Today’s the first day of Black Perinatal (Maternal) Mental Health week!
I don’t think we as a community talk enough about how pregnancy can negatively impact the mental health of black pregnant bodies. About 20 percent of non-black pregnant folks develop a perinatal mental health illness, such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder or psychosis, either during pregnancy or in the year after giving birth.
For Black pregnant folks it’s almost double, ya’ll.
Here are some tips to ease help soothe Black pregnant folks during this time:
✔️ Deeply check with them DURING pregnancy and afterwards too (up to two years) and be consistent. Here are some powerful questions/prompts. Check-ins for Connections & Care, gathered by @denise.om.shanti : bit.ly/checkins-connection-care
✍🏽 Research and gather mental health resources: @therapyforblackgirls, @thevillagepath, find healing Black support groups for Black pregnant folks on FB or in person (local), etc. so birthing folks (and partners, too) will have emotional support from those trained to offer support.
🧘🏿 Meditate with them. Make it a point to take some time out to take some deep breaths with them. Make your calendar. Make it a ritual. And be consistent. A daily meditation practice can help ease perinatal depression and anxiety.
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