200 Moms Get Honest About Pregnancy and Postpartum Life: An Intro

 Six months later and I here I am again with some more data to share from my Getting Real survey.

{To have this information sent straight to your inbox, sign up here. This stunning image/data was the first eye-opening result shared.}

I figured maternal mental health awareness month would be a good context in which to share (okay, in keeping with getting real, it was not my intention to take this long, but I'll be starting an #itsallaboutME campaign soon – ME = Managing Expectations. So here we are.)

I'll be parceling out information in bite-sized pieces from what I learned from these honest moms' generous sharing. With each tidbit, I will also provide some kind of answer to “what do I do with this information” by way of resources and tools.

Oftentimes simply hearing shared struggles melts away some of the weighty self-judgment attached. But also, using our experience to help others builds a sense of meaning and purpose. So if you have any sense of “I wish someone had told me that” please share this info with at least one mama or mama-to-be.

One of the essential questions I'm always asking myself is “How can we prepare for and support new moms without scaring the shit out of them”? I invite you into that same line of inquiry, now and forever.

Here's a sneak peak at some of what I learned:
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• Even though dialog about maternal mental health is still quiet, when we do hear murmurs, it is often about depression. While feelings of depression – from mild to severe – were indicated higher than the national average by respondents, another symptom was even more common. Any guesses? . . . I won't make you wait. It's anxiety. So much anxiety.
• While the majority of of moms – 75% to be exact – shared their inner experience with partner (among other people for some), 60% also had difficulty connecting with said partner once baby was born.
• To no surprise, the majority of women wished they would have had more information at the outset, especially regarding the postpartum phase, though plenty of participants were caught off guard by the not-so-blissful aspects of pregnancy too.
• The most commonly desired type of support people indicated were small monthly groups. Whataya know? Many moms want close connection. So wise. 

Okay, all for now, more soon!

As usual, if you or a local San Francisco mama you love needs, support I am here. Other places to search for help from professionals trained specifically in maternal mental health are through PSI and Postpartum Project (this is an awesome newer resource with a database of all kinds of support - from mental health to lactation consultations to doulas and more! Keep checking back as it grows).

Yours in wellness, self-care and compassion,

Shana
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​Think I may be the right fit for you or a loved one? Feel free to email me at contact@shanaaverbach.com or call 415-963-3546 for a free 20-minute consultation call.