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Perinatal (also known as maternal) mental health includes mental illness that existed before pregnancy, as well as illnesses that develop for the first time or are greatly exacerbated in the perinatal period (the two-year period from conception until baby’s first birthday). Examples of perinatal mental health problems include antenatal and/or postnatal depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, postpartum psychosis, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These illnesses can be mild, moderate or severe, requiring different kinds of care or treatment.
Postpartum Depression
• Feeling hopeless, helpless, or worthless
• Lacking motivation, concentration, or energy
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
• Feelings of anger, guilt, irritability, rage, or regret
Postpartum Anxiety
- Feeling easily stressed, worried, or overwhelmed
- Being hypervigilant with baby
- Having scary, intrusive, or racing thoughts
- Feeling keyed up, on edge, restless, or panicked
Postpartum Psychosis
- Severe mental illness, constitutes medical emergency
- Symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, mania, paranoia, and confusion
- Those suffering may be at risk for harming themselves, their child(ren), and others
- Getting help as soon as possible is critical
EMERGENCY HELP:
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
National Maternal Mental Health Hotline
911 or your local emergency room
Articles and Information:
Massachusetts General Hospital Postpartum Psychosis Project (MGHP3)
Maternal Mental Health and Suicide
Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, OCD, Psychosis, and Other Mood Disorders
Postpartum Mental Health – Risk Factors
Pregnancy and Postpartum Psychosis
What is Perinatal Mental Health?
Books:
A Mother’s Climb Out of Darkness: A Story about Overcoming Postpartum Psychosis (Amazon; Bookshop)
Beyond the Blues: Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum Depression and Anxiety (Amazon; Bookshop)
Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts (Amazon; Bookshop)
It Wasn’t Supposed to Be Like This (Amazon; Bookshop)
Not Your Mother’s Postpartum Book (Amazon; Bookshop)
Postpartum Happiness: What to Do When You Love your Kids But Hate the Job (Amazon)
Return to You: A Postpartum Plan for New Mothers (Amazon)
The Fourth Trimester (Amazon; Bookshop)
The Fourth Trimester Companion (Amazon)
The Fourth Trimester Journal (Amazon)
The Little Blue Rocket Ship: A Story about Postpartum Depression (Amazon)
The Postpartum Depression Workbook (Amazon)
Understanding Postpartum Psychosis (Amazon; Bookshop)
Podcasts:
Adventures with Postpartum Depression
Economic Hardship Reporting Project
Resources:
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Bloom Foundation for Maternal Wellness
DONA International Postpartum Plan
Maternal Mental Health Alliance
National Maternal Mental Health Hotline
Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health
Postpartum Support International
Videos and Webinars:
Detecting and Diagnosing Postpartum Depression
Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, OCD, Psychosis, and Other Mood Disorders
Postpartum Depression: It’s Not the Baby Blues
