I
recently became certified in perinatal mental health, a field that I am
passionate about. I see so many moms struggling through the first year with a
baby, trying to juggle the demands of home, work and relationships while
usually getting very little sleep. Postpartum depression and associated mood
and anxiety disorders are much more common then you think. It's estimated that
20% of all new mothers are suffering and if baby is in the NICU that number
doubles. The problem here is that perinatal mental health is different from
general mental health care in that you are treating two people (more if
multiples)! Many psychiatric practitioners are not fully educated in
prescribing medication for pregnant or breastfeeding women and OBs are often
not comfortable stepping into a psychiatric role. The result is that new
mothers are not getting the help they need and the effects of untreated mood
disorders for both mom and baby can be disastrous. What can we do and how does
breastfeeding affect maternal mental health? The first and most important thing
any practitioner can do it to listen to mom, let her talk about how she feels
and what scares her, and let her know she is not alone. We know that when
breastfeeding is going well, the risk for PMADs is lessened. However, in moms
who want to breastfeed but are struggling or in moms who did not intend to
breastfeed but feel pressured to do so, the risk is multiplied. How many times
have I heard moms say that they felt pressured or guilty or even shamed for not
breastfeeding. We need to do better. We need to support parents where they are
and understand that a happy, healthy mother contributes to a happy, healthy
baby. This may mean breastfeeding, supplementing or formula-feeding but moms
need support first and foremost.