Maternal Mental Health Awareness month is celebrated during the month of May, but one month is never enough to bring light to this topic. 

“She’s grumpy”

“She’s rude”

“She’s distant”

“She looks tired”

“She’s snappy”

“She’s so sensitive”

“She’s avoiding family events”

“She’s overprotective”

“She’s demanding”

“She’s so strict”

“She’s not the same”

“She used to be more friendly”

…. the list goes on.

These are just a few of the judgments many mothers face after birth and throughout the postpartum period (and no, it doesn’t end at 6 weeks).

A mother’s brain and body change during pregnancy and postpartum. If PMS feels intense for some women, postpartum brings a whole different rollercoaster of hormones, little sleep, physical recovery, and the demands of a newborn all at once….

Yet instead of support, many mothers are met with assumptions of how they’re acting and showing up to the world. When what they often need is the simplest question: are you okay? How are you REALLY feeling? What’s going on for you right now?

Small check-ins can make a big difference.

A mother’s world shifts completely. Anxiety and fear can heighten as her body works to find balance again, but she doesn’t simply “bounce back” to her old self. Often, she’s in survival mode, trying to care for both herself and her baby (while trying to make sense of the world around her).

In this state, she may feel more alert, more guarded, more withdrawn, not because she wants to, but because she’s overwhelmed. And the longer it continues, the more disconnected she can feel from herself and others.

We all hear that it takes a village to raise a child, but it takes a tribe to truly support a mother through pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. How a mother is held in these moments shapes not just her recovery, but her emotional, mental, and spiritual wellbeing too.

In times of darkness or exhaustion finding someone you deeply trust can help to air feelings and thoughts, as well as finding a therapist you feel in sync with. 

Healing isn’t linear – and motherhood is an ebb and flow of learning, unlearning and rewiring!