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Posted On: October 10th 2026, 10:50 pm
Yesterday, I attended a conversation about closing the Black maternal mortality gap, and I kept coming back to something I’ve been thinking about since my own pregnancy and postpartum experience.
Maternal healthcare does not consistently integrate mental healthcare. And that’s a problem.
During my high-risk pregnancy, I had an obstetrician and a perinatal care team. I had additional ultrasounds, regular appointments, and providers who proactively reached out to schedule the care I needed.
But mental health? That was different.
Even after experiencing postpartum depression and anxiety, accessing ongoing mental health support was largely left up to me. I was given a referral, but I was responsible for making the call, scheduling the appointment, and navigating the next steps.
And that’s the distinction I keep thinking about.
Being referred to mental healthcare is not the same as having mental healthcare integrated into your care.
We know that maternal health risks don’t end at delivery. We also know that mental health conditions are among the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths.
So why isn’t mental healthcare routinely woven into prenatal care, high-risk pregnancy management, hospital discharge, and postpartum follow-up?
We shouldn’t expect mothers who are already physically recovering, emotionally overwhelmed, sleep-deprived, or struggling to be the sole coordinators of their own mental health support.
We need a maternal healthcare system that treats mental health as essential, not supplemental.
And we need that support to be proactive, accessible, and continuous.
That’s part of why I created My Postpartum Pal. Not to replace clinical care, but to help make emotional support easier to access during a period when so many mothers are expected to figure things out alone.
Maternal healthcare must care for the whole mother.
Grateful for the important perspectives shared by Dr. Denise Howard and Onesa Anozie, MSW, LMSW, during this conversation about closing the Black maternal mortality gap.
#BlackMaternalHealth #MaternalMentalHealth #PostpartumSupport #MaternalHealthEquity #MyPostpartumPal
Maternal healthcare does not consistently integrate mental healthcare. And that’s a problem.
During my high-risk pregnancy, I had an obstetrician and a perinatal care team. I had additional ultrasounds, regular appointments, and providers who proactively reached out to schedule the care I needed.
But mental health? That was different.
Even after experiencing postpartum depression and anxiety, accessing ongoing mental health support was largely left up to me. I was given a referral, but I was responsible for making the call, scheduling the appointment, and navigating the next steps.
And that’s the distinction I keep thinking about.
Being referred to mental healthcare is not the same as having mental healthcare integrated into your care.
We know that maternal health risks don’t end at delivery. We also know that mental health conditions are among the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths.
So why isn’t mental healthcare routinely woven into prenatal care, high-risk pregnancy management, hospital discharge, and postpartum follow-up?
We shouldn’t expect mothers who are already physically recovering, emotionally overwhelmed, sleep-deprived, or struggling to be the sole coordinators of their own mental health support.
We need a maternal healthcare system that treats mental health as essential, not supplemental.
And we need that support to be proactive, accessible, and continuous.
That’s part of why I created My Postpartum Pal. Not to replace clinical care, but to help make emotional support easier to access during a period when so many mothers are expected to figure things out alone.
Maternal healthcare must care for the whole mother.
Grateful for the important perspectives shared by Dr. Denise Howard and Onesa Anozie, MSW, LMSW, during this conversation about closing the Black maternal mortality gap.
#BlackMaternalHealth #MaternalMentalHealth #PostpartumSupport #MaternalHealthEquity #MyPostpartumPal
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