'I Needed My Mom': A New Mother’s Viral Tears Expose a Bigger Truth About Black Postpartum Care
A new mother’s tears went viral in the best way. Far from family in Paris, a young mother struggled, holding her baby and sharing with her husband that she needed her mom, according to People.
“I didn’t feel like myself. I didn’t feel like I belonged,” Janet says of her early postpartum days. “You're home with another human, and you’re like, ‘What am I doing?’”
Indeed, postpartum depression affects 1 in 7 mothers nationally. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends early postpartum follow-up care, including screening for depression and anxiety, for all postpartum women.
However, that care can only be offered if the women in need are identified. Black women and low-income mothers are several times more likely to suffer from postpartum mental illness but less likely to receive treatment.
According to a new study, there is a need for community organizations to create options for care at both the community and individual levels — especially in Black neighborhoods.
“These interventions may help address the inequities observed in postpartum mental health. Collaboration with community organizations to provide psychosocial interventions delivered by trained community peers could help to overcome the myriad of barriers that prevent access to mental health care in disadvantaged neighborhoods.”
In addition to medical interventions, new mothers also need their village.
Janet, our new mom, says her husband was supportive and present. “Even though he was there, I needed them,” she says of her mom and sister. “I needed that maternal, guided support.” When Janet received that support, the relief and love was palpable through our screens.
“So when I saw them, it was relief,” she says. “Whatever was heavy on my shoulders just dropped.”
Watch the moment here:
