Lindsay Clancy<\/a> has admitted to killing her three young children, but her defense team argues she is not criminally responsible because she was experiencing postpartum psychosis. Prosecutors argue the killings were calculated.<\/p>\nThe case prompted questions about what resources exist in New Mexico for mothers and families dealing with mental health challenges during and after pregnancy.<\/p>\n
Studies show roughly one in seven women experience postpartum depression, and one in 10 men experience emotional struggles after the birth of a child.<\/p>\n
Susan Aguayo, founder of Kassy\u2019s Kause, said maternal mental health affects entire families.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I first started Kassy\u2019s Kause, I felt this was a mom issue, and in reality, it\u2019s a family issue. Because if mom is not OK, then the family is not going to be OK,\u201d said Aguayo.<\/p>\n
Aguayo turned her grief into advocacy and is pushing for legislation that would require maternal health care providers to conduct mental health check-ins during every trimester of pregnancy and at every baby wellness checkup after birth.<\/p>\n
Maternal health advocates are also calling for expanded research into maternal and paternal mental health and greater access to wraparound support services, particularly in rural communities.<\/p>\n
Those seeking postpartum support can connect with Postpartum Support International.<\/p>\n
Aguayo serves as the New Mexico group leader for the organization. Her organization, Kassy\u2019s Kause, has their own hotline for those in need: 505-603-2988.<\/p>\n
Mothers, advocates call for more support and screening<\/p>\n
Michelle Sharfin said becoming a parent can bring unexpected mental health challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cBirth is the one piece that unites us all,\u201d said Sharfin.<\/p>\n
Sharfin said she credits her mother for helping shape her life.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s phenomenal. She raised three amazing kids,\u201d Sharfin said. <\/p>\n
But Sharfin said becoming a mother was one of the most difficult experiences she has faced.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a new baby; they were so wrapped up in the baby, you know, and they kind of forgot about me,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
Advocates say many mothers feel isolated during pregnancy and after childbirth.<\/p>\n
Aguayo\u2019s daughter, Kassy, died by suicide during her pregnancy. Aguayo said her daughter struggled with perinatal depression and felt isolated because her experiences differed from those of other pregnant women she knew.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe felt that there was something wrong with her because friends and family members who share pregnancies or were currently pregnant were not experiencing what she was thinking, what she was feeling,\u201d Aguayo said.<\/p>\n
Aguayo said her family did not fully understand the severity of her daughter\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy daughter\u2019s view was, \u2018I am not going to put a burden on my mom and my family. There\u2019s something wrong with me, and they don\u2019t need to have someone else on their plate,’\u201d Aguayo said.<\/p>\n
Today, Aguayo and Sharfin both advocate for improvements to maternal mental health care in New Mexico.<\/p>\n
Aguayo said the state needs more screening opportunities and more health care providers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to be able to get more screening. We need to get more providers. Unfortunately, you know, New Mexico is the highest number in mortality of moms who are pregnant,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
Aguayo supports mandatory mental health screenings during each trimester and at every baby checkup. Sharfin said she wants more regular mental health check-ins for new parents.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone has that responsibility: doctors, nurses, the media, our parents, our grandparents, sisters, brothers. It\u2019s everyone, and no one is immune to it, so it can happen to everybody,\u201d Sharfin said.<\/p>\n
An OB-GYN interviewed for this story said pregnant women and women in the first 13 to 14 weeks postpartum are among his most vulnerable patients.<\/p>\n
Those seeking postpartum support can contact Postpartum Support International for immediate assistance and resources.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFor Related Stories:\u00a0Laura Ullman<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A high-profile murder trial in Massachusetts is drawing renewed attention to maternal mental health issues and prompting conversations…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":608876,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[103,61,60,257875,410,411],"class_list":["post-608875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-laura-ullman","tag-mental-health","tag-mentalhealth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=608875"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608875\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/608876"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=608875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=608875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=608875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}