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I chose this topic because I’ve seen firsthand how often postpartum mental health is overlooked. The pressure on new mothers to feel only joy often hides deep emotional pain. Understanding postpartum depression has made me more empathetic and more aware of the subtle signs as a future nurse.

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This emotional video powerfully illustrates the contrast between how a mother appears and how she feels inside. It perfectly represents the core message of this topic—what’s not said often matters more than what is.

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Why we all need to talk about postpartum depression | Auburn Harrison | TEDxUniversityofNevada

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Understanding trauma is essential to effective and compassionate care. This topic helped me recognize the importance of safety, choice, and empowerment in healing.

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Breastfeeding is often portrayed as a purely natural and joyful act, but many mothers silently experience pain, anxiety, guilt, and emotional conflict. I chose this topic to explore the emotional complexity behind the physical act of breastfeeding and how expectations placed on mothers can shape their mental health experience. As a future nurse, I want to validate these unspoken feelings and support new mothers with compassion and cultural sensitivity.

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Losing a baby, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss, is a profoundly painful experience that deeply affects mental health. I chose this topic to better understand the emotional impact of baby grief and to learn how nurses can provide compassionate support to bereaved parents.

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Access to healthcare is a human right, yet so many individuals — especially marginalized groups — face significant barriers. I chose this topic because, as a future nurse, I want to understand these barriers deeply so I can advocate for equitable care and recognize the challenges patients face beyond the hospital walls.

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This Cleveland Clinic article explains postpartum depression (PPD), its symptoms, causes, and the importance of early support and treatment. I chose it because it helps me understand what some mothers silently go through and supports the emotional themes in my poem and artwork. It’s a reliable source that adds depth to my project on maternal mental health.

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Postpartum Depression: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

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Postpartum depression is a type of depression that happens after giving birth. It causes extreme sadness and despair. It’s treatable with medicine and therapy.

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My drawing shows a mother holding her baby, but above her head are incomplete lines, scratches, and question marks. These elements represent her overwhelming and scattered thoughts. While she appears calm on the outside, her mind is filled with worries and confusion reflecting the silent struggles many new mothers face.

The image symbolizes the emotional impact of postpartum challenges, like anxiety or depression. This artwork reminds me that we must look beyond appearances and truly listen to mothers’ inner experiences. It highlights the importance of mental health support in postpartum care.

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I'm in the dark, the silence loud,
A shadow wrapped beneath the crowd.
Tears burn, but I swallow them whole,
A mother with a fractured soul.

I hold my baby close, so tight,
But dream of disappearing night.
The cries—so sharp, they split the air,
And I’m not sure what’s even fair.

The elder one calls, “Mama! Mama!”
Echoing through endless drama.
Two small hands reaching for me,
But where is the strength I used to be?

Some days I want to scream and run,
To lose myself, escape the sun.
Then guilt rains down, and love comes fast,
But peace feels like a thing long past.

I hate myself for thoughts that bloom,
But love still breathes inside this room.
Scared of who I’ve come to be—
This stranger living inside me.

But still—I stay. I breathe. I try.
I rock them gently when they cry.
A part of me is torn in two,
But I am still me, getting through.

Please hear this truth through all the pain—
You are not broken, not insane.
You are a mother, fierce and worn,
Still rising tired, still being torn.

So if you ever feel alone,
Please reach—don't carry this unknown.
There is help, and light, and care.
You are loved. You are still there.

- Sneha

I wrote this poem after learning about postpartum depression through my studies and observations. It reflects the emotional struggles some mothers face feelings of exhaustion, guilt, fear, and love all at once. Though not my own experience, I aimed to express these silent battles with empathy. The poem is a way to raise awareness and encourage support for mothers during this vulnerable time.

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1. Norazman, C. W., & Lee, L. K. (2024). The influence of social support in the prevention and treatment of postpartum depression: An intervention-based narrative review. Women’s Health, 20. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/17455057241275587

2. Suryawanshi, O., & Pajai, S. (2022). A comprehensive review on postpartum depression. Cureus, 14(12), e32745.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9851410/

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YouTube Video – “What is Trauma-Informed Care?”

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YouTube Video – “What is Trauma-Informed Care?”

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This short explainer by CAMH breaks down the core principles of trauma-informed care: safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment. It clearly shows how small changes in communication or setting can drastically improve patient experiences.

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“Trauma is not what happens to you. It’s what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you.” – Dr. Gabor Mate

This quote helped me shift my thinking. Trauma is not just an event but its lasting internal impact. As a nurse, this mindset will remind me to look beyond behaviors and see the person’s pain.

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Environment matters. Trauma-informed care isn't only about words it's about creating a space where patients feel physically and emotionally safe. This image reminds me that even subtle environmental changes can reduce anxiety and fear in patients.

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This is a drawing made by me shows a raw, healing heart surrounded by five open hands, each labeled with a core principle of trauma-informed care: Safety, Trustworthiness & Transparency, Peer Support, Collaboration & Mutuality, and Empowerment, Voice & Choice. The hands form a protective circle, symbolizing the safe, supportive environment needed for healing from trauma. The imperfect heart reflects both pain and resilience, showing that with the right care, recovery is possible.

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1. Berring, L. L., Holm, T., Hansen, J. P., Delcomyn, C. L., Søndergaard, R., & Hvidhjelm, J. (2024). Implementing trauma-informed care—Settings, definitions, interventions, measures, and implementation across settings: A scoping review. Healthcare (Basel), 12(9), 908 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11083630/

2. Edelman, N. (2023). Doing trauma-informed work in a trauma-informed way: Understanding difficulties and finding solutions. Health Services Insights, 16, 11786329231215037. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/11786329231215037

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The Emotional Side of Breastfeeding – What No One Talks About

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The Emotional Side of Breastfeeding – What No One Talks About

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This video openly discusses the emotional challenges mothers face during breastfeeding, including feelings of frustration, loneliness, and anxiety. It complements my theme by highlighting that breastfeeding is about more than just nutrition it involves complex emotions that deserve recognition and support.

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The Emotional Journey of Breastfeeding | From Joy to Tears & Everything in Between

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The Dark Side of Breastfeeding” – Motherly

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The Dark Side of Breastfeeding” – Motherly

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This video addresses the emotional burdens often hidden behind the romanticized idea of breastfeeding. It reinforces the theme that many mothers feel guilt, shame, or failure when breastfeeding doesn’t go as expected. Including this video helps deepen the conversation about how societal pressures impact maternal mental health.

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More than milk- how breastfeeding supports maternal health and wellness | Kelly Durbin, IBCLC | Mira

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This topic was important to me because I noticed how many new mothers feel judged, guilty, or confused about whether to breastfeed or use formula. I wanted to explore how this decision impacts mental health, confidence, and maternal identity, especially in cultures where breastfeeding is seen as the only “right” choice.

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This piece of my drawing reflects the emotional weight mothers carry when deciding how to feed their babies. Phrases like “Why are they blaming me?” and “What if I can’t?” show the guilt, shame, and judgment many face. The stitched heart symbolizes healing through honesty, while the hands around it represent support. This artwork reminds us that both breast and formula feeding are valid and no mother should feel less for her choice.

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1. Tomori, C. (2023). Protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding in all policies: Reframing the narrative. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1149384. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10313398/

2. Giannì, M. L., Lanzani, M., Consales, A., Bestetti, G., Colombo, L., Bettinelli, M. E., Plevani, L., Morniroli, D., Sorrentino, G., Bezze, E., Zanotta, L., Sannino, P., Cavallaro, G., Villamor, E., Marchisio, P., & Mosca, F. (2020). Exploring the emotional breastfeeding experience of first-time mothers: Implications for healthcare support. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 8, Article 199. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2020.00199/full

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This resource explains grief as a personal and complex experience. It offers practical ways to cope with loss, which is important for supporting mental health. For my topic on baby grief, it helps me understand how to provide compassionate, individualized care and highlights the nurse’s role in offering emotional support and connecting families to help.

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Understanding and Coping with Loss and Grief

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Learn about loss and grief and how to help children and youth cope.

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Silently Suffering After Pregnancy Loss” by Cassandra Blomberg (TEDxSDMesaCollege)

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Silently Suffering After Pregnancy Loss” by Cassandra Blomberg (TEDxSDMesaCollege)

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This TEDx talk shares Cassandra Blomberg’s personal story of pregnancy loss and the silent grief many parents face. It highlights the emotional pain and stigma that often surround baby loss, showing why open conversations and support are vital. The video helps me understand the deep mental health impact of losing a baby and the importance of compassionate, trauma-informed care. As a future nurse, it reminds me to listen carefully, validate feelings, and provide empathetic support to grieving families.

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Silently Suffering After Pregnancy Loss | Cassandra Blomberg | TEDxSDMesaCollege

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"Grief is not a disorder, a disease or sign of weakness. It is an emotional, physical and spiritual necessity, the price you pay for love. The only cure for grief is to grieve." — Earl A. Grollman

This quote beautifully captures the essence of grief as a natural and necessary process rather than something to be feared or avoided. It reminds me that grieving is essential to healing and validates the emotional and spiritual pain experienced after loss. This perspective is crucial in nursing, encouraging compassionate care that honors the grieving process without judgment.

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This drawing symbolizes the invisible emotional struggles many mothers endure, especially after birth trauma, infant loss, or postpartum depression. The darkness around her reflects the stigma and silence surrounding maternal mental health — particularly the fear of being judged or misunderstood. As a future nurse, this artifact reminds me of the importance of listening without bias, recognizing silent suffering, and creating safe spaces for patients to express their emotions. It connects to themes of grief, guilt, and mental health covered in our course, and emphasizes the need for trauma-informed care. “Tears in the Dark” represents not only personal pain but also a call to healthcare providers to see beyond physical symptoms and acknowledge emotional wound.

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1. Flach, K., Gressler, N. G., Marcolino, M. A. Z., & Levandowski, D. C. (2022). Complicated grief after the loss of a baby: A systematic review about risk and protective factors for bereaved women. Trends in Psychology, 1–35. Advance online publication. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8747442/

2. Pelacho-Rios, L., & Bernabe-Valero, G. (2022). The loss of a child, bereavement and the search for meaning: A systematic review of the most recent parental interventions. Current Psychology, 1–26. Advance online publication. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4975148/

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Still Here: Understanding Postpartum Depression

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Still Here: Understanding Postpartum Depression

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Creating Safety in Mental Health Nursing

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Creating Safety in Mental Health Nursing

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Navigating Baby Grief and Mental Health Through Compassionate Nursing Care.

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Navigating Baby Grief and Mental Health Through Compassionate Nursing Care.

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News Article: “10,000 Canadians tell us about their struggle to find primary care” (CBC News)

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News Article: “10,000 Canadians tell us about their struggle to find primary care” (CBC News)

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This article shares real stories of Canadians who are struggling to find a family doctor or access primary care. It highlights the severity of the shortage of healthcare providers and shows how systemic issues in the healthcare system directly affect patients. I chose this because it gives a real-world view of what people face — long wait times, frustration, and even giving up on care. It made me reflect on the emotional and physical toll that these barriers cause, especially for vulnerable populations like seniors, people in rural areas, and newcomers.

Tasker, J. P. (2024, February 27). Massive new survey finds widespread frustration with access to primary health care: OurCare Initiative finds primary care is the top concern as 6 million people go without a family doctor. CBC News https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/primary-care-canada-10-000-canadians-report-1.7125990

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These researchers asked 10,000 Canadians what they think of the health-care system | CBC News

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A Toronto-based research team met with and surveyed some 10,000 Canadians about the state of the health-care system — and what they found is deep dissatisfaction and frustration with primary care as the country grapples with a severe shortage of family doctors.

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“The Social Determinants of Health” (CDC)

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“The Social Determinants of Health” (CDC)

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This CDC video clearly explains how factors like poverty, education, housing, and racism shape health outcomes. It helped me see that healthcare access goes beyond clinic walls — social and economic systems play a huge role. As a future nurse, this insight motivates me to consider these broader factors when caring for patients and advocating for change.

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What Makes Us Healthy? Understanding the Social Determinants of Health

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Report Section: “Primary Health Care” (Statistics Canada)

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Report Section: “Primary Health Care” (Statistics Canada)

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This section from a Statistics Canada report offers crucial data on how many Canadians lack access to a regular healthcare provider, and which groups are most affected. It breaks down the issue by age, income, and geography—showing that remote communities and low-income families face significantly more challenges. This empirical evidence enriched my understanding of the systemic nature of healthcare access barriers and reinforced the importance of data-informed advocacy in nursing practice.

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This is my own art piece, depicts a closed door symbolizing the healthcare system, with heavy chains blocking entry. Each chain is labeled with real barriers such as language, fear, cost, and distance. The closed door represents how many people, despite needing care, face invisible obstacles that keep them from receiving timely and adequate health services. This artwork illustrates the frustrating and isolating experience of being shut out from help and challenges healthcare providers to acknowledge and dismantle these barriers to create more inclusive access.

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1. Jindal, M., Chaiyachati, K. H., Fung, V., Manson, S. M., & Mortensen, K. (2023). Eliminating health care inequities through strengthening access to care. Health Services Research, 58(Suppl 3), 300–310. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10684044/

2. Lavergne, M. R., Bodner, A., & Spencer, S., et al. (2023). Disparities in access to primary care are growing wider in Canada. Healthcare Management Forum, 36(5) https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/08404704231183599

# data[].attributes.body
1. Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Postpartum depression. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9312-postpartum-depression

2. Dennis, C.-L., Singla, D. R., Brown, H. K., Savel, K., Clark, C. T., Grigoriadis, S., & Vigod, S. N. (2024). Postpartum depression: A clinical review of impact and current treatment solutions. Drugs, 84, 645–659. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40265-024-02038-z

2. Suryawanshi, O., & Pajai, S. (2022). A comprehensive review on postpartum depression. Cureus, 14(12), e32745.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9851410/

3. Norazman, C. W., & Lee, L. K. (2024). The influence of social support in the prevention and treatment of postpartum depression: An intervention-based narrative review. Women’s Health, 20. https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057241275587

# data[].attributes.body
1. Berring, L. L., Holm, T., Hansen, J. P., Delcomyn, C. L., Søndergaard, R., & Hvidhjelm, J. (2024). Implementing trauma-informed care—Settings, definitions, interventions, measures, and implementation across settings: A scoping review. Healthcare (Basel), 12(9), 908 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11083630/

2. Edelman, N. (2023). Doing trauma-informed work in a trauma-informed way: Understanding difficulties and finding solutions. Health Services Insights, 16, 11786329231215037. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/11786329231215037

3. Grossman, S., Cooper, Z., Buxton, H., Hendrickson, S., Lewis-O’Connor, A., Stevens, J., Wong, L.-Y., & Bonne, S. (2021). Trauma-informed care: Recognizing and resisting re-traumatization in health care. Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open, 6(1), e000815. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8689164/

# data[].attributes.body
1. Giannì, M. L., Lanzani, M., Consales, A., Bestetti, G., Colombo, L., Bettinelli, M. E., Plevani, L., Morniroli, D., Sorrentino, G., Bezze, E., Zanotta, L., Sannino, P., Cavallaro, G., Villamor, E., Marchisio, P., & Mosca, F. (2020). Exploring the emotional breastfeeding experience of first-time mothers: Implications for healthcare support. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 8, Article 199. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2020.00199/full

2. Lakshman, R., Ogilvie, D., & Ong, K. K. (2009). Mothers’ experiences of bottle-feeding: A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 94(8), 596–601. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3697301/

3. Leurer, M. D., & Misskey, E. (2015). The psychosocial and emotional experience of breastfeeding: Reflections of mothers. Global Qualitative Nursing Research, 2, 2333393615611654. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5342287/

4. Tomori, C. (2023). Protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding in all policies: Reframing the narrative. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1149384. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10313398/

# data[].attributes.body
1. Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario. (n.d.). Understanding and coping with loss and grief. https://ontario.cmha.ca/documents/understanding-and-coping-with-loss-and-grief/

2. Flach, K., Gressler, N. G., Marcolino, M. A. Z., & Levandowski, D. C. (2022). Complicated grief after the loss of a baby: A systematic review about risk and protective factors for bereaved women. Trends in Psychology, 1–35. Advance online publication. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8747442/

3. Pelacho-Rios, L., & Bernabe-Valero, G. (2022). The loss of a child, bereavement and the search for meaning: A systematic review of the most recent parental interventions. Current Psychology, 1–26. Advance online publication. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4975148/

# data[].attributes.body
1. Jindal, M., Chaiyachati, K. H., Fung, V., Manson, S. M., & Mortensen, K. (2023). Eliminating health care inequities through strengthening access to care. Health Services Research, 58(Suppl 3), 300–310. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10684044/

2. Lavergne, M. R., Bodner, A., & Spencer, S., et al. (2023). Disparities in access to primary care are growing wider in Canada. Healthcare Management Forum, 36(5) https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/08404704231183599

3. Nguyen, N. H., Subhan, F. B., Williams, K., & Chan, C. B. (2020). Barriers and mitigating strategies to healthcare access in Indigenous communities of Canada: A narrative review. Healthcare, 8(2), 112. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7349010/

4. Sundareswaran, M., Martignetti, L., & Purkey, E. (2024). Barriers to primary care among immigrants and refugees in Peterborough, Ontario: A qualitative study of provider perspectives. BMC Primary Care, 25, Article 199 https://bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-024-02453-x