Supporting maternal mental health at work: a guide for both employers and employees

maternal mental health at work
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One of the greatest challenges of modern times in terms of the workplace is how we go about supporting maternal mental health at work.

Over the past two years, during and after pregnancy, women have faced a greater likelihood of poor mental health including anxiety, depression, loneliness and suicidal thoughts, according to a new report commissioned by a coalition of leading maternal mental health organisations.

This comprised mental health impacts our work performance and resilience, which creates a negative downwards spiral as mums begin to feel that they can not cope both in and out of the workplace.

So what can we do to address these challenges and support maternal mental health at work? Here, Dr Jan Smith, leading chartered psychologist and the founder of healthyyoultd.co.uk presents a guide to supporting mental health in the workplace for employers, and what mums can do to protect their mental health in the workplace and beyond.

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Women experience different personal transitions; their fertility journey, motherhood, peri, menopause, and post-menopause. While navigating these transitions can be emotionally challenging and stressful, women’s workplaces can be instrumental in optimising their mental health. This can support women to remain in their posts and thrive in their careers, which is mutually beneficial for employers and women.

Returning to work following childbirth

When mums return to work after having a baby, this can feel like a big step for many. Their journey to conceive, give birth and shift into becoming mums can be fraught with an array of emotions. While it can be largely positive, their journey to motherhood can be paved by symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress, and trauma for many parents. That can be the case for some mums who have been able to take their baby home. Others who have experienced multiples pregnancy losses or stillbirth will also be navigating the world of grief and adjustment. They, too, are mums returning to work.

There are many ways employers and employees can support maternal mental health in the workplace. Below are some suggestions.

For employers

  1. Return to work check-in: this should not be a tick box exercise, and instead, it is an opportunity to discuss with the person what they might need from the organisation by way of support. This check-in would be helpful to carry out before the person returns, so all the support is in place when they return. Also, having regular dates scheduled will help ensure any ongoing support is reviewed and amended, if required. 
  2. Range of support: what might be helpful for one employee will not benefit another. Therefore, having a range of support options that staff can access will be necessary.  
  3. Women’s health: Some women are transitioning from motherhood to peri-menopausal in a relatively short period. Rather than taking each of these life changes as individual ‘events,’ it’s seeing women’s health as a continuum and implementing various policies and options. Hence, they have a choice of what might help at different stages.
  4. Psychologically safe culture: being able to speak up and give feedback on what businesses require to create an inclusive organisation that supports women is an integral component of them feeling ‘safe’ to share.
maternal mental health at work
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For mums

  1. Identifying your needs: depending on your fertility journey, pregnancy, and birth, you might be feeling a range of different emotions. Work might be something you welcome or not. You might not necessarily know how your employer can be helpful but have insight into what might be less useful, like working from home or full-time hours, if you can reach out to your employer or HR department. 
  2. Parent’s group: widening your network can help you feel that you’re not on your own. Many employees in organisations create support groups. For example, they might arrange to meet once each month (away from work) and discuss an aspect of parenting, like mental health, birth trauma, or managing sleep. You could enquire whether you have one at your place of work or with other colleagues begin your own.
  3. Ditch the guilt: feeling like you’re not a good parent because you’re going to work can layer on feelings of guilt. There is immense pressure on women to be the perfect mum and employee- ditch this mindset. Being good enough should be the goal to aim for, and this will look different for every family. 
  4. Being assertive: it’s okay to say ‘no’ to requests to work extra hours and take on more responsibilities and workload. However, this is a skill and requires practice. If you don’t feel able to say ‘no’ outright, perhaps say, “leave it with me to think about” or “I’m not able to commit to that right now.”

Being a mum can feel like the most rewarding and consuming role for many. Juggling motherhood, home life, and work can take a toll on a mum’s mental health which is why it is so important that we priorise maternal mental health at work. It can be beneficial to know the signs of when your usual feeling of stress tips over into something that renders you emotionally or psychologically unwell. This can support you in implementing ways to optimise your mental health. Workplaces can be places you thrive in your career, mental health, and wellbeing.

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