Tools for talking with your health care providers and support team about maternal mental health

A question often asked is, "how do I describe how I am feeling to my doctor?", or "My family doesn't understand, how do I talk to them about how I feel?"

I would like to give you some tools for these situations.

Tools for talking with your health care providers and support team about maternal mental health

Situations:

  • First conversations about maternal mental health with a health care provider:
    • OBGYN
    • Midwife
    • Primary Care Physician
    • Psychiatrist
    • Therapist, Counselor, or Social Worker
  • Ongoing conversations with maternal mental health care providers

Tools:

  • PPD Risk Assessment During Pregnancy: This tool from The Postpartum Stress Center, can be helpful to you, your family, and your health care providers to identify risk factors for PPD, and also identify which risk factors can be addressed to lessen your risk, and mobilize your support network. NOTE: while this tool is titled “During Pregnancy” it is still of use for during the entire perinatal time frame.
  • New Mom Checklist for Maternal Mental Health Help: from Postpartum Progress, a checklist to facilitate helpful conversation between struggling mothers and professionals. This can help both mothers and their clinicians get a clear picture of how to best get treatment.
  • Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS): This is a screening tool to be used by a licensed health care provider and may be part of your first appointment with a provider.

Situations:

  • During pregnancy, conversations with your personal support team (husband/partner, family, and close friends) when you have had trouble conveying what you are feeling and thinking.

Tools: