From the moment someone finds out they’re going to have a baby, they have immediately signed on to what can feel like countless doctor’s visits.
When things go smoothly, pregnant people can expect ultrasounds, bloodwork, fetal monitoring, genetic testing, vaccinations and more at their routine checkups.
With the amount of appointments, the mental health of those who are pregnant can sometimes be overlooked. The cries of a child can often drown out the silent pleading for help that often comes from parents.
Associate Lecturer of Health Science at Ball State University Jean Marie Place, who is also a maternal and child health researcher, said that simply put, the mental health of pregnant people matters because everyone’s mental health matters.
“Regardless of whether they’re pregnant or not, individuals from a human rights framework deserve to be mentally healthy,” Place said. “When you put pregnancy into the picture, it’s important as well because being mentally healthy during pregnancy is going to have some pretty long-term implications on children.”
According to Frontiers in Psychiatry, when it comes to perinatal depression — depression during and/or after pregnancy — the growth of the fetus is at risk, resulting in low birth weights as well as earlier delivery. Additionally, it can lead to the development of insecure attachment and problems in social-emotional, neurocognitive, language and motor development.
Dr. Corie Hess is a behavioral health provider at Open Door Health Services and is the founder of the Muncie Maternal Mental Health Coalition, which helps new parents find specialized mental health care through community partnerships. She encouraged those whose mental health causes significant distress or gets in the way of their ability to care for themselves to seek help.
“Emotional well-being is just as important as physical health. Just as someone might share physical symptoms with their provider during an OB[-GYN] visit, it is also important to share symptoms of depression or anxiety,” Hess said via email.
Open Door has a behavioral healthcare program included in their maternity care, and they screen patients throughout pregnancy and postpartum for perinatal mental health disorders (PMHD). They also have both individual and group counseling and provide education about mental health throughout pregnancy.
Hess explained that depression and anxiety can impact new parents, including those who don’t carry the child. She said 1 in 10 fathers experience postpartum depression, and adoptive parents can also experience postpartum depression and other mental health concerns.
“Becoming a parent is such a significant life change and has a profound impact on a person’s sense of self and their ability to cope with day-to-day stress,” Hess said via email. “Sleep is also a major factor to consider, and oftentimes, sleep deprivation can exacerbate mental health issues as well.”
Place echoed Hess, saying that part of the mental strain of being a new parent comes from it simply being an “incredible adjustment.” But on top of that, she said it’s a combination of hormones.
About 7 to 20 percent of pregnant people are affected by depression, but they’re more likely to develop depression and anxiety during their first year after childbirth, according to Mental Health America. The organization found that 70 to 80 percent of pregnant people experience negative feelings or mood swings a few days after giving birth, generally due to hormones.
Lea Watson moved to Muncie to start The Navigators ministry at Ball State with her husband Logan in 2019. Watson is currently a mother of two and is expecting her third, but this is her fourth time being pregnant.
Watson and her husband experienced a miscarriage after their first conception, which has caused a lot of anxiety throughout her other pregnancies, especially in her first trimesters when pregnancy is “more fragile.”
According to Frontiers in Global Women’s Health, those who experience a miscarriage are more at risk of developing depression, anxiety and PTSD for subsequent pregnancies.
In Watson’s experience, the conversation surrounding pregnancy and mental health has been more focused on postpartum mental health. She has discussed the topic, but mainly with her close friends.
“We all have gotten pregnant together around the same [time]; we definitely have shared the highs and lows of pregnancies together,” Watson said. “I would say there’s a pretty negative view around birth in general … I haven’t heard a positive birth story in a really long time.”
In addition to hormones and adapting to life changes, Hess also emphasized that pregnancy is not necessarily always the root of mental health struggles. Pregnancy can also exacerbate symptoms of mental illness that were already present before the influx of hormones.
Watson has struggled with anxiety since college, where she sought out counseling. Following the loss of her first pregnancy, childbearing became a specific source of stress for her.
She wants others who may find themselves in a similar position in their pregnancy to know that they are not alone. She said great parents have had some “really scary thoughts” during those unprecedented times.
“I’ve had to initiate some of those conversations, but it’s so worth it to feel like I’m not alone, and people want to help … If you’re feeling depressed first, that’s normal, and you’re not alone,” Watson said. “If it’s impacting your daily life, definitely don’t be ashamed to reach out to your doctor.”
Watson highlighted that the best way to care for the baby is to manage the health of the person carrying them, especially their mental health.
Some resources in Muncie include the Muncie Maternal Mental Health Coalition; Ball State also has a Counseling Practicum Clinic where Place said there are student clinicians trained to deal with PMHD. The Muncie YMCA also has a support group led by “doctoral-level students from the Ball State Counseling Center” in partnership with Hess’s coalition.
Hess encourages those struggling to also seek online support groups. She wants people to know they’re not alone, it’s not their fault and support is available.
“Postpartum Support International is a great organization that has free virtual support groups that anyone can attend,” Hess said via email. “There is also the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline [1-833-TLC-MAMA]. This is a free, confidential hotline that new parents can call or text 24/7 to get support.”
Place said that there are a variety of options and strategies to help you or your loved ones get through difficult times.
“There’s a lot of stigma around maternal mental health, unfortunately, and so I think one of the most important things someone could do is listen,” Place said. “Try to offer that ordinary magic of empathy.”
Contact Ella Howell via email at ella.howell@bsu.edu.
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