You Are Not Alone
Life with a baby commonly brings worry. But, feeling anxious, sad, overwhelmed, or even angry much of the time could be a sign of something greater than becoming a parent or adding a child to your family. You could be experiencing a mental health condition. In pregnancy and postpartum, these are called Perinatal Mental Health Conditions (PMH).
We understand that life can be challenging, especially during pregnancy and postpartum. Latinx mental health is often overlooked due to a lack of education and stigma. Here is more information regarding what it may look like.
Unique Experiences
We recognize that each person who seeks our help is unique. Mental health looks different across all individuals, but especially cultures. The Latinx culture presents a stigma surrounding mental health and our goal is to assist you in finding care that accommodates to your needs.
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Latinas are less likely to access mental health care when they experience symptoms. Within this culture, the postnatal period represents the most vulnerable time for new mothers. Now is the time to reach out!
Common Symptoms
Religous Guilt
Religious guilt is often felt by Latinx groups due to feeling shame that God has not been able to help you through mental health conditions
As a new mother, it is hard to set boundaries within family who have overbearring parenting styles. Leading to difficulty establishing boundaires
Issues establishing boundaires
Increased rates of depression and anxiety
Acculturation impacts new mothers in how they adjust to a new life with child that is not surrounded by their native culture, leading to increased rates of depression and anxiety.
Difficulty expresing emotions
Latinas often feeling ashamed of their struggles due to the "just keep going" mentality and shy away sharing their emotions with loved ones.
Pressure to serve family and child
Cultural pressure to still serve as the "woman" in the family. You may struggle to take care of your child and your family at the same time
Struggle to reach out for help
Lack of healthcare, education, and no emotional support from family can leave Latinas feeling hopeless and not reaching out for support
Culturally Competent Resources
We recognize that a personalized approach to mental health care is important because we understand that no two patients are the same, here are some resources that understand Latinx culture.
The purpose of Proyecto Mamá is to comprehensively assess the resources and needs within the Milwaukee community regarding perinatal (pregnancy and postpartum) mental health among Latinas.
Take Away Message
It is common that Latina mothers often face challenges reaching out for help as the culture enforces a “just be strong” mentality. You may tend to prioritize personal resilience over vulnerability to ask for help when struggling.
We understand the importance of being able to trust your medical provider, and that there may be symptoms and cultural traditions we may not understand. But you are not alone! Now is your time to prioritize yourself, take that step, there is a future version of yourself that will thank you for being so strong and asking for help!