September is National Suicide Prevention Month
September is a time to raise more awareness about mental health and remind new mothers that they don’t have to carry everything alone. The postpartum season can be beautiful, exhausting, joyful, confusing, and sometimes all of those things before breakfast. Between recovering from birth, feeding a baby, navigating breastfeeding, and figuring out who you are in this new chapter, it’s easy for emotional struggles to get overlooked.
Being tired or overwhelmed doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong. But when changes in mood or behavior feel intense, persistent, or concerning, they deserve attention.
Why Postpartum Mental Health Matters
The months following childbirth can be an especially vulnerable time for new mothers, and research shows why mental health deserves to be part of postpartum care.
In the United States, mental health conditions, including deaths related to suicide, substance use disorder, and other mental health conditions, accounted for more than 20% of pregnancy-related deaths and were the leading cause of preventable pregnancy-related deaths in data examined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (CDC)
Research outside the United States has raised similar concerns. In the United Kingdom, a 2023 MBRRACE-UK report found that suicide accounted for 39% of direct maternal deaths occurring between six weeks and 12 months after birth during the period studied. (Maternal Mental Health Alliance)
Behind these statistics are mothers and families experiencing profound challenges, often during a time when there may be pressure to appear happy or quickly adjust to a new role. Recognizing emotional distress, offering judgment-free support, and making sure mothers know they are not alone can be an important part of caring for them during the postpartum year.
Knowing what emotional distress can look like is an important first step, both for mothers and for the people supporting them.
Knowing the Signs
Postpartum mental health challenges can look different from person to person. While postpartum depression may be more widely recognized, mothers also experience postpartum anxiety which may involve persistent or excessive worry, fear, or racing thoughts.
Signs that deserve a conversation with a healthcare provider can include persistent sadness, loss of interest, intense worry, difficulty concentrating, major changes in sleep or appetite, feelings of hopelessness, or thoughts of death, self-harm, or harming the baby.
Loved ones may also notice changes before mothers do. Watch for things like:
- Pulling away from friends, family, or activities she normally enjoys
- Seeming unusually anxious, panicked, hopeless, or emotionally distressed
- Struggling with severe or persistent mood changes
- Having difficulty caring for herself
- Talking about feeling like a burden, wanting to disappear, or hurting herself
These signs don’t mean someone is “a bad mom.” They mean she may need support.
A Little Extra Attention Can Go a Long Way
Partners, relatives, friends, and healthcare providers all have an important role to play.
Instead of simply asking, “Are you okay?” try making space for an honest answer: “How are you really doing?” Then listen without immediately trying to fix everything.
Offer practical help, too. Bring dinner. Hold the baby while she showers. Help with an overnight feeding if possible. Sit beside her during a difficult day. If something feels concerning, encourage her to contact her OB-GYN, midwife, primary care provider, or mental health professional.
For breastfeeding mothers, struggling emotionally doesn’t mean breastfeeding has failed, or that breastfeeding needs to stop. Feeding decisions are personal, and mental health support can be pursued alongside lactation support and infant-feeding goals.
When It’s Time to Seek Help
If you or someone you love is experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, don’t wait it out or handle it alone.
- Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.
- Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department if there is immediate danger or a medical emergency.
- Call or text the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262) for free, confidential, 24/7 support before, during, and after pregnancy.
- Contact Postpartum Support International for perinatal mental health information, support, and resources. Call 1-800-944-4773 or text “HELP” to 800-944-4773. The PSI HelpLine is not an emergency service.
- Reach out to an OB-GYN, midwife, primary care provider, therapist, psychiatrist, or another trusted healthcare professional.
If you’re the partner, friend, or family member who is worried, you can reach out for help, too. You don’t need to have all the right words. You just need to start the conversation.
Motherhood Was Never Meant to Be a Solo Journey
Supporting postpartum mothers means paying attention to the whole person, not just the baby, the feeding schedule, or whether the laundry is folded.
Sometimes the most important thing we can say is surprisingly simple: “I’m here. You don’t have to figure this out by yourself.”
If someone in your life could use this reminder, consider sharing this article with them.
