Her postpartum depression spiraled and she couldn’t get care. She’s not alone

Nydrianna Raines was pregnant with her son within months of losing her grandmother and father, and she was feeling down.

The Little Rock, Arkansas, mother of three asked her doctor at an Arkansas women's clinic for mental health help. The doctor barely acknowledged her request, telling her she likely had "seasonal depression" and her symptoms would pass.

"They didn't recommend any services," Raines said. "They didn't recommend any medication. They didn't do anything to help me get over this."

Raines' symptoms persisted through her pregnancy and after she gave birth to her son in November 2020. Things were so overwhelming that Raines asked her mother who lived in Florida to take temporary custody of her two daughters, Kehlani and Nyla, while she cared for her newborn son, Jaxon.

At the time, she was in temporary housing after experiencing homelessness. Her depression was so overwhelming that she could no longer breastfeed her son because her body stopped producing milk. She had to buy formula instead.

"It was just too much to be disregarded by the health system," Raines said.

New research suggests Raines' experience isn't unusual for many women seeking care from the U.S. health care system. Just over half of…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/life/