Union Leader | Christina Warriner & MacKenzie Nicholson: Ahead of Father's Day, do something for moms

By Christina Warriner and MacKenzie Nicholson | Originally published by the Union Leader

AMID AN ongoing maternal health crisis in New Hampshire, the Executive Council rejected more than $250,000 in federal funds for maternal health.

It’s worth mentioning that accepting these federal funds was a matter of a simple agreement to a contract; it would not have cost the state anything to take this money, but it would have meant a world of difference for Granite State families. It is also worth pointing out that the three men on the council, all fathers, rejected the contract, while the two women on the council, both mothers, voted for it.

When our elected officials reject the opportunity to support moms and parents, they are telling families that New Hampshire is not the place for them.

The federal funds rejected by the Executive Council would have studied access to women’s health services, particularly postpartum care, so that New Hampshire could connect more moms to the care they need. The fathers on the Executive Council may need a reminder as to why postpartum moms need our investment. As women, we are frustratingly well-trained in having to repeat ourselves to be heard, so we will say it again: Postpartum moms need us now more than ever.

Depression and anxiety are the most common complications during both pregnancy and the postpartum period, affecting 1 in 5 mothers. That means on your street that one out of every five families is affected by postpartum mental health challenges. Postpartum depression and anxiety can come in many forms, but in all its forms it significantly impedes a growing family’s ability to thrive.

Postpartum anxiety and depression are not just the “post-baby blues” — postpartum suicide is one of the leading causes of death for mothers in this country. In New Hampshire, substance misuse and co-occuring mental health conditions are the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths, and of the pregnancy-related deaths in our state, more than 60% occur in the post-partum period.

These hardships affect everyone in our community — but they do not affect everyone evenly. Data shows that Black and brown mothers, mothers with mental health disorders, and mothers enrolled in Medicaid, receive less postpartum care than other Granite State moms. That means that the most vulnerable mothers in our community have access to the fewest resources. New Hampshire must do better.

During the Executive Council meeting on May 7th, we joined other maternal health advocates as Governor Kelly Ayotte signed a proclamation honoring Maternal Mental Health Week. We laughed, cried, and committed to working towards solutions for moms in New Hampshire. While all five Councilors stood smiling for that photo, it didn’t take long for three of them to turn their backs on us.

Our meeting with the Governor and Executive Council came just a day after we fought for the inclusion of Momnibus 2.0 in the Senate budget, a bipartisan package we’ve been tirelessly advocating for that would improve maternal mental health, strengthen workforce protections, expand family supports, and support moms across New Hampshire. As moms continue to face large gaps in maternal health and wellness across the state, we need all of our elected officials — not just those who are moms — to pursue every avenue to meeting the needs of Granite State mothers and families.

Our moms are the backbone of our communities. They power our economy, nurture our neighborhoods, and enable the residents of our state to thrive — all while shouldering most of the caregiving, too. Moms move mountains for us every single day. It’s time for all of us to fight for them.

We’re calling on the Executive Council to show that they support mothers in a real, material way — and not just when the cameras are out. We demand that they take action to support mothers and ensure that the Granite State is a place where families can thrive. Our mothers need more than photo ops and proclamations — they need action and resources.

Christina Warriner is New Hampshire state director of Reproductive Equity Now and lives in Dover. MacKenzie Nicholson is senior director of MomsRising New Hampshire and lives in Nottingham.