New mommy blues? Fighting to be heard with postpartum depression

Maryland has made improvements but, like all states, could do a much better job caring for the mental health and well-being of new mothers and pregnant women, a national report said. Photo by Thanasis Zovoilis/Getty Images

It’s a sad sign when a grade of C is at the top of the class.

The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health recently awarded Maryland a C for maternal mental health (“Report: Md. Shows ‘incremental’ gains on maternal mental health, but still needs work”). That made Maryland one of the top 14 states in the country for 2024.

As a mother battling postpartum depression and anxiety, I’m not surprised by the gaps highlighted in Maryland’s report. The health care systems in our home state are not designed to provide new moms with the services they need.

My life took a dark turn after my daughter’s birth. As I packed up to leave the hospital with her, I cried, although I did not know why. Strange feelings of nervousness and dread would come over me as the sun set and I prepared for a night juggling night feedings and interrupted sleep. The cozy pictures of peaceful moms snuggling newborns was foreign to me; my world was dark, repetitive and confusing.

After leaving the hospital, I encountered half-hearted attempts to address my postpartum depression. A health coach from my health insurance called shortly after my hospital discharge. I confessed that I felt unstable and needed help; she responded that her focus was my physical health, not my mental health.

After reviewing my responses to the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the nurse midwife at my doctor’s office remarked, “So, new mommy blues?” and moved on to the next part of the appointment. Her remark kept me second-guessing my own feelings and whether I should ask for help.

At my daughter’s pediatrician appointments, I completed the same depression questionnaire. Despite answering the questions honestly and feeling certain that I had “ticked the boxes” for help, the pediatrician never mentioned or reviewed it with me.

After this happened at several visits, I started refusing the questionnaire. Every time I faced a roadblock, I felt as though my postpartum depression was questioned, belittled and dismissed.

I share these experiences in the hope that they’ll influence changes in our health care systems. If pediatricians are going to offer the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, they need to review the responses with new moms. This will require allocating more time for appointments and tracking it in medical records.

When health coaches talk to a new mom, they need to help her access any services they can’t provide. It is unrealistic to expect new moms to navigate the labyrinth of our health care system alone in between sleepless nights, feedings and diaper changes. Providers must appreciate the significance and prevalence of postpartum depression.

The dismissive comment I received is particularly concerning because it happened at a federally qualified health center. These centers often serve patients from vulnerable communities and should be more, not less, attuned to postpartum depression.

Fixing Maryland’s health care systems to better serve postpartum women will take an enormous effort. It is vitally important. I hope our state and local leaders will seriously consider the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health’s report so that all Maryland mothers can thrive.

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