Maternal mental health a long-neglected public health issue was thrust into the spotlight on a recent episode ofHealth Shenanigans, hosted by Amanda Matseketsa. The programme examined the psychological pressures faced by many women during pregnancy and after childbirth – a period increasingly described as the fourth trimester. Drawing on World Health Organization (WHO) figures, Matseketsa noted that one in ten pregnant women worldwide experiences a mental health disorder with rates significantly higher in developing countries.
She challenged the common assumption that a healthy baby automatically means a healthy mother arguing that countless women silently endure depression, anxiety and trauma after giving birth. The episode featured mental health advocate Brighton Muresherwa alongside Gamuchirai Goredema, a mother of four who shared her deeply personal experience of pregnancy loss and postpartum distress. Gamuchirai spoke of the joy surrounding her twin pregnancy which turned to heartbreak at 27 weeks when her cervix opened prematurely.
Despite medical intervention, she went into early labour. One twin survived while the other died a few days after birth. She described the emotional devastation of the loss, worsened by social pressure to be strong and comments suggesting she should simply be grateful that one child had survived.
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“That was the worst part for my mental health. I was told not to cry, not to grieve. But I was hurting,” she said. Her account highlighted the stigma surrounding maternal grief and mental illness particularly within African communities where emotional vulnerability is often discouraged.
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