Redefining Maternal Mental Health
Sitting on a park bench with my newborn in the stroller, sleep-deprived and groggy, I vividly imagined renting a yellow bus and driving to Mexico - just running away. I felt alone, exhausted, and afraid of the life I had just entered.
I had heard about postpartum depression (PPD), but assumed it wouldn’t happen to me. I went months before I got help - and finally began to feel the joy of motherhood.
When you Google “maternal mental health,” you’ll find a well-shared stat: 1 in 5 women experience a mental health condition during or after pregnancy. The focus is often on PPD - but maternal mental health is much more complex.
After a decade of watching my closest friends become mothers, I’ve realized we need to expand the definition. Here are four common assumptions worth challenging:
1. Maternal Mental Health Begins at Pregnancy
A few years ago, I was in Denver visiting two close friends - one pregnant, the other deep in IVF. Over dinner, my friend opened up. She had endured years of endometriosis, IVF injections, and endless waiting. The emotional toll of wanting something so deeply - motherhood - while watching others get it easily, was crushing.
For many, the journey to motherhood begins long before pregnancy. The mental health struggles can start then too.
2. It’s All About the Baby Blues
When I miscarried, I bled alone at 3 a.m. and sobbed quietly beside my husband. The next day, I had a big work meeting I felt I couldn’t miss. I drove in, still bleeding, still crying, until I finally admitted I couldn't do it.
Miscarriage affects up to 20% of pregnancies, yet so few women talk about it. The grief, shame, guilt, and pain are very real - and often, completely invisible.
3. It’s Only About the Mother
One night, our new neighbors shared their story: both of their boys had required open-heart surgery before the age of four. I asked, “How did you get through that?” The answer: “With a lot of therapy.”
Maternal mental health is also about what happens around the mother - our babies, our families, our partners, our fears.
4. It Ends After the Newborn Stage
A friend of mine wanted an unmedicated birth. After 36 hours of labor, her baby was turned the wrong way. The doctor had to manually reposition the baby. Then a nurse jumped on her belly. Her baby came out blue and struggling to breathe.
That birth was terrifying. And the trauma didn’t end when the baby was born.
These are just a few stories. There are millions more.
Motherhood is deeply emotional, often heavy, and rarely simple. We need to redefine maternal mental health - and expand the support we offer women through every part of this transition. It’s time for more conversations, more compassion, and more resources.
It’s okay to not be okay. And in the dark moments, the light will return.
This is why I started Meemo Jeemo - a brand built to Love the Mother. For every pajama purchased, we donate 12 diapers to families in need, because no parent should have to choose between essentials and dignity.
Because she matters.
You matter.