6th May
Hello!
I hope you have had a lovely week. Apologies for missing the email last Friday. We were moving houses and I couldn't get into the right mindspace to plan a newsletter. It has been an exciting week for us. After months of waiting, we got the keys to our first house. Our evenings are now spent designing and planning. We want to make this house our home.
I painted walls for the first time and it is so much fun! I'm now pretty handy with power tools as well. Kinesthic activities have always caught my fancy. What about you? Are you interested in DIY?
This week is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week. It is a weeklong campaign dedicated to talking about mental illness while pregnant or after having a baby. Mental health in mothers is a taboo across many cultures. We need to raise awareness and information about this topic so that mothers feel comfortable speaking about their feelings.
Quote for the week: "Postpartum depression makes you suddenly feel like a stranger to yourself, but knowing the clinical facts are the first step toward wellness.” ― Judy Dippel
Video recommendation: Why maternal mental health matters by Fatimah Jackson-Best. Watch the video here.
Please watch and share this video with others. Help raise awareness about maternal mental health.
If you are further interested in this topic, I would suggest you watch this launch video by Maternal Mental Health Alliance. It is beautiful and will give you deep insight into this sensitive topic. Watch it here.
Book recommendation: Maternal mental health Scotland has compiled this list of books and resources that can be of great help to anyone who is expecting or is going through mental health issues during pregnancy and postpartum. Access the list here.
Please share this list with anyone who may benefit from it.
Maternity and Parenting: If you remember, in one of my first newsletters, I had mentioned that I am working with a colleague on a research project where we are looking at Shared Parental Leave and Breastfeeding policies in Higher Education Institutions in the UK. My colleague Dr. Ernestine has written this excellent article for the Conversation: Gender equality: Why the UK's shared parental leave scheme needs a rethink. Read the article here.
That's all for today. Hope you have an energising and restful weekend! See you next Friday!
Anjali