Maternal Mental Health
By Deidre Rideout, MS, LCMHC
May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month, and it is a great month to discuss ways to support a person struggling with a perinatal mental health condition. The perinatal period refers to before, during, or after pregnancy. The Department of Health and Human Services published a report in 2024 on maternal mental health to address the current Maternal Mental Health Crisis in the U.S. The report shares that the U.S. maternal mortality rate far exceeds the maternal mortality rate of other high-income countries, and that in the 36 U.S. states that participated, 84% of the reported pregnancy-related deaths were determined to be preventable. Over half of these deaths were during the postpartum (PP) period of 1 week PP to 1 year PP.
Anxiety disorders are one of the most reported and common complications associated with pregnancy, and it has been proven that women with a mental health condition are 50% more likely to experience severe maternal morbidity (SMM). Mental health conditions are the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S.
These statistics are heartbreaking, and maternal mental health is a topic that should be spoken about far more than it currently is. The saying, “it takes a village to raise a child,” no longer applies to most families in the U.S., and many families report feeling like they don’t have connections or support in their parenthood journeys.
A wonderful local resource we have in NH is The NH Mom Hub, located at Hope on Haven Hill in Rochester, NH, with their primary mission being to connect NH moms to the support they need. The NH Mom Hub offers calls and texts for emotional support, peer support from moms with lived experience, weekly check-ins if needed, and helps navigate resources. The Mom Hub can be contacted at (603) 841–5353 and more information can be found at https://www.hopeonhavenhill.org/momhub/
Here are ways you can support a parent you think may be struggling:
Active listening without offering any unsolicited advice
Validate without making the narrative about you
Be present
Ask how you can help and follow through (within your own boundaries)
Check-in without expectations
If you are concerned about the safety of a parent or a child, do not hesitate to call a medical professional and/or crisis hotline at 988.
