Model, author, activist and pop culture icon Chrissy Teigen announced this month that she is partnering with Allegheny Health Network and its women’s health program “AHN Women” to launch a social cause initiative, #MyWishForMoms, which aims to create an open dialogue among women about postpartum depression and anxiety.
Last year, more than 500,000 – or one in seven – new moms developed postpartum depression, yet only 15 percent of them received treatment, according to the American Psychological Association. Postpartum depression is characterized by extreme feelings of sadness, anxiety and exhaustion that can threaten the well-being of moms, babies and their families.
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“When I was approached with this opportunity – to help be the voice for women experiencing postpartum depression and anxiety – I thought, ‘this is perfect!’ I’m grateful to be able to use the platform that I’ve been given to reduce the stigma that many women feel when talking about these very real and treatable conditions,” Teigen said. “I wish I had known that postpartum depression can happen to anyone, because I didn’t think it could happen to me. Here I was, with my perfect little Luna and a supportive husband, yet I was truly struggling.”
Throughout Maternal Mental Health Month, observed annually in May, Teigen (@chrissyteigen) is asking moms to share what they wish they would have known about postpartum depression and anxiety using the hashtag #MyWishForMoms. Additionally, AHN Women will educate families on the warning signs of postpartum depression and anxiety, as well as available treatment options, via mywishformoms.org.
