Motherhood Matters

Becoming a mother can sometimes be planned and sometimes it's just a sudden blessing that comes into your life. There are no amount of things that can prepare you for motherhood in both the physical and mental aspect of it. Transitioning to become a mother can affect all females in a different way and some have a hard time adapting to the new motherhood. Becoming a parent is hugely rewarding but it also comes with hard work and challenges that include having to adapt your child into your everyday lifestyle and there will often be times where you completely don't know what is going on or if you’re doing the correct thing. Adjusting to being a first time parent will be a process of trial and error, and sometimes you will have good days and bad days. Pregnancy and a new baby can bring a rage of emotions that can sometimes be temporary but also be permanent. For many women their feelings can go away on their own but others their emotions can be something more serious. Postpartum depression is some sort of a code name for depression and anxiety that women go through during and after their pregnancy. Anxiety during and after a pregnancy is common but some cases can expand into more dangerous situations. Women who encounter postpartum depression should be able to seek help or treatment needed. Treatment options should be available such as counseling, support groups or medication. Maternal Mental Health is a non-profit organization located in Los Angeles County which extends their help towards all mothers. The main goal of the organization is to help new mothers or already mothers get screened for maternal depression and anxiety to be able to extend the help and provide the proper treatment needed. The organization's main target is to be able to provide services for are women and their offspring who are at high-risk for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders due to multiple and cumulative stressors, such as poverty, unemployment, homelessness, lack of health insurance, immigration status, poor social support and chronic illness.Although the organization’s goal is to help Maternal Mothers they don't necessarily provide services directly in contact with mothers. They work to change the system of care in the LA county by training those that do interact with new moms in how to identify and respond with depression and anxiety during the maternal period. With the recent outbreak of COVID-19 our everyday lifestyle has changed drastically as doctors are being used for big emergencies and offices and agencies are closing. We are being limited with our time out of home and are in a strict stay at home order. The world wide pandemic has affected everyone in a different way. Mothers who are dealing with postpartum depression don't always have a significant other or someone to have a shoulder to lean on. If support groups and counseling was their only way of help, what happens now when all in person meetings have been cancelled? As everything is being held online and virtually there have been many online support groups being set up to help mothers. As a group we created a search tool which shows virtual support groups being held online in which mothers can join. Knowing how to look for the help needed and what is accessible to you is important in times like this. Mothers who are experiencing troubles shouldn't have to worry about taking extra leaps to search for help for them and their babies. Most of the time the main problem is finding help that is accessible for you and what you have available to reach out. We selected this topic because motherhood is not an easy task and when mothers need help and reach for help there shouldn't be issues in assisting them. 

Article 1

  Maternal Youth or Family Background? On the Health Disadvantages of Infants with Teenage Mothers

Studies show that in LA County there are nearly 15,000 live births every year to women 19 and under and about 35% of teen mothers are under 18. Teenagers are still maturing in both the physical and emotional factors. Being a teenager and having to give birth to a baby can interrupt your growth and bring many lifelong consequences. Pregnant adolescents can face challenges such as lack of education, poverty, isolation, and an unstable family which can lack the amount of support the mother is receiving. All these factors can contribute to bring the maternal mental health problems to the young mother. In the article titled “Maternal Youth or Family Background? On the Health Disadvantages of Infants with Teenage Mothers” by Arline T Geronimus she talks about the health disadvantages of infants and teenage mothers. Young mothers tend to be more disadvantaged when it comes to health care due to their wealth status or the fact that they are minorities. The article demonstrated evidence showing that maternal family background had possibly had an input into the many health care related disadvantages of the firstborn infants of teenage mothers and the mothers themselves. Being a teenage mother will already come with many challenging factors and a mother shouldn't have trouble with searching for help for themselves or their babies. Maternal Help should have an easy accessibility to programs and help to all moms and not based on their income, status or race. 

Article 2

 Social Support and Online Postpartum Discussion Groups: A Content Analysis

In the article, “Social Support and Online Postpartum Discussion Groups: A Content Analysis”, Cynthia Logsdon examines the perceived value and types of social support that characterize the discussions of women who participate in postpartum depression online discussions. The motive behind this study is that social support has a positive influence on women’s childbearing experience and is shown to be a preventive factor of postpartum depression. The methods used to achieve this study were a directed content analysis that examined 512 messages posted on a postpartum depression (PPD) online support group over a time of six months. For this study to be successful, education strategies are needed to address the many questions regarding postpartum depression medical treatment. This allows mothers to seek help if they are at risk of developing PPD after childbearing, also giving them the opportunity to get access to medical treatment.

At the end of the study, the results showed the majority of the women’s postings illustrated emotional support followed by informational and instrumental support. Meaning that women were not only getting emotional support but were also gaining information and were surrounded by others who were also suffering/ed from PPD creating a community that allows them to feel more comfortable to share. The conclusion of this study was that online support groups ultimately provide women experiencing postpartum depression a safe place to connect with others and receive information, encouragement, and hope. This study showed that online support groups for women with PPD allows them to create an environment for each other where they are comfortable enough to share but most importantly inform and seek help for themselves without feeling judged by others.

Personally, I believe online support groups are a great way for women to seek comfort and help when dealing with issues after pregnancy such as postpartum depression. This allows women to open up without the fear of being judged, maltreated, or misread. It not only creates an environment where they are comfortable enough to share their stories/questions, but they are also able to educate themselves, seek help if needed, and prepare for future experiences. I agree that seeking support online is easier and more helpful to those who are scared and do not know how to deal with ppd. Its important that ppd is normalized and there is support for those experiencing it, online support groups create a learning environment as well as a home of hope. It allows mothers to support one another and benefit from sharing their experiences. 

Article 3

 Mobile Health & the Performance of maternal Health Care Workers in Low and Middle Income: A Realist Review

Maternal Health and the performance of health workers is a key concern in low and middle income countries. In the article, titled, “Mobile Health & the Performance of maternal Health Care Workers in Low and Middle Income: A Realist Review“ it had stated that in 2015 around of 303,000 women and young girls have died from pregnancy and childbirth- related complication and it could of have been prevented with the access and availability of skilled health care workers. And that it is important to improve the quality of maternal health services. As well in the article some authors found that diversity among the access in levels of education, service experience, and status and it is more accessible in high-income individuals.

This article is related to our project because maternal Health is very important to young women who may not know much information about maternal health. And having access to that makes them more knowledgeable about their options and better prepare their pregnancy journey. It also lets them know that they are not alone, that they have help, they have someone to lean on if they have no support since most mothers may not have the support that they need to go farther. It supports our data map because having access in the low income communities can prevent some concerns with young women and their maternal health. And some information is getting more accessible by providing multiple languages in case English isn't their best option. And now adding to that provided information they are offering virtual meetings to help more to those who need it. 

Becoming a parent is hugely rewarding but it also comes with hard work and challenges that include having to adapt your child into your everyday lifestyle and there will often be times where you completely don't know what is going on or if you’re doing the correct thing. Adjusting to being a first time parent will be a process of trial and error, and sometimes you will have good days and bad days. Pregnancy and a new baby can bring a rage of emotions that can sometimes be temporary but also be permanent. For many women their feelings can go away on their own but others their emotions can be something more serious. Serious mental health issues can come after or during pregnancy and it is important for women to get professional help. Finding the right services for what you need can sometimes be difficult, which can include other characteristics such as cost, time schedule, and what services do groups provide in which you actually need. Making the first call or looking for information can be hard because women can resist because they are frightened. According to “PostPartum Depression Statistics” approximately %50 percent of women experience symptoms of baby blues or early signs of postpartum depression. It is also believed that while there are many diagnosed cases of postpartum depression, only a limited number of women actually receive treatment. ( https://www.postpartumdepression.org/resources/statistics/ ). An upcoming mother or new mother should be able to find immediate help for her mental health conditions whether online or by call. 

Becoming a new mother can result in mental health issues before or after pregnancy. Accessibility to online support groups would ultimately benefit these new mothers. Without the sufficient information or support mental health issues can start taking a toll on new mothers. New mothers could go through several mental health issues which include postpartum depression, baby blues, anxiety, etc.… This can lead to mothers having trouble bonding with their newborns and struggles with themselves as individuals. As talked about in the article, “Social Support and Online Postpartum Discussion Groups: A Content Analysis”, when given the opportunity to create an environment for mothers to share their experiences, get advice, educate themselves, and seek for help, these women are creating a supporting community which helps them mentally. Creating online support groups for mothers can help them treat mental health issues like postpartum depression and/or help new mothers determine if they are prone and see any early signs of them. Furthermore, facilitating accessibility to online support groups for mothers can also help them find medical resources that will allow them to manage the health issues they may be facing. 

The relationship between these two variables in subsection 1, we explained the start of postpartum depression and other mental health issues that happen to a new mother that has given birth. The importance of how women should seek help and making it easier for women to find a solution to get the help they need immediately online or by calling. In subsection 2 we explained how mental health issues can start before or after pregnancy, and if mothers have resources to help them with their issues they can be prone to the situation from getting worse. They relate to each other by them resulting in helping mothers of all kinds in finding their local resources for help. We believe geography/place may matter in this situation with upcoming mothers or new mothers looking for help because most mothers that do not seek help are usually mothers from a lower-income neighborhood or city, they are not aware of the services there are to help them cope with their issues they are experiencing. Having the search tool can help mothers of all kinds find a location near them that have virtual support groups and many other virtual services and face-to-face services. 

Guiding Question

How accessible are support groups information to women in need? Who needs them the most and why? 

Maternal Mental Health 

• Serves the Los Angeles County
• About 80% of LA County’s area is median/low income.
• Latina teens in Los Angeles County have a birth rate of 35.6 per 1,000 young women ages 15 to 19. 
• The target population of the Maternal Mental Health NOW’s services are women who are at high-risk for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders due to multiple and cumulative stressors, such as poverty, unemployment, homelessness, lack of health insurance, immigration status, poor social support and chronic illness, and co-occurring conditions, such as substance abuse and domestic violence. Their services help provide ongoing, hands-on training and technical assistance to health care and community-based providers who serve women, children and families in the Los Angeles safety net. Maternal Mental Health NOW works across Los Angeles County, with a specific focus on Service Planning Areas 1, 3, 4 and 6, which have the highest rates of moderate and severe depression.

Geronimus, A. T., & Korenman, S. (1993). Maternal youth or family background? On the health disadvantages of infants with teenage mothers. American Journal of epidemiology, 137(2), 213-225. 

Logsdon, M. Cynthia, et al. "Postpartum depression and social support in adolescents." Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing 34.1 (2005): 46-54.

Ilozumba, O., & Marchal, B., (2018). "Mobile health & the performance of maternal health care workers in low and Middle income: a realist review" Journal of Care Coordination