Opinion
I’m a therapist who treats perinatal mood disorders for a living and I have personal experience with postpartum anxiety and PTSD. I share this from both a professional and personal perspective. Our hearts are heavy in the wake of the recent tragedy in Byron, but we can’t simply grieve and move on. We must dedicate our time and resources to prevention. If we want to improve maternal mental health in Wyoming, here’s what must happen — at a minimum:
Medicaid expansion
Too many hospitals and clinics have closed. We are a health care desert, especially when it comes to OB-GYN care. Expanding Medicaid isn’t just about covering low-income individuals — it keeps hospital and clinic doors open for everyone, especially in rural communities. Without Medicaid expansion, we will continue to lose essential health care services. If we are to truly be pro-life, that means funding quality health care for mothers so they can provide quality care for their babies.
We must all vote in the primaries
Freedom Caucus legislators dismiss mental health as something God alone can handle. To be blunt — God alone cannot treat any perinatal mood disorder. If God is real, then they gave us the knowledge, education, years of practice and wisdom to care for our neighbors — not to simply wish and pray for a miracle. Sometimes there are miracles, thanks to the training of our health care providers who save lives. Our elected officials are not a miracle, especially when they put up barriers to individuals receiving care. Not voting in primaries has allowed people into our legislature who have slashed health care and mental health funding while remaining willfully uninformed and uneducated on these topics. We must all vote in primaries and elect leaders who will support maternal mental health.
Insurance coverage
Therapy is expensive and individuals suffering from perinatal mood disorders — whether during pregnancy or postpartum — often need intensive treatment. Insurance and Medicaid must cover mental health care for at least the first year postpartum. This is a critical period when untreated disorders can have devastating consequences for both parents and children.
OB/GYNs and pediatricians
We must invest in our doctors and clinics, ensuring they have the proper training and screening tools, particularly for postpartum care. Pediatricians, who see parents and infants regularly in the early months, should be screening for perinatal mood disorders and making immediate referrals when necessary. We need to integrate maternal mental health into routine pediatric and obstetric care. This investment is well worth it — moms and babies deserve access to quality medical and mental health care locally.
Community outreach
Local health departments need funding for community outreach programs that support new parents. Education about perinatal mood disorders — what to watch for, where to seek help — can save lives. Community engagement, education and support make all the difference in early intervention.
Long-term solutions
We need a fundamental shift in how we treat parents. This includes:
- Invest in more OB-GYNs, pediatricians, and family practice providers to ensure comprehensive maternal and family care. Adequate staffing ensures appropriate time for assessments and referrals to take place.
- Invest in our providers sufficiently so that they stay in our state and help our communities thrive.
- Paid parental leave to reduce stress on families.
- Affordable, high-quality health insurance.
- High-quality, affordable child care.
- Workplace flexibility and family-friendly policies.
Wyoming, we can do better. We should do better. But it starts with you — the voter. We must all vote in primaries. We must pay attention to who we elect. Right now, we are failing our moms. It’s time to change that.
Women today have a great deal on their plate. Many are single parents because men and women seldom marry any longer. And so the children are the primary responsibility of the mother. She has to work. She pays daycare. She maintains a home. She provides food, clothing, support to her children. She is definitely challenged and her mental health pays the price.
Running the doctors out of the state over the ridiculous abortion law and determination to punish women is all the legislature and the freedumb casual care about. Clinics, hospitals, doctors are declining rapidly. Wyoming is more than a desert, it is sentence death for many.
Amazing how for EONS since mankind walked face of the earth that women gave birth with zero “ mental” help. Now not possible. Challenges of life have faced each generation.
Larry, women today are taught to abandon their child a couple months after birth to the care of strangers.
That alone would cause major mental trauma.
They lost more children than they raised you ill informed, uneducated man.
Many times to spontaneous abortion, or death at or before birth. And women died in child birth frequently. Perhaps you should read about facts.
But instead, our current legislature is more worried about bathroom use, women’s sports, and making sure underprivileged children don’t become dependent on summertime lunch programs. Shame!!!!!!!
Rene. I go along with using restroom of your biological sex and men not playing women sports. But not feeding kids is wrong. None of these lawmakers grew up on wrong side of tracks nor been hungry. Truly hungry. That is wrong
Thank you for a very informative, well written article. Thank you for standing up for women and children.
You make very good points in this article. We need to commit to electing politicians who represent the passing laws that are about these real issues instead nickel and dime bullshit.
valid points
those that defend the freedumb caucus agenda are not rational people