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Becoming a mother isn’t easy. And that’s especially true in the United States. Among wealthy nations, the U.S. has the highest rate of maternal mortality, which is defined as a death during pregnancy or up to a year afterward.
Common causes include excessive bleeding, infection, heart disease, suicide and drug overdose. A recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association found that tragedy also unfolds unequally, with Black mothers dying at the nation’s highest rates.
The CDC reports 1 in 8 women deal with postpartum depression. But many mothers have nowhere to turn. The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health gave the U.S. a grade of “D” saying the country is failing to support mothers during and after pregnancy.
Minnesota isn’t much better, receiving a “D+.” But a new local clinic is trying to change that. Red Leaf Center for Family Healing is Minnesota’s first intensive mental health program for pregnant and postpartum mothers.
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Founder Dr. Helen Kim joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the clinic’s work.
“We really want to grow the workforce capacity in Minnesota to look through this multigenerational holistic lens at prenatal mood and anxieties by really building that workforce with training opportunities,” she said.
The Red Leaf Center grew out of the Hennepin Women’s Mental Health program. Kim says she and others began to notice that mental health for mothers was not an individual crisis, but a relationship crisis.
“Mothers were struggling with their relationships with themselves, their babies and children and their partners.”
Need help? The Red Leaf Center for Family healing has a HOPE Line you can call Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at 612-873-HOPE (4673). For immediate help you can call or text 988 for the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
The play area at Hennepin Healthcare’s Red Leaf Center for Family Healing
Courtesy of Hennepin Healthcare
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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