Maternal Mental Health
I recently came across an article that focused on the idea of Motherhood Centers, in particular The Motherhood Center in New York that works to make life easier for new moms and dads, particularly those who are struggling with postpartum depression, anxiety and other mood disorders (link here). While this concept may work best in larger cities, it’s an amazing idea that I think could be applied anywhere.
Thinking back to when I was in the midst of my own maternal mental health struggles after my daughter was born, I’m not sure that I would have been able to make my way to such a center early on, if one existed near me; I could barely leave the house. Once I started feeling better, I absolutely would have gone to a motherhood center. Imagine a place where you can go to get help, be around others that are struggling, and know that everyone else there is also experiencing a struggle of their own, so less worries of feeling judged. It would be strangely comforting, in the best way possible. A dedicated place that focuses on maternal mental health. Sign me up!
When my daughter was a few months old, and still to this day, I occasionally attend programs at our local early years centres. While these programs are great for getting out of the house and providing socializing opportunities for you and your child/children, there isn’t a dedicated focus on maternal mental health. I’m not saying that there should be this focus – but it did get me thinking about whether the concept could work, similar to an early years-type center, on a much smaller scale than New York.
In the absence of a maternal mental health center near me, I’ve been thinking about what I can do to mentally prepare for the arrival of baby #2 (as much as I can). I’m going to share my postpartum care plan in a future post, but for now, I’m really excited thinking about all of my mom friends who are also expecting again. I’ll be surrounded by some great friends to go through the ups and downs of motherhood with – and that is good for everyone’s mental health.
xo Leigh
