Welcome!  It can be overwhelming to be pregnant or a parent of a new baby, remember you are not alone.  The following summary from Author Terra LaRock, provides a picture into how many moms often feel.  We may love our baby, or love the idea of being pregnant, but still experience sadness and gloom. You are not alone in your thoughts when they become desperate, gloomy, or sad.

While pregnant, or after delivering your baby, people may ask you “Isn’t it great?” or “Don’t you just love being a mom?”  While their intention is to show enthusiasm and support these simple questions can challenge us, making us question if we should be happier, more put together?  It is important to reach out to neighbors, friends, people you work with.  You may just find that they too remember how hard it can be.  They may remember days of exhaustion, uncertainty, isolation, and worry. As Terra LaRock recalls, “Sleep does gets better, but as a mother, there will always be a sense of darkness that appears and fills your thoughts with doubt. It may not come frequently and the good will certainly outlast and outshine the bad, but it is there. Those words, so deep and true to me in the moments, helped walk me through a low point with the assurance that I was not alone, and that I would survive.”

We do not offer crisis management services. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 911. For additional safety information, contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

• Fairbanks (and Statewide) Crisis Line
• Careline Crisis Intervention: 907-452-Help (4357) or 1-877-266-Help (4357)
• Kenai – Central Peninsula Counseling Services Crisis Line: 907-283-7511
• Wasilla – Serving Mat-Su Valley Residents
• Mat-Su Health Services Crisis Line: 907-376-2411

Non-crisis-oriented services:

• Alaska Division of Public Health Comprehensive Resource List
• PSI-AK Alaska state chapter of Postpartum Support International
  • Anchorage numbers: 212-2065 or 212-4940
  • Open support group at Providence Medical Center Mondays 11am -noon
• Providence Pregnancy Information and Resources
• Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
  • 23 Member Programs around Alaska
• Women’s Care of Alaska: Post-Partum Depression

Strong Social Support During Pregnancy Improves Perinatal Outcomes for Mother and Baby.

Non-crisis-oriented services:

Suggestions from individuals who have recently been pregnant:

Supportive assistance to your pregnant friend or loved one includes tangible and nontangible assistance. Family members or friends are important in circle of support. Supporting a person who is pregnant or just had a baby can include providing basic needs (e.g., shelter, food, clothing, and transportation) and emotional support.

• Give the new parents time to rest and recover. Let them decide when they’re ready for visitation.
• Drop by and provide a premade meal, but only stay for a visit if asked to do so. Consider sharing traditional and cultural foods. 
• Offer to stop in an babysit so the parent can take a shower, go shopping, or spend some time to self-care.
• New caregivers are often tired and need need rest. Offer to clean the house, pick up groceries, bring them their mail or run errands.
• Offer to provide transportation to doctor appointments and well-baby check-ups.
• Support birthing people with staying engaged or re-engaging in activities and hobbies enjoyed before giving birth.
• Support new parents with continuing or resuming cultural and traditional activities such as berry picking, hunting, crafts, music, etc.
• Help connect parents with concrete supports and resources to help ease the financial strain that can come with having a new baby.
• Talk about mental health needs in a supportive, non-judgmental way – emphasize that needing support is normal and OK!

Is your loved one experiencing problems related to drug or alcohol use? There are medication and other treatment options available to help pregnant people who are struggling with drugs or alcohol. People who experience substance use disorders often feel shame, which can stop them from getting help. Emotional support, encouragement and access to treatment services will increase the chances of a healthy, safe pregnancy and positive birth experience for mother and baby.

Listen to Doula Hayley Kocinski talk about her work and the kinds of support birthing people need most during the postpartum period.

Research the support a Doula can provide to your family member. Individuals who have used Doula services often find that Doulas are able to provide supportive measures to guide them toward positive outcomes and to advocate for positive, empowered birth and postpartum experiences.

• Imparting knowledge through pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting education classes.
• Offering encouragement and orientation to future goals.
• Providing emotional and physical support during pregnancy, labor, birth, and mothering.
• Alaska Native Birth workers Community

“Hayley is a private doula who participates as a panelist in the MCDR Program. MCDR committee members and panelists are not state employees. While the views in this recording may be consistent with MCDR recommendations, they are the author’s own personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the State of Alaska or the MCDR program.”

Being a first time parent can be overwhelming, another excellent resource that provides suggestions and resources for parents includes the Nurse Family Partnership: Helping the First-Time parents Succeed

• Fairbanks (and statewide) crisis line
• Careline crisis intervention: 907-452-help (4357) or 1-877-266-help (4357)
• Kenai – Central Peninsula counseling services crisis line: 907-283-7511
• Wasilla – serving Mat-Su valley residents 
• Mat-Su health services crisis line: 907-376-2411

• A crisis is a time of intense difficulty, trouble, danger, or distress.
• A crisis can be mental, emotional, or physical.

• Panic attack
• Aggressive behaviors
• Substance misuse
• Following a traumatic event
• Severe psychotic states

• Medical emergency
• Suicidal thoughts and behaviors
• Severe effects of alcohol or drug use (substance use crisis)
• Severe psychotic states

May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month! For more resources related to maternal mental health and ways to support caregivers, visit the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ) by clicking here.

State of Alaska Fast Facts:

• The Maternal Child Death Review (MCDR) committee reviews all Alaska maternal deaths. MCDR defines a maternal death as any death within one year of pregnancy due to any cause.
• The MCDR committee has found that most recent maternal deaths in Alaska were potentially preventable, with at least some chance to alter the outcome.
• Drug or alcohol use or substance use disorders contributed to 63% of all pregnancy-associated deaths in Alaska during 2014-2018. Mental health conditions contributed to 31%. (MCDR)
• In 2019, 12.3% of all Alaskans delivering live births experienced postpartum depressive symptoms. (PRAMS)
• Among all Alaskans delivering live births in 2019, 14% reported that they had depression and 22% reported they had anxiety during pregnancy. (PRAMS)

Annual preventive care visits with women of childbearing age are a chance to conduct critical screening, counseling and referrals for behavioral health needs and provide other care to optimize the health of women before, between and beyond potential pregnancies. In 2019, 72% of Alaskan women ages 18-44 said they had visited a doctor for a routine checkup in the past year.

The resources below provide current advice, guidance and resources to: Treat patients experiencing challenges with substance use, improve patient communication, improve screening and assessment, improve maternal patient outcomes, and incorporate review as a part of your practice.

• MCDR Recommendations Issue 1
• MCDR Recommendation Issue 2 
• SMM Toolkit
• AKPQC
• Physician Patient Communication
• Alaska Birth Collective
• DHSS Cultural Resource Guide
• Giving a Voice to Mothers

Insight from mothers who have delivered babies recently in Alaska and responded to the Alaska’s Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey

“I had preeclampsia. The doctor said that can turn into postpartum eclampsia and I was glad I was forewarned and had info cause I got it and it was scary.”

“I do wish I know we have programs to help pregnant women and their children I do wish there are more counselors and case workers to help me.”

“I was unaware of some treatment programs I could have gotten into treatment while I was preg.”

“I wish I would have made better decisions and I am working through to get him back in my custody. I do wish I had done things better. This the path I am on whether I chose them or not. Blessed that my son is healthy.”

“It was pretty hard to stay clean I guess. It was hard to get help because of how long it takes to get things going and get help. Limited options.”

“I wish there were easier ways for parents to get mental health help more, I was asked a couple times very early on (in NICU) into motherhood if I needed mental health help, but I was so confused & scared. I had my son at 32 weeks due to [syndrome name] and I wish there was more talk & people reaching out about after birth trauma & PTSD, they check in once or twice at their 6-month apt, but the nurse didn’t even look at my paper I filled out, I felt forgotten and was not doing well. It was also very difficult to find a therapist my insurance would cover or that I could afford.”

“I think making sure people feel safe or comfortable to ask for help when they need it but don’t know how to ask. I think mental help is a major issue and just helping people who need it, helping them to not feel ashamed to get help, and help for the families and kids who have to live through people who need the help will make a difference.”