It’s Maternal Mental Health Day!
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.
World Maternal Mental Health Day draws attention to essential mental health concerns for mothers and families.
Life changes around pregnancy make women more vulnerable to mental illness.
Mental health care provides the necessary support to empower women to identify resources and personal capabilities.
This can enhance their resilience to difficult life circumstances and support them to nurture their children optimally.
Caring for mothers is a positive intervention for long-term social development.
Here are some tips I've used to take care of my Mental Health:
Be Mindful About your emotions- Putting on a happy fact is NOT healthy. You may be able to fool others but you can't fool yourself. Be truthful with yourself and experience your emotions as you need to
Talk About it - Talk to your partner, a friend or loved ones or a therapist. Getting it out will help
Connect with other Mamas- Finding friends with similar experiences can be healing. You can chat about the good, the bad and the babies!
Talk a Walk - Fresh air does wonders for our health! Getting outside can help clear your mind. I also did yoga and short intervals of exercise when I felt well. Moving my body makes me feel better.
Do what YOU want when baby sleeps- people will tell you to sleep, get chores down, relax etc etc. Do what makes you feel good and do whatever you feel you need to do
Listen to something uplifting- a feel good playlist or podcast can boost my mood
Eat and drink water - Don't skip meals! Fuel is important when taking care of yourself and baby. Yes eat healthy, but let yourself indulge in your guilty pleasures too!
Learn New Things and Share what you learn- I love learning. It's a good distraction and I feel productive when learning new things. Tell your baby or your partner about things you've learned
You can help by sharing your own story, advocating for maternal mental health, or sharing information and facts to help raise awareness.
Raising awareness of maternal mental health issues, so that more women will get treatment and fewer will suffer.
