Earlier on in the session, we asked you to think about words to describe women's mental health after giving birth.
Here are the results of the word cloud created by 168 women who completed the exercise using FutureLearn
Having a baby and becoming a mother, whether it’s your first, second, or third time, can be a joyous, exciting and really fulfilling experience. Others can find it overwhelming, and be anxious or worried all the time.
Think about the words that appear in the word cloud, some are positive and some are negative.
Dear learners, a total of 168 people completed the Mentimeter on what words come to mind when thinking about the mental health of mothers after birth - the word cloud is striking in that several of the most common responses indicate that many women feel ‘overwhelmed’, ‘anxious’, ‘exhausted’ and ‘fragile’ during this time.
The word cloud shows that parenthood is an emotionally complex experience, a time when strong and competing emotions can live side-by-side. Enjoying happiness and excitement doesn’t cancel out your worry and vulnerability, just as anxiety, depression or fear doesn’t invalidate your love and elation.
Some women may find that the feelings that have a more adverse impact on mental wellbeing resolve after a short period, whereas, for others, they may continue for a long time or even worsen.
In the previous steps, we shared some articles and videos that can help you identify when you may need to seek help from a healthcare professional.
If you are concerned about your mental wellbeing, if you have been feeling low or anxious for some time, if these feelings are affecting your ability to enjoy life, motherhood or new experiences, if you have thoughts of self-harm, please ASK FOR HELP AND SUPPORT. You deserve to experience life and motherhood in the best health possible. You have acknowledged how you are feeling and the next positive step towards becoming mentally well is asking for help. Talk to a partner, trusted family member or friend. Find out what mental or medical health services are available in your area and ask for help now, do it for you!
