Our VOICE

This disconnect between what motherhood “should” feel like and what it actually feels like is perhaps the cruelest part of postpartum depression. More than just a mental health condition, you’re dealing with the shame of not feeling the way mothers are “supposed” to feel.

I sit in front of my screen as the call begins to connect, aware that this will not be an ordinary conversion -- in a matter of seconds, I will come face-to-face with a woman who took her deepest nisayon and transformed it in to a lifeline for others.

The phone rang incessantly, the ringing shattering the silence I craved. There was no stopping it; I had no choice but to pick up. “Hello, is this Sandy?” said a voice I didn’t recognize. I confirmed that it was. “You don’t know me,” the woman continued, “but my name is Miriam. I just wanted you to know that I’ve been there too, lying at the bottom of a deep, dark pit.

There is a world of difference between clinical depression and having a bad day.

My first struggle with Postpartum Depression occurred when I was still living in the United States, with my husband and three kids. I was 33 years old, and had for the previous six years been working on my Ph.D. A mere two weeks after submitting the final draft of my thesis, I gave birth to a healthy, eight-pound baby girl. She was born at home, by choice, and I was surrounded by friends and care-givers.

A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine revealed what so many of us already know deep in our bones: mothers are not okay. Only one in four moms report “excellent” mental health. From 2016 to 2023, there’s been a 63% increase in moms reporting fair or poor mental health.

Yaffa didn’t think her third pregnancy would be different from her two previous uncomplicated, full-term pregnancies. But at her 20-week ultrasound, the technician furrowed his brows at the screen: Yaffa had excess amniotic fluid, a risk for preterm labor. Immediately flagged as high-risk, Yaffa began seeing her obstetrician twice a week. Her OB sent the expectant mother for more extensive testing and blood work; everything turned up negative.

Just a few short years ago Elke Pollak found herself in the battle of her life. With Herself. Elke had just had a beautiful baby boy and while everyone around her was so joyful, her world was falling apart. This is Elke's story of resilience and perserverance.

As Chanukah approaches, we want to take a moment to acknowledge the unique challenges that this season can bring, especially for mothers navigating the complexities of PMADs. We understand that the emotions around Yom Tov can be triggering, as family gatherings and heightened expectations can intensify feelings of anxiety or sadness.

Yaffa didn’t think her third pregnancy would be different from her two previous uncomplicated, full-term pregnancies. But at her 20-week ultrasound, the technician furrowed his brows at the screen: Yaffa had excess amniotic fluid, a risk for preterm labor. Immediately flagged as high-risk, Yaffa began seeing her obstetrician twice a week. Her OB sent the expectant mother for more extensive testing and blood work; everything turned up negative.