We need to talk about postpartum psychosis

The noisy news cycle isn't helpful. And there are lives at stake.

- Hannah Chubb

At this point, it’s a given that birthing a child is painful. That the physical recovery is tough. Sure, babies are soft and cuddly, but the parent’s body just needs a break, preferably a long one. What’s not a given: that their mind may also need some time and, crucially, some help. 

It is not that absolutely no one is talking about maternal mental health—influential women such as Chrissy Teigen and Adele have publicly shared their struggles with postpartum depression and anxiety, opening the door for countless others to do the same. (And there are countless others: Around one in five mothers will experience a mental health condition during pregnancy or in the year afterward, according to the World Health Organization.)

1 or 2 in 1,000 mothers will experience postpartum psychosis. Source: BMC Psychiatry

But when it comes to one of the most severe mental health conditions associated with pregnancy and birth, there is mostly just a lot of silence and shame, leaving vulnerable families scared and alone.

WHAT EVERYONE (NO, LIKE, EVERYONE) SHOULD KNOW