Maternal Mental Health: Who Can Help?
While media messages about motherhood are rife with soft focus imagery and calm colours, becoming a mum can be a minefield for mental health. As fitting with our multi-disciplinary approach, we may refer our patients to a range of professionals in our network, including registered psychologist Christina Bond, who specialises in maternal psychological therapy. She helps mothers through a range of struggles and health issues, including antenatal and postpartum depression, miscarriage, baby loss, anxiety and trauma.
"Becoming a mother is one of the most transformative life experiences a women will go through, yet as a society we are not well set up to support women through this journey."
With training in the delivery of a range of professional therapies, Christina uses a combination of evidence-based interventions to help patients that cater to their individual circumstances and backgrounds. Driven by the patient’s knowledge of themselves, Christina takes a collaborative approach to creating a recovery plan for women coming to terms with birth or parenthood, and the many related issues and conditions.
She aims to assist women in discovering and feeling comfortable with their motherhood identity, and in gaining confidence in fulfilling the role they now play. She sees the experience of becoming a mother as unique for each woman, and is able to help with adjustment difficulties and women suffering from obsessions, compulsions or intrusive thoughts. Armed with education and knowledge about themselves and a series of tools to use when problems arise, Christina’s patients leave well equipped to deal with the rollercoaster of parenthood.
She also delivers antenatal and postpartum education through Matrescence NZ, alongside her sister. This education is aimed at helping prepare parents for the world they are entering or have entered, in order to reduce the risk of maternal depression and to validate the many unsettling feelings new mothers experience.
Christina is available for both in person appointments and online appointments via Zoom, which is especially beneficial for those who have trouble getting to a clinic with a new baby. Find out more about Christina on her website.
Symptoms of perinatal depression may include:
- Unexplained tearfulness
- Irritability with the baby, your partner, or just with life in general
- A sense of hopelessness and inability to cope
- Change in appetite
- Loss in interest for caring for yourself
- Difficulty concentrating and forgetfulness
- Insomnia
- Low energy and loss of motivation
- Urinary issues: Women may need to pee more frequently than usual
- Psychological changes: Menopausal women may experience mood swings, forgetfulness and indecisiveness
