Here’s Why Your Mental Health Should Be A Priority
When you hear the words “mental health”, what comes to mind? Chances are you jump to the thought of a person (or yourself) in a mentally unwell state. But it’s mental health we’re talking about, so why don’t we consider both ends of the spectrum?
May is Mental Health Awareness Month which got us thinking about all of this. We are incredibly passionate and supportive of efforts to bring greater awareness, understanding, and positive action to mental illness so anyone struggling can get the help they need free of judgment or stigma. However, as a society, we’ve developed a tendency of equating the term ‘mental health’ with ‘mental illness’, so when we talk about mental health we’re only focused on one side of it. That’s something that needs to change.
Your mental health is something to celebrate, work on, and strengthen where possible. Think of it in the same way as your physical health: your brain is like a muscle, just as you need to stay active and work out regularly to keep your muscles strong, you need to exercise your brain and treat it well to keep it at optimal functioning. Your mental fitness is crucial to your overall wellbeing; it is the foundation that allows you to build wellness in all other aspects of your life. Strong mental fitness trickles into everything else you do and fortifies it.
Of course, being mentally fit is not a guarantee against mental illness; just as being physically fit won’t prevent you from a physical illness. There are risk factors, situations, and times in your life that can threaten or impact your mental health.
One of these times you may feel your mental health changing is during TTC, pregnancy, and postpartum - often referred to as a 'perinatal' mental health problem. A 'perinatal' mental health problem is one that you experience any time from becoming pregnant up to a year after you give birth and these affect up to 20% of new and expectant mothers. Common feelings include low mood, anxiety, and depression, but this could also be OCD, postpartum psychosis, and postpartum PTSD.
Over the next 4 weeks, we’re going to be sharing some of the things you can do to optimize your mental health during TTC, pregnancy, and postpartum through the food you eat, the workouts you do, the self-care you prioritize, and the support available to you.
How can I tell the difference between ‘normal’ perinatal emotions and a mental health problem?
With hormones all over the place, it can be difficult to know whether what you’re experiencing and feeling is ‘normal’ or not, especially if this is your first time on the motherhood journey.
During TTC, pregnancy, and postpartum it's completely normal to experience a wide range of emotions - some of which you may have never dealt with before. This could feel like you are swinging from excited to nervous, to sad, to happy - with a mix of highs and lows. Many women will feel worried about lots of things from getting pregnant to childbirth to becoming a mother.
Why does my mood change during TTC, Pregnancy, and Postpartum?
In TTC: When you are trying to conceive, your stress levels will likely be higher than normal. People often worry about their finances and the impact of having a baby, maternity leave and the workplace, their physical health, their fertility, and the prospect of parenting. All of these, alongside any pressure you may be feeling to fall pregnant, are going to impact your mental health.
In pregnancy: In the first 3 months of pregnancy especially, your levels of estrogen and progesterone can contribute to the emotional changes. You’re also having a lot of the same worries and anxieties you may have felt during TTC - it’s a big change and you have a long road ahead so it’s ok to feel mixed emotions.
In postpartum: In the first few weeks are childbirth, it’s common to experience the ‘baby blues’ - feeling very emotional and irrational, crying out of the blue, feeling depressed or ‘low’. After childbirth, your hormone levels are returning back to normal and you are now figuring out how to parent, possibly for the first time - all of these changes have an impact on your emotional wellbeing.
It’s when these emotions don’t go away and start to impact your every day that you may be experiencing a perinatal mental health problem.
How can I support myself and my mental health?
We know it can be a really tough and challenging time. The most important thing to do if you are feeling this way is to contact your doctor or midwife and they can help you understand the right action for you to take: you don’t need to struggle on your own, there is help and support available to help you.
Here are a few other things you can do to support your mental health every day:
Build a support network: talk to other people about what you are feeling; try joining a TTC community, a parenting class or pregnancy group, or speaking with friends and family. We know it’s a cliché, but it’s true: a problem shared is a problem halved!
Accept help: take the pressure away from daily tasks by accepting help when it’s offered; allow someone else to cook dinner or put the wash on.
Take time for yourself: try to relax whenever you can - even just a short meditation when baby is napping. Meditations are like recovery sessions from your mind and can have the same effect on your mental state as sleep.
Resources & support
In the UK:
Mind, a charity based in the UK, has incredible resources on perinatal mental health as well as helplines and support available
The NHS can offer support and guidance for you and your mental health. You can also reach out to your midwife and antenatal team who can assist you with finding specialist care
Anxiety UK offers support on anxiety disorders, information, and therapies
In the US:
MMHLA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the mental health of mothers in the US
SAMHSA has information on where and how to find support across the US
US & Canada:
Postpartum Support International works to help families suffering from postpartum depression, anxiety, and distress. PSI Volunteers can help connect pregnant, postpartum, and post-loss individuals and families with local providers who are trained to treat perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
Check back in with us next week where we'll be sharing how the food you eat affects your mental health and sharing just what you can do to nourish your brain.
What do you do to support your mental health? Let us know in the comments!
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