Maternal Mental Health

Becoming a mother is a complex life transition rife with significant physical and psychological changes. The transition is so significant that the term “matrescence” was coined by medical anthropologists to describe the developmental passage one undergoes from pre-conception, pregnancy and delivery, surrogacy or adoption, to the postnatal period, and onward. Although the potential for growth and positive change is boundless, the accelerated pace and multitude of adjustments mothers face throughout this developmental trajectory can result in feelings of worry, guilt, shame, and grief, just to name a few.

In the process of welcoming and learning to care for another vulnerable human being, mothers are simultaneously grappling with foundational shifts to their identities, bodies, relationships, work, communities, and beyond. It may come as no surprise then that many parents experience mild mood changes during or after the birth of a child and that 15-20% of women experience more significant symptoms of depression or anxiety (Postpartum Support International, 2022). Symptoms may manifest anytime during pregnancy or in the months following the birth of a child.

Issues and experiences related to maternal mental health may include:

Depression during pregnancy and/or postpartum
Anxiety during pregnancy and/or postpartum
OCD during pregnancy and/or postpartum

Postpartum psychosis
Complications in pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding
Birth trauma
Postpartum PTSD
Postpartum rage

Infertility
Pregnancy, infant, or child loss
Relational or financial stress
Inadequate caregiving support

How can therapy help?

Regardless of what you may be experiencing, we are so glad that you are here. Motherhood, in all its forms and phases, can feel incredibly isolating and vulnerable. You are not alone, however, and you are not to blame for the difficulties you are facing. Therapy for maternal mental health issues is responsive to your specific needs and driven by the symptoms or challenges of most concern to you. It may thus involve acknowledging the role transitions and grief involved in becoming a mother, addressing the overwhelming demands and potential for guilt that comes with caring and making decisions for another human being, managing anxious or intrusive thoughts around conception, pregnancy, and motherhood, processing a traumatic birth experience, and more. In all, therapy can provide the support and tools to better understand yourself and your experience, uncover a renewed sense of agency and hope based on this understanding, and allow you to embody your role as a mother with curiosity, courage, and compassion.