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In recent years there’s been a surge in awareness of how common and debilitating maternal depression can be. As the research accumulates and media coverage keeps apace, the idea that depression and related disorders can wreak serious havoc on a mother and affect her baby’s development has given fresh urgency to efforts to get moms more help. Among policymakers, growing recognition of the problem has translated into new programs, with a number of states encouraging screenings and treatment.

Today, even though we’ve made much progress, postpartum depression (PPD) still gets confused with baby blues. It still gets minimized and dismissed. Oh, don’t worry. Being sad and sobbing are totally normal. So is feeling frustrated. You just gave birth, after all. You just need some sleep. A day off. A change in attitude. Maybe you should stop putting so much pressure on yourself. Maybe you’re not used to being home so much. You need time to adjust. You need to get used to your new normal.

Findings of the ACE Study have had a swift and substantial impact on MCH policy, practice and research. This issue of the journal is intended to provide a forum to enhance knowledge of the Study and its implications across the field. Topics of interest include: The aims and findings of the ACE Study, The implications of the Study and use of Study findings to shape MCH practice in clinical, program and policy settings, The import of the Study in relation to life course theory and the social...

Like any expecting couple, Brett Pipitone and his wife, Laura, knew that having a child would upend their daily routine. But no research or planning prepared them for their biggest challenge: postpartum depression. “It was an incredibly stressful situation,” Brett said. After giving birth to their daughter in 2014, Laura found herself “wanting to disappear” and completely disengaged from her surroundings. She’d call Brett at work in tears, and he’d rush home to help. He wound up taking much...

Many of us forget that emotions are one of our sensory systems. Like smell, pressure, sight and hearing, it can go offline and need help to reset. When you are tired, hurting, thirsty, hot, your emotions get disregulated too. A reset (or regulating your senses) can help throughout the day. I just stumbled on the concept of meditation aids. If you're a busy mom or dad, consider an app that prompts you to stop and check in. Close your eyes and listen to a bell ring until it disappears. Those...

In January, a government-appointed panel recommended that all pregnant women and new mothers be screened for depression . Public health advocates rejoiced, as did untold numbers of women who had not known that maternal mental illness even existed before it hit them like a freight train. But the panel did not mention one possible consequence of a diagnosis: Life and disability insurance providers have sometimes penalized women with these mental illnesses by charging them more money, excluding...

Just finding out about this opportunity, but what a great chance to hear a presentation focused on mental health and ACEs!   Register here for this free event!      

Love this table top conversation between Jada Pinkett Smith, her daughter and mother. Take home message... If you're a mom, don't forget who YOU are to yourself. You weren't always a mom. Your kids need to see this part of you so that they will remember to value themselves when they become parents.  If you have a mom, remind her she's also a beautiful woman.  If you're a partner, help her to find a safe, stress free opportunity to reinvest and rediscover herself. Moms have a...

May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month and this Sunday is Mother's Day. The day is somewhat bittersweet when I think about it...shouldn't every day be Mothers' Day, just minus the fanfare? How can we promote better mental health for moms during...

  In recent years, there has been a surge  of research into early brain development. Neuroimaging technologies, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), provide increased insight about how the brain develops and how early experiences affect...

Did you know that there is a home visitation program that brings Cognitive Based Therapy to moms via home visitation? Check out this evidence based intervention that has been written up in "Zero to Three"!   http://www.movingbeyonddepression.org/...

Moms are maxed out. Pregnant moms are maxed out, especially for many families who survived the economic recession because many women hold more recession proof jobs. But stress, especially for the pregnant woman isn't such a great thing for the unborn,...