Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week
The topic of postpartum support used to be something that was not spoken of in ‘polite company’, but in recent decades, the conversation – and subsequent action – has been promising. In 2005, Brooke Shields released her book Down Came the Rain, which told her story with postpartum depression (PPD)...
Position your brand as a trusted supporter of postpartum mental health by educating communities and offering practical resources or services that ease the burden on new mothers.
- Share the 1-in-5 statistic and normalize postpartum mental health conversations to reduce stigma
- Create a 'How to Support a New Mom' guide featuring meal prep, childcare tips, or wellness services
- Partner with maternal health organizations to amplify awareness and drive donations or volunteer sign-ups
- Feature real stories from women who've experienced postpartum depression to build trust and community
Campaign ideas7
- Partner with healthcare providers & OB/GYNs to make MMH screening routine; offer co-branded educational materials & waiting room signage with testing resources
- Launch a user-generated content campaign: #YourMaternalMHStory where moms share their real experiences with authentic photo/video testimonials (with permission) to destigmatize
- Create a "Mental Health Check-In" challenge: everyday moms ask 3 close friends "How are YOU really feeling?" and nominate them to do the same; track & share results
- Host pop-up or virtual wellness events during the awareness week: free virtual yoga, meditation, counseling consultations, or support group sessions for pregnant/postpartum women
- Develop a "Motherhood Myths vs. Reality" educational series (carousel posts, TikToks, reels) busting common misconceptions about postpartum depression, anxiety, and other PMADs
- Partner with parenting influencers & maternal health advocates for podcast series or YouTube roundtables discussing lived experiences & available resources
- Create downloadable resources: symptom checkers, screening tools, provider directories, journal prompts—all shareable as lead magnets or free tools
Social angles6
- "1 in 5 moms experience perinatal mood disorders. You're not alone—and it's treatable." + resource link #MaternalMHMatters #MotherhoodIsntAlwaysSmiley
- Real talk: "It's not weakness, it's biology." Normalize the conversation about prenatal/postpartum mental health struggles. #DontSuffer #GetSupport #MaternalMentalHealth
- "Ask her how she's REALLY feeling." A reminder to partners, family, friends to have deeper check-ins with the moms in your life. Tag someone who needs to hear this. #MaternalMHMatters
- Share a myth-busting fact daily (e.g., "Myth: Postpartum depression goes away on its own. Reality: Treatment saves lives.") + link to screening tools #BreakTheStigma
- Repost survivor/advocate stories (with permission): "My maternal mental health crisis looked like..." followed by how they got help. #YourMaternalMHStory #SurvivorVoices
- Call-to-action: "Know someone who's pregnant or just had a baby? Send them the hotline number: 1-833-TLC-MAMA" + info graphic #SupportMaternity
Ad copy starters5
“"Motherhood is beautiful—and also hard. 1 in 5 moms face perinatal mood disorders. If that's you, help is real. Learn about treatment options."”
“"Postpartum anxiety kept me silent for 6 months. Then I called 1-833-TLC-MAMA. It changed everything." [Real testimonial format]”
“"Your mental health matters as much as your baby's. Free, confidential support 24/7: 1-833-TLC-MAMA (call or text)."”
“"It's OK to not be OK. Perinatal mood disorders are medical conditions, not personal failure. Get screened. Get support. Get better."”
“"Not all moms smile in postpartum photos. Not all babies sleep. Not all new moms are 'glowing.' And that's normal. Let's talk about it."”
Tips4
- DO: Use clinical + authentic language (avoid toxic positivity; acknowledge the struggles are real, serious, and treatable). DO include hotline numbers, provider directories & actionable next steps in every post.
- DON'T: Center the focus solely on mothers' happiness or sacrifice; reframe around maternal HEALTH, autonomy, & well-being. DON'T shame or pathologize normal struggles.
- DO: Partner with certified advocates, perinatal mental health orgs, & lived-experience voices to ensure messaging resonates & is trauma-informed. Cite sources for all mental health facts.
- DO: Make resources accessible (free hotlines, sliding-scale therapy, community screenings). Amplify BIPOC maternal health orgs & address intersectional barriers to care access.
This event was first organized by the Policy Center’s National Coalition for Maternal Mental Health in the US. The initial celebration took place in 2014, and it has grown in popularity each year since then. In 2024, the United States Congress recognized Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week in the US.
Starting in 2017, a parallel event began taking place in the UK. It is typically scheduled for the last week of April and organized by the Perinatal Mental Health Partnership UK (PMHP UK).
Just preceding the observance of Mother’s Day in the United States, Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week acts as an extra reminder that this is an important time to check in on post-natal friends, family members, and others who might need it.
Each year, the organizers of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week supply a theme to help create a focus around an important aspect of the event. Some of the recent themes have included:
Encourage a Postpartum Mom
Sometimes, it just takes a small effort to give a postpartum mom a bit of life, like cooking a meal, dropping off groceries, or holding the baby for a little while so she can take a shower. But other times, she might need more – like encouraging her to see her doctor if her symptoms of postpartum depression are severe or last longer than two weeks.
Learn About Helping Improve Maternal Mental Health
One of the best ways to celebrate Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week is to become more knowledgeable about supporting a mom who has recently had a baby. Friends, family members, partners, colleagues, neighbors, and anyone in the community can learn about the signs of a woman who is having difficulty after her baby is born and what to do. This will help them be ready and understand if a woman they know might be at risk. Share Information about Maternal Mental HealthRaising awareness and showing compassion are vital parts of this event. In honor of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, consider learning, sharing, and starting a conversation with some of these related facts:1 in 5 women will experience mental health problems after birthing a child70% of postpartum women will try to hide or minimize their issuesThe leading cause of maternal death in the first year after giving birth is suicideBlack women are twice as likely as white women to struggle with maternal mental health