Mental health support

One of my favorite moments from our motherhood circle this week was when one mom shared: "my 50mg zoloft prescription is a lifesaver!" Last week in our Mamas Circle more women shared their experiences with taking medication for depression and anxiety - both before becoming parents and postpartum (and beyond!). 

I love how deeply you all share and how your stories empower others to get the support they need. I wanted to share a few resources this week in case you are seeking (or interested in looking for) more mental health support. 

Here are a few evidence-based practices to try: ​

ifestyle changes:

• Sleep - getting 5 uninterrupted hours of sleep has shown to make a dramatic impact on mental health. This may seem impossible but considering splitting up the night wakings with a partner or friend and alternative feeding methods (formula or pumped breast milk) can help.
• Nutrition - eating well and drinking enough water can also have a big impact. Keeping one-handed  snacks (nuts, fruit, energy bars) all over the house and asking family/friends for support in delivering snacks and meals are ideas here.
• Time alone - this may seem impossible in the early days, when staying home full-time, or juggling home life and work outside the home but is so important. Even a 15-minute walk or stepping outside for a few minutes alone can be helpful.
• Movement - moving your body in any way is great! Walking, yoga or gentle stretching, or more moderate exercise has been shown to have a positive impact on mental health.
• Help & Support - accept offers of help! This is hard in our "I can/should be able to do it all!" culture - but everything from meal delivery and friends visiting to hiring overnight or daytime support can help ease the burden of caring for yourself and your family.

Social support & Education groups:
Postpartum Support International, which offers incredible resources during the whole perinatal period, issued a statement on social support:
"Social support is essential to assure the mental health of women, children, and their families during pregnancy and the postpartum period."

Join a support group (like a mamas circle or motherhood circle), meet up with other moms in your community, or text a friend. Parenting classes can be another helpful way to improve your knowledge and build that social support as well. 

Professional support
Psychotherapy can be a wonderful resource. If you are in the DMV check out this list of providers trained in women's mental health - some of who accept insurance. They use different modalities so it can be helpful to hear about the therapists' approach to see if it will be a good fit for you. 

Acupuncture, Massage Therapy, and other support therapies can also be extremely helpful for helping to heal physical and emotional trauma and bring us back into our bodies. 

Medication
There are a wide variety of medications that can be used to treat mental illness and many are safe for pregnant and breastfeeding parents. 

When considering taking medication, it can be helpful to consider what exposure is the baby getting - medication vs. maternal depression or maternal anxiety. We tend to focus on the exposure of medication but Dr. Raja, a reproductive psychiatrist in Bethesda, MD said if very clearly, “the impact of untreated depression and anxiety can be worse for baby than med side effects.”

Have any of these interventions worked for you? What other steps have you taken to support your mental health?