Parenting
fromPsychology Today
7 hours agoHow to Protect Your Mental Health in the Fourth Trimester
Many families focus on the baby’s needs while neglecting preparation for the mother’s emotional and mental health during the postpartum period.
Over the past year, I had the privilege of interviewing caregivers who bravely shared their stories about their experience in the NICU. In our study of over 1,000 parents from across the United States, those whose babies required NICU care were 74% more likely to experience a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder than those whose babies did not spend time in the NICU. And while there was resounding gratitude and joy that their little ones had survived, they also reported substantial struggles and grief postpartum.