WAUWATOSA, Wis. — As we honor mothers this weekend, it’s important to remember the struggles they may face too.
For one local mother, it wasn’t always easy, but she wants people to know it gets better. Casey White is a mom of two boys. One is two years old, the other is 10 months old. She’s found that being a mom brings her so much joy. But it wasn’t always that way.
“Most moms, you know, are struggling, and that’s wild,” White said.
Once White had her first kid, she said she was struggling with something many moms experience.
“Probably a week after I had my first, I had my first panic attack. I didn’t realize it was a panic attack,” White said. “I was just hot and overwhelmed, and thought, oh my gosh, this is weird.”
She knew she needed help after things progressed. She was diagnosed with postpartum anxiety and OCD. It’s something common for moms after giving birth.
In fact, one in five women gets postpartum depression or another perinatal mood or anxiety disorder. And in lower income communities, that number rises to one in four.
“I needed help,” White said. “I knew I needed a therapist and I remember sitting in her office and getting my diagnosis and though this makes so much sense.”
White was able to find help through the Mom's Mental Health Initiative in Milwaukee. It’s an organization that can help guide you to get the help you need.
Sarah Bloomquist is the co-founder and executive director. She said it feels good to help other moms in need.
“I feel honored to be able to walk through the journey with many of these women, what I really love about my work is I can be that source of hope for them,” Bloomquist said.
For White, it’s been a journey and now, with kid number two crawling around, things are getting better.
“This journey has been so much better,” White said. “It’s still hard. It’s not something that goes away, but you can feel better and I feel so much better.”
She is feeling better for herself and for her babies for many years to come.