Having a baby is a huge life alteration – who wouldn’t be at least a bit anxious? The vast majority of women experience mood shifts surrounding pregnancy: Around 80 percent experience “baby blues,” and in up to 20 percent this develops into something more serious. But most of these women go untreated, and many undiagnosed.
The California Maternal Mental Health Collaborative (which is changing its name to “The 2020 Mom Project” as they expand outside California) is spearheading efforts to get the word out about perinatal mood disorders. Last Friday, they hosted a seminar on emerging considerations in maternal mental health. As a birth doula, I was particularly happy to listen in. The keynote speakers approached the issue from a pointedly broad perspective, considering the social, economic, and cultural factors that influence health problems and care provision. The take-home message was that to address perinatal mood disorders, we need to address the context in which they happen, including protecting tomorrow’s moms while they are children today.
For the rest of this article by Andrea Ford, go to: http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/...atal-mood-disorders/
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