What is Perinatal Mental Health?

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.