The Importance of Mental Health Services for New Mothers and How Health Insurance Can Help You Access Them
The Gist:
For new mothers, the postpartum period can come with many unexpected challenges, like mental health struggles.
Most insurance plans offer specific coverage for postpartum treatment, including maternal mental health services.
Mental health for new mothers varies from person to person, so it’s important to know all your available treatment options.
If you lack health insurance that covers maternal mental health coverage, you have the option to shop for plans that better suit your specific needs. Having a baby is a qualifying life event, which means you can shop around for health insurance plans that fit your new lifestyle.
In This Article:
What Are Some Postpartum Treatments That Are Covered by Health Insurance?
Do You Have Health Insurance That Covers Mental Health Services?
In Short:
Are you a new mother or on your way to becoming one? First of all, congratulations! 🎉 You and your growing family have quite the adventure ahead of you. With the twists and turns of parenthood come unexpected struggles — and postpartum mental health issues are among the most serious and under-discussed. But there is help available for anyone having issues with maternal mental health.
Most insurance plans may offer additional perks to new parents: For instance, postpartum assistance, including access to lactation consultants. It’s important to look into what insurance benefits you have as soon as you’re comfortable sharing that you’re pregnant to make sure you are taking full advantage of everything offered.
If you need to shop around for new or supplemental insurance, start by entering your ZIP code below.
Why Is Maternal Mental Health Important?
Fortunately for modern mothers, the days of calling postpartum depression the “baby blues'' are long gone. Many of the cultural taboos around maternal mental health have been lifted in favor of openness that there is no universal experience of motherhood.
One new mother’s successes and struggles may not exactly line up with what appears in popular mommy blogs or motherhood-themed TikToks.
The MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health reports that upwards of 85 percent of new mothers experience some sort of postpartum mood disturbance. And according to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in nine new mothers experience postpartum depression (PPD). More than just depression, PPD encompasses a number of symptoms, including:
Sadness
Anxiety and restlessness
Difficulty sleeping
Intrusive or disturbing thoughts
Tearfulness
Poor concentration
Loss of appetite
That’s why it’s important for new mothers to remember that postpartum depression and other maternal mental health issues are not their fault. You just went through (or are still going through) a life and body-changing experience. Now you have new responsibilities, new stresses, new daily schedules, and more. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, which is why it’s important to prioritize mental health for new mothers. Help is available.
What Are Some Postpartum Treatments That Are Covered by Health Insurance?
Many health insurance plans offer comprehensive services to growing families, including pre-pregnancy (fertility), during-pregnancy, and onward to labor, delivery, and postpartum.
Check with your insurance provider to make sure you’re making use of all applicable pregnancy perks, because your plan may cover all or part of:
Maternal mental health treatments, including talk therapy and medication
Lactation assistance and support
Equipment like breast pumps, strollers, and other essentials
Mother-to-mother support groups or counseling
Early Intervention (EI) treatment for babies or toddlers (like in-home or group support for motor, communication, or social issues)
Postpartum doulas or other home care
This can vary based on your insurance type or place of employment, so we recommend researching your specific plan’s details to ensure your health care needs will be met.
If your health insurance lacks comprehensive postpartum care — including maternal mental health treatments — or you lack health insurance altogether, we recommend visiting our site to start the process of choosing the right health insurance for you. The best time to do this is immediately after your new baby is born. Simply enter your ZIP code and start shopping for the plan that best suits your income level and health care needs.
What’s the Best Way to Treat Maternal Mental Health Issues?
Maternal mental health treatments are not one-size fits-all.
In fact, the solution to your maternal mental health struggles will likely differ from what worked for friends or family members of yours when they became parents. That’s why it’s important to visit your doctor if you experience any symptoms — they can help determine the best treatment for your unique condition.
That said, some common maternal mental health treatment options include:
Talk therapy (in-person, by phone, or virtually)
Family counseling
Support groups
Prescribed medications like mood stabilizers
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
Just remember: You are not alone, and help is available.
Is Having A Baby A Qualifying Life Event?
Yes! Having or adopting a child is considered a qualifying life event, which means you are granted a special enrollment period that allows you to make changes to your health insurance outside of the open enrollment period.
In addition to enrolling your new child onto your health insurance plan, this special enrollment period is an opportunity to assess your health coverage and see if you need to change your plan type, which could impact your deductible and other out-of-pocket expenses.
While you’re considering your options, Stride will help you on your journey, taking into account things like your family size, and budget to recommend the best plan for you. Get started now by entering your ZIP code here.
Do You Have Health Insurance That Covers Mental Health Services?
Mental health for new mothers is incredibly important — that’s why we recommend checking with your insurance provider to know all the treatments and perks offered to new parents. If your insurance doesn’t cover maternal mental health or you lack health insurance altogether, make sure you shop for a new plan as soon as your new baby arrives before large postpartum treatment bills start to pile up.
You already have a lot on your mind, so Stride has made it easy to find the best health insurance plans. Simply enter your ZIP code and shop for new insurance.
A growing family means growing responsibilities, but parenthood comes with a lot of unpredictable surprises. Don’t let your maternal mental health suffer — we’re here to support you and help you take advantage of postpartum treatment that can be covered by insurance.