For the past eight years, the #BellLetsTalk social media campaign has aimed to spark discussion around mental health issues and raise funds for Canadian mental health initiatives. But this year, a group of moms and maternal mental health advocates launched their own spin-off protest hashtag: #BellLetsTalkMaternalMentalHealth.
They’re concerned that mothers are being left out of the conversation, even though perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are the second leading cause of death in postpartum women.
“Each year Bell Lets Talk features stories of people with mental health challenges,” says Life With a Baby peer support group founder, Claire Kerr-Zlobin. “There has never been the inclusion of someone with a postpartum mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD).” After the birth of her daughter in 2007, Kerr-Zobin was diagnosed with postpartum anxiety, and came to understand firsthand how little support there was out there for new mothers. “Moms with symptoms are often told that they should be happy that they just had a baby, or that they don’t have a real illness,” she says. This prompted her to launch Life With a Baby and make sure other moms had a place to share their stories, advice and concerns, so they didn’t have to feel alone.
And this year, she came together with fellow maternal health advocates Lisa Tremayne, Sara Beckel, Shannon Hennig and Patricia Tomasi to start a spontaneous social media campaign, #BellLe...