Overcoming perinatal depression with Hopeful Beginnings

To view webinar on this topic, click here.

Having a baby is undoubtedly a life-changing moment, especially if it is your first child. For mothers, bringing a new life into this world ushers with it a huge array of emotions. 

There’s a heady mix of excitement and joy, nerves and fear and, of course, love. But what happens when there’s also a long-term depression that accompanies the birth? 

The fact of the matter is that 1 in 7 women in the US may experience postpartum depression in the year after giving birth. It can be a debilitating period for new parents – and the family unit as a whole – especially as this particular depression is often accompanied by feelings of guilt and anxiety.

Advice from a licensed professional

Connie Jaurez is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who works with Hopeful Beginnings. Connie has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago, where she specialized in children and families – with a sub-specialization in immigration studies. She also has a certificate in perinatal mental health, which she has put into action over the last seven years helping children and families cope with a range of postpartum-related challenges. 

In a recent interview, moderated by Licensed Clinical Psychologist Dr Kailyn Bobb and co-sponsored by MHAI, Connie provided an overview of the work they do at Hopeful Beginnings to help families suffering from postpartum mental health complications.

What is perinatal mental health? 

When we talk about perinatal mental health, we are essentially speaking about the period of pregnancy to a full 12 months after giving birth or the loss of the child. But this is where the simple definitions end. 

In this 21-month period, the variety of mental health disorders that can affect people is staggering. According to Connie Jaurez, roughly one in five women and one in ten men can suffer from depression and anxiety in this period – no matter their age, race, ethnicity, income, culture or other demographic factors. 

What’s more, if left untreated, perinatal disorders can have lifelong effects, whether premature or underweight births, impaired attachment to the child, or learning and behavioral issues. In the most serious scenarios, it can even increase the likelihood of maternal mortality. 

Despite all this, no matter what your specific symptoms are, Connie wants families to know one thing: “This is treatable, you are not alone, you can feel better.”

How perinatal disorders manifest

There’s no one type of perinatal disorder. Each can manifest in different ways, with distinct symptoms and names. For example, you have perinatal/postpartum psychosis, perinatal depression, bipolar mood disorder, perinatal anxiety, perinatal PTSD or perinatal OCD, to name a few. 

For more information on what each disorder means, or other associated disorders, you can consult the Hopeful Beginnings website or watch the conversation with Connie Jaurez.

Common feelings of guilt

While there are many ways that perinatal or postpartum depression manifest, there are common emotions that particularly mothers feel, but are often unspoken because of how they feel they will be perceived or for similar reasons. 

As Connie says, “When working with parents, I hear, I feel guilt because I’m not doing enough”. She admits that “it’s different for every individual,” but this emotion of feeling guilt is surprisingly common. 

What’s more, it’s often accompanied by thoughts about harm coming to their baby. In fact, 100% of new mothers report “unwanted, intrusive thoughts of harming their baby by accident. 

As Connie explains it, “at times, that maternal instinct is coming in and it’s going into overdrive.” However, 50% of new mothers have the same unwanted and intrusive thoughts of harming their baby on purpose. 

This latter side effect, while perhaps more shocking, is actually a normal reaction to being a new parent. What’s important, however, is that it is discussed with the mothers in a safe environment in order to help them come to terms with the feelings and overcome them in a healthy manner. 

Risks and warning signs of postpartum depression

Who is at risk of developing a mental health disorder of this type? While the unfortunate answer is that anybody – male or female – going through this experience may develop symptoms, there are certain groups that are more at risk. 

The most common (but not exclusive) groups include queer and trans families, military families, teen parents, parents of multiples, single parents, parents of color, “near miss” survivors, or individuals and couples who have experienced a loss previously. 

If you fall into one of these groups and believe you may be susceptible to a disorder, it is important to get help sooner rather than later. The sooner you reach out for support, particularly pre-birth if possible, the more prepared you will be to cope moving forward. 

Treatment options and coping strategies

Once again, as Connie reiterates, it is important to remember that “Yes, all perinatal mental health disorders are treatable.”

Depending on your specific disorder, you could get access to medical treatment – such as antidepressants and other medicines – or social support, mental health counselling, cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy (such as peer support groups), mother-infant therapy and education, and so on. 

The fact is, there are many ways for you to get help if you need it. You can even  look into adopting some good self-care practices. As Connie puts it, “there are a variety of options and we can put them together.”

Need access to support?

The above advice just scratches the surface of the wide-ranging issue of perinatal and postpartum depression. If you are interested in this subject, we would encourage you to first listen to the entire presentation delivered by Connie Jaurez, moderated by Dr Kailyn Bobb. 

The highly visual and educational introduction to perinatal depression goes into more detail about the specifics of the disorders and how new mothers and their partners or other close family members can regain control of their emotions. 

You can find the recording here. 

If you would like to get direct access to support for your own condition or advice regarding a close one, you can contact Hopeful Beginnings directly. There are also other organizations in Illinois that are prepared to help, whether through treatment or advice. 

You can visit the University of Illinois Chicago website for more information or other helpful organizations like postpartumdepression.org.

As ever, you can also contact us directly at MHAI if you have any concerns, doubts, or would like us to put you in touch with other service providers.