May Is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month: Let’s Talk About What Isn’t Always Said
May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month—a time meant to bring attention to something many women experience, but far fewer openly talk about.
When people think about pregnancy or becoming a mother, the conversation is often centered around joy, bonding, and fulfillment. And while those moments absolutely exist, they do not tell the whole story. For many women, this season also includes anxiety that does not quiet down, emotional overwhelm, unexpected sadness, intrusive thoughts, or a sense of feeling disconnected from themselves.
Maternal mental health refers to a woman’s emotional and psychological well-being during pregnancy, the postpartum period, and the broader transition into motherhood. It is not limited to the first few weeks after birth—the perinatal period can extend through pregnancy and the first year postpartum, with mental health concerns emerging at any point (National Institute for Children’s Health Quality [NICHQ], n.d.). What often gets missed in these conversations is just how common these struggles are. Maternal mental health conditions, including postpartum depression and anxiety, are among the most common complications of pregnancy and childbirth (NICHQ, n.d.). In the United States, it is estimated that approximately 1 in 5 women experience a maternal mental health condition during pregnancy or postpartum, yet many do not receive treatment or support (Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, 2023; Postpartum Support International, n.d.).
That gap matters.
There is still enormous pressure placed on mothers to appear grateful, capable, and emotionally fulfilled at all times. The expectation that this should automatically be “the happiest time of your life” can make it harder to admit when something feels off. Instead of saying, “I’m struggling,” many women minimize what they are experiencing or convince themselves they should be able to manage it better. But maternal mental health challenges are not a sign of weakness or failure. There are real emotional, physical, hormonal, and environmental factors involved. Hormonal shifts, sleep deprivation, identity changes, and increased responsibility all play a role in emotional well-being during this time (Maternal Mental Health Alliance, n.d.). When combined with limited support or preexisting mental health concerns, it becomes easier to understand why this transition can feel heavier than expected.
For some women, the signs are obvious. For others, they are quieter and easier to overlook. It may look like constant worry, irritability, emotional numbness, difficulty sleeping even when exhausted, panic, feeling disconnected from the baby, or distressing thoughts that feel unfamiliar. Some women describe feeling like they are “failing” despite doing everything they can to hold things together.
And importantly, many women experience these emotions while also deeply loving their child.
Those experiences are not contradictory. You can feel grateful and overwhelmed at the same time. You can love your child deeply and still struggle emotionally. Acknowledging that reality is part of reducing the shame that keeps so many mothers silent.
Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month exists to help shift this conversation. Advocacy organizations continue to emphasize the importance of awareness, early intervention, and access to care for mothers across the perinatal period (Postpartum Support International, n.d.; NICHQ, n.d.; Maternal Mental Health Alliance, n.d.).
The policy side of this conversation matters too. Barriers such as limited access to providers, gaps in insurance coverage, workforce shortages, and disparities in care continue to impact whether mothers receive timely mental health support (Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, 2023). These challenges disproportionately affect marginalized and underserved communities, further widening gaps in care.
This is also where therapy can play an important role.
Therapy during pregnancy or postpartum is not about being a “bad mother” or needing to be fixed. It can be a space to process change, reduce isolation, manage anxiety or depression, and build practical tools for navigating daily life. For many women, it becomes one of the first places where they can speak honestly about what they are feeling without fear of judgment.
Maternal mental health awareness is ultimately about creating more honest conversations and stronger systems of support. Because when mothers are supported emotionally, entire families benefit.
And if you are in this season right now and it feels heavier than you expected, you are not alone. Help exists, support exists, and struggling does not make you inadequate—it makes you human.
References
Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. (2023, May 25). Maternal mental health month shines light on need for policy solutions. https://ccf.georgetown.edu/2023/05/25/maternal-mental-health-month-shines-light-on-need-for-policy-solutions/
Maternal Mental Health Alliance. (n.d.). Maternal mental health awareness week. https://maternalmentalhealthalliance.org/get-involved/maternal-mental-health-awareness-week/
National Institute for Children’s Health Quality. (n.d.). Maternal mental health awareness month. https://nichq.org/campaigns/maternal-mental-health-awareness-month/
Postpartum Support International. (n.d.). Maternal mental health month. https://postpartum.net/join-us/maternal-mental-health-month/
May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month—a time meant to bring attention to something many women experience, but far fewer openly talk about.
When people think about pregnancy or becoming a mother, the conversation is often centered around joy, bonding, and fulfillment. And while those moments absolutely exist, they do not tell the whole story. For many women, this season also includes anxiety that does not quiet down, emotional overwhelm, unexpected sadness, intrusive thoughts, or a sense of feeling disconnected from themselves.
Maternal mental health refers to a woman’s emotional and psychological well-being during pregnancy, the postpartum period, and the broader transition into motherhood. It is not limited to the first few weeks after birth—the perinatal period can extend through pregnancy and the first year postpartum, with mental health concerns emerging at any point (National Institute for Children’s Health Quality [NICHQ], n.d.). What often gets missed in these conversations is just how common these struggles are. Maternal mental health conditions, including postpartum depression and anxiety, are among the most common complications of pregnancy and childbirth (NICHQ, n.d.). In the United States, it is estimated that approximately 1 in 5 women experience a maternal mental health condition during pregnancy or postpartum, yet many do not receive treatment or support (Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, 2023; Postpartum Support International, n.d.).
That gap matters.
There is still enormous pressure placed on mothers to appear grateful, capable, and emotionally fulfilled at all times. The expectation that this should automatically be “the happiest time of your life” can make it harder to admit when something feels off. Instead of saying, “I’m struggling,” many women minimize what they are experiencing or convince themselves they should be able to manage it better. But maternal mental health challenges are not a sign of weakness or failure. There are real emotional, physical, hormonal, and environmental factors involved. Hormonal shifts, sleep deprivation, identity changes, and increased responsibility all play a role in emotional well-being during this time (Maternal Mental Health Alliance, n.d.). When combined with limited support or preexisting mental health concerns, it becomes easier to understand why this transition can feel heavier than expected.
For some women, the signs are obvious. For others, they are quieter and easier to overlook. It may look like constant worry, irritability, emotional numbness, difficulty sleeping even when exhausted, panic, feeling disconnected from the baby, or distressing thoughts that feel unfamiliar. Some women describe feeling like they are “failing” despite doing everything they can to hold things together.
And importantly, many women experience these emotions while also deeply loving their child.
Those experiences are not contradictory. You can feel grateful and overwhelmed at the same time. You can love your child deeply and still struggle emotionally. Acknowledging that reality is part of reducing the shame that keeps so many mothers silent.
Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month exists to help shift this conversation. Advocacy organizations continue to emphasize the importance of awareness, early intervention, and access to care for mothers across the perinatal period (Postpartum Support International, n.d.; NICHQ, n.d.; Maternal Mental Health Alliance, n.d.).
The policy side of this conversation matters too. Barriers such as limited access to providers, gaps in insurance coverage, workforce shortages, and disparities in care continue to impact whether mothers receive timely mental health support (Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, 2023). These challenges disproportionately affect marginalized and underserved communities, further widening gaps in care.
This is also where therapy can play an important role.
Therapy during pregnancy or postpartum is not about being a “bad mother” or needing to be fixed. It can be a space to process change, reduce isolation, manage anxiety or depression, and build practical tools for navigating daily life. For many women, it becomes one of the first places where they can speak honestly about what they are feeling without fear of judgment.
Maternal mental health awareness is ultimately about creating more honest conversations and stronger systems of support. Because when mothers are supported emotionally, entire families benefit.
And if you are in this season right now and it feels heavier than you expected, you are not alone. Help exists, support exists, and struggling does not make you inadequate—it makes you human.
References
Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. (2023, May 25). Maternal mental health month shines light on need for policy solutions. https://ccf.georgetown.edu/2023/05/25/maternal-mental-health-month-shines-light-on-need-for-policy-solutions/
Maternal Mental Health Alliance. (n.d.). Maternal mental health awareness week. https://maternalmentalhealthalliance.org/get-involved/maternal-mental-health-awareness-week/
National Institute for Children’s Health Quality. (n.d.). Maternal mental health awareness month. https://nichq.org/campaigns/maternal-mental-health-awareness-month/
Postpartum Support International. (n.d.). Maternal mental health month. https://postpartum.net/join-us/maternal-mental-health-month/