Consultant Physician in Genito-Urinary Medicine and HIV Medicine, Dr Vanessa Appea, has urged relatives and friends not to wait until new mothers ask for help before offering support, saying simple acts of kindness can significantly improve maternal mental health.

Speaking on GhanaWeb's Health Focus, she explained that many women conceal their emotional struggles after childbirth despite appearing cheerful to visitors.

"For many women, we're good at covering. We're good at just getting on with things, and we look okay," she said.

Sharing her personal experience, Dr Appea disclosed that although she looked presentable whenever visitors came after giving birth, she was internally overwhelmed.

"I would make sure that I looked good... But inside you're like, 'I'm so tired. I'm so exhausted. I don't know what to do.'"

Rather than waiting to hear that a mother is struggling, she advised relatives to proactively assist with daily tasks.

"What is really great is actually rather than waiting to be asked, go and offer food, go and say, 'Oh, I'm here. Do you need me to stay with the baby while you go have a shower?' Half an hour of your time for a new mother can be just amazing."

Dr Appea said family members should watch for warning signs such as persistent sadness, tearfulness, withdrawal, poor eye contact and frustration with routine activities.

"When you see some of those signs, it's just an opportunity for you to say, 'Are you okay? What can I do? I'm here.'"

She further stressed that husbands have an equally important responsibility in supporting women after childbirth.

"You shouldn't just leave everything on them just because they are women," she said, urging families to recognise that childbirth places enormous physical and emotional demands on mothers.

NA/BAI

Understanding Maternal Mental Health