at the same time? I thought it was just me. I thought I was just broken. Now I understand that many women have felt (and continue to feel) the same way I did. We need to talk about this more!” - Bondie Metchore

This is postpartum

Maternal Mental Health Awareness is a topic dear to our hearts not only because of the experience of the moms in our team but also because of our very own Dreamwork Collective author, Tilda Timmers.

Tilda wrote the book This is postpartum ‘Free yourself from the perfect mother conspiracy’.

This book is a friendly, fuss free and compassionate guide for the moments when you're tearing your hair out and wondering if you're all alone. You're not. All parents struggle at some point - including the author. There is no right way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one.

Motherhood is like the hardest exam in the world, and you haven't even been allowed to prepare for it. You're going to have feelings of elation, but also feelings of anxiety, exhaustion and guilt.

Let's talk about it and raise awareness for perinatal and postnatal mental health, so women and families can openly share their experiences and stories; ultimately empowering people to seek the help they need to heal and enjoy the incredible miracle the bringing life into this world really is.

We would love to hear from you. Share your thoughts, experiences and comments below and let’s take a step towards creating awareness around the importance of maternal mental health.