Maternal mental health

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Pregnancy is a tremendous experience for many women. After all, you are creating a human being. It’s an impressive display of brute force on his part. Pregnancy can be both pleasurable and exciting. Your loved ones and friends will fill you with joy and blessings. You will pleasantly dream of your baby’s brightest tomorrow. While you’re waiting to give birth to a darling, charming and attention-grabbing little monster, you can browse the children’s stores, picking out clothes, accessories and all the baby-related items you’ll want and need.

Pregnancy, for all its delight, is also challenging and demanding. Pregnancy can also be difficult at times. There are physical changes, mental changes and emotional changes during the 9 months of pregnancy that take you through a roller coaster of emotions and thoughts.

What is maternal mental health?

When we talk about maternal mental health, there is a very wide range of emotions and thoughts that a woman can experience throughout her pregnancy and up to 1 full year after the birth of a baby. There are so many joyful, happy, blessed moments, but there are also so many different mental challenges that can occur. There is prenatal, there is postpartum, there is depression, anxiety disorders and what not!

There is no correct way to pronounce it. Your doctor can use any term to say this. Some call it perinatal, some call it postpartum, and some call it postnatal.

Having a baby or finding out about pregnancy is a big event in life. The range of emotions you feel is also part of a baby’s life. It is natural to experience emotions, but when some kind of stress or bad emotion becomes a part of everyday life or affects your peace of mind, there is a high possibility that you may be experiencing perinatal mental health issues. .

Why does maternal mental health occur?

There are many different aspects of why a woman experiences poor mental health during or after her pregnancy:

– Lack of support from the partner or family.

– Lack of transparent communication in the family and with the couple.

– Lack of knowledge

– Excess knowledge through the internet.

– Increased fear and anxiety.

– Unable to cope with work-life balance.

– Pre-assume everything (pain in childbirth; higher expectations with the baby; the love, care and treatment you receive).

– Rigid rituals.

– Myths about what should and should not be done.

– Changes in the body.

How do we deal with that?

– Transparent communication with your family and partner.

In Indian society, it is often difficult for a lady to speak in the family. You have to sit down with your partner and family and be very transparent and clear with your feelings and thoughts. It is necessary to have a monthly or fortnightly family meeting and talk transparently about your expectations of them and vice versa. We have a beautiful system in India where our baby is not only ours but also our family, extended family, neighbors and friends. Everyone has their care, concern and opinion to share. So sitting down as a family and sharing thoughts helps create harmony among all members.

• Stay in touch with friends and family.

Let them be cousins, friends, associates or relatives, and keep up with them. Talking to your loved ones will help you muffle your thoughts and take your mind off negative emotions. Friends and family can provide an effective support system. Stay in touch with them so you can take their help when needed.

– Stay physically active.

Women are more prone to stress and anxiety as a result of their lack of physical activity. To combat the consequences of mental illness, it’s important to get fresh air and keep your body moving. Check the list of your favorite activities. Dance or go for a walk with nature, exercise, do any physical activity you like and do yoga. It will help you calm your mind and your emotions.

– Practice mindful parenting.

When we focus on maternal mental health, the first person that comes to mind is a mother. We often forget that a parent also goes through important transitions during the process. Her lifestyle, financial pressure, and work-life balance go haywire. During this situation, both parents should practice mindful parenting. Mindful parenting will help balance the stress and anxiety that new parents face. If new parents can balance and maintain their mental health and include mindful parenting, they will create a beautiful environment for newborn babies. It is very normal to seek professional help for the same.

– Seek professional help.

As I mentioned earlier, in today’s era, new parents need to seek professional help to create a beautiful environment for their baby. There are parenting coaches who help young parents deal with stress and balance work and personal life and guide them on healthy parenting. By taking professional help, you will also be able to keep her mind at peace and you will be able to learn about her health as a mother and certain necessary parenting guidelines can be provided to her.

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