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Turning Up the Volume on Maternal Mental Health

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As a motherhood photographer who has captured the intimate journeys of over 20 breastfeeding mothers, Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week holds a special place in my heart. Today, I’m sharing insights from behind the lens on why this week matters for every mother.

Table of Contents hide
1 What is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week?
2 The Silent Struggles Behind the Image of Motherhood
3 Why Maternal Mental Health Matters
4 Creating Safe Spaces for Maternal Stories
5 How to Honour Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week
6 Nurturing Your Mental Wellbeing Through Motherhood
7 Looking Forward: The Breastfeeding Stories Book

What is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week?

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week (May 5-11, 2025) is a dedicated time to open conversations about mental wellbeing before, during, and after pregnancy. This year’s theme is “Your Voice, Your Strength” and celebrates the power found in sharing our authentic maternal experiences.

Each day of the week shines light on different aspects of maternal mental health, creating space for stories that often remain untold.

Double-exposed image of a breastfeeding mother looking down and looking away, symbolising emotional complexity, with the text "Turning up the volume on Maternal Mental Health."

The Silent Struggles Behind the Image of Motherhood

In my London studio over the past 14 years, I’ve witnessed countless mothers navigate the complex emotions of their journey. Through my breastfeeding photography project, these experiences have been brought into focus with striking clarity.

What my camera captures goes beyond the physical act of nursing:

  • The mother who whispered “this isn’t what I expected” as she positioned her baby
  • The tears that fell when someone finally acknowledged her struggle
  • The relief that washed over faces when admitting “I need help” for the first time

These moments reveal the truth about motherhood, it’s beautiful and raw, empowering and overwhelming, often simultaneously.

Why Maternal Mental Health Matters

The statistics speak volumes:

  • 1 in 5 women experience mental health challenges during pregnancy or the first year after birth
  • Many more struggle silently, believing their feelings are simply “part of motherhood”
  • Nearly one-third of new mothers aren’t aware that healthcare providers can offer mental health support
  • More than 1 in 4 mothers experiencing mental health difficulties avoid seeking help due to fear of judgment
  • Almost 20% report that healthcare professionals never inquired about their mental wellbeing
  • Nearly a quarter feel their emotional struggles aren’t important enough to mention to medical providers

Behind these statistics are real women—each with unique stories, challenges, and strengths. Too many mothers suffer in silence, believing they should be able to cope or fearing judgment if they speak up.

Related article: The Postpartum Recovery Tips No One Talks About—But Should

Maternal Mental Health - Postpartum recovery: A mother breastfeeding her newborn, capturing a tender yet raw moment of the early postpartum journey

Finding Your Voice Through Shared Experiences

My breastfeeding photography project taught me something profound: when one mother shares her truth, she creates permission for others to do the same.

In photograph after photograph, I witnessed vulnerability transform into power. It’s precisely what this awareness week celebrates, that our collective strength begins when we dare to speak our truths aloud.

Creating Safe Spaces for Maternal Stories

As a photographer, I create space for stories.
As a woman, I hold them carefully.
As a community, we transform them into understanding and support.

This week is about turning up the volume:

  • On your truth
  • On your story
  • On your strength

Your voice matters. And it’s strong, even when it trembles.

How to Honour Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week

Whether you’re a new mother, expecting, or supporting someone on their maternal journey, here are ways to participate:

  1. Share your story – Even the parts that feel messy or imperfect
  2. Listen without judgment – Sometimes the greatest gift is being truly heard
  3. Connect with resources – From local support groups to professional help
  4. Normalize asking for help – It’s not weakness; it’s wisdom
  5. Check on the mothers in your life – A simple message can make all the difference

Nurturing Your Mental Wellbeing Through Motherhood

Self-care isn’t selfish, it’s essential for maternal mental health from pregnancy through all stages of motherhood:

  1. Create a flexible routine: Establish gentle structure in your days that accommodates your changing needs and your child’s. Even small predictable moments can provide emotional stability when everything else feels chaotic.
  2. Prioritise mind and body connection: Practice mindfulness by tuning into your thoughts and emotions without judgment. Remember that physical wellbeing—movement that feels good, nourishing foods, and prioritizing rest whenever possible—directly supports mental health.
  3. Find trusted information sources: Social media can amplify anxiety with conflicting advice and idealized images. Choose 1-2 reliable resources for parenting information and consider limiting exposure to content that triggers comparison or inadequacy.
  4. Make asking for help a practice: Before you reach your breaking point, identify small ways others can support you. Whether it’s your partner taking the early morning feed, a friend dropping off a meal, or a professional providing guidance, accepting help strengthens rather than diminishes your motherhood journey.

Looking Forward: The Breastfeeding Stories Book

Soon, the powerful breastfeeding stories I’ve had the privilege to document will be collected in a book, a testament to maternal vulnerability, resilience, and strength. Each image and story stands as proof that we’re never truly alone in our experiences.

Your Reminder This Week

If you’ve been holding something in, this is your reminder:

  • You’re allowed to speak it
  • You’re allowed to ask for help
  • You’re allowed to be held too

Your voice. Your strength. Your motherhood.

Are you celebrating Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or simply leave a heart if you’re not ready for words yet.

Photography by Valentina specialises in authentic motherhood photography in London, capturing the raw beauty of maternal journeys. To book a session or learn more about the upcoming breastfeeding stories book, visit the website https://photographybyvalentina.com or connect on Instagram.

Related article: Celebrating Motherhood with Timeless Photos

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Nobody posts the days that just get survived.

The just-getting-through ones.

Some days, surviving is the whole job.

This one is for those, wherever you are with that today, could be personal, could be work, could be everything at once.

No advice today. Just, I see it. Keep going if you can.

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Nobody posts the days that just get survived. The just-getting-through ones. Some days, surviving is the whole job. This one is for those, wherever you are with that today, could be personal, could be work, could be everything at once. No advice today. Just, I see it. Keep going if you can.

Before her shoot, she wrote something I haven’t stopped thinking about.

She said seeing herself differently might help her realise that parts of her are seen and accepted, maybe even liked, for what they are, despite the internal narrative she tells herself about them.

And you know what? She is not the only one.

We see ourselves so differently than others see us.

That gap is where this work lives. I’m not trying to make anyone look like someone else. I’m showing them what was already there, just from outside their own head.

And that image becomes a print. Something to hold, not to just scroll past. A different mirror.

If you’ve never seen yourself the way others do, this is your invitation.

93 22
Open post by by_valentina with ID 18012446603719869
Before her shoot, she wrote something I haven’t stopped thinking about. She said seeing herself differently might help her realise that parts of her are seen and accepted, maybe even liked, for what they are, despite the internal narrative she tells herself about them. And you know what? She is not the only one. We see ourselves so differently than others see us. That gap is where this work lives. I’m not trying to make anyone look like someone else. I’m showing them what was already there, just from outside their own head. And that image becomes a print. Something to hold, not to just scroll past. A different mirror. If you’ve never seen yourself the way others do, this is your invitation.

There is something special that happens when you hold a printed album for the first time.

Its weight.
The texture under your fingers.
The sound of the pages turning.
The way the images look back at you, solid and real, in a way a screen never quite manages.

A digital file exists somewhere.

A printed album IS somewhere. You can feel the difference.

This is a newborn album. Leatherette cover, gold embossed text, lay flat pages that let every image breathe.

It is the final chapter of a session, the moment everything we created together becomes something you can live, enjoy and pass down.

This is why, after a shoot, a printed product is never an afterthought for me. It is the whole point.

And it is also why I am not the right photographer for everyone. If you are looking for a gallery of just digitals and nothing more, I would gently point you elsewhere.

But if you want something you can hold, something that feels like it truly exists, something your child will one day open and say this was us, then we should talk.

Newborn photography in Richmond and Twickenham.

28 3
Open post by by_valentina with ID 18132145309595634
There is something special that happens when you hold a printed album for the first time. Its weight. The texture under your fingers. The sound of the pages turning. The way the images look back at you, solid and real, in a way a screen never quite manages. A digital file exists somewhere. A printed album IS somewhere. You can feel the difference. This is a newborn album. Leatherette cover, gold embossed text, lay flat pages that let every image breathe. It is the final chapter of a session, the moment everything we created together becomes something you can live, enjoy and pass down. This is why, after a shoot, a printed product is never an afterthought for me. It is the whole point. And it is also why I am not the right photographer for everyone. If you are looking for a gallery of just digitals and nothing more, I would gently point you elsewhere. But if you want something you can hold, something that feels like it truly exists, something your child will one day open and say this was us, then we should talk. Newborn photography in Richmond and Twickenham.

For years I have strived for minimalism in my photos. Even when everyone was putting babies in baskets and flowers and that seemed like the only way to do it.

And lately I have been reflecting on that choice even more. It was right for me then. And it feels even more right now.

Especially in a world where everything is loud, fast and AI-generated. What cuts through all of that is not a prop or a set. It is a moment. A real one.

Holding your baby in your arms. The most precious thing you will ever hold. Staying in that stillness. The way the whole world seems to shrink down to just this, the small weight, the tiny face, this brand new person who has already changed everything in you.

These are the moments I get to witness.
And they never, ever get ordinary.

27 3
Open post by by_valentina with ID 17936289762257427
For years I have strived for minimalism in my photos. Even when everyone was putting babies in baskets and flowers and that seemed like the only way to do it. And lately I have been reflecting on that choice even more. It was right for me then. And it feels even more right now. Especially in a world where everything is loud, fast and AI-generated. What cuts through all of that is not a prop or a set. It is a moment. A real one. Holding your baby in your arms. The most precious thing you will ever hold. Staying in that stillness. The way the whole world seems to shrink down to just this, the small weight, the tiny face, this brand new person who has already changed everything in you. These are the moments I get to witness. And they never, ever get ordinary.

After 15 years, so much of what I do is on autopilot.

I look for the gorgeous light and read the baby. I know when to wait and when to act. And I do it without thinking.

But the moment someone is beside me, watching, learning, everything slows down. I have to find words for things I stopped noticing years ago. And in doing that, I remember how it felt at the beginning. The insecurities. The fear of getting it wrong. The weight of feeling like you should already know. The comparison with others.

Teaching reminds me how much courage it takes to learn something new and how gently we should treat ourselves while we do.

If you are starting out, in any field, well done. Truly. I know how hard and lonely those first steps can be. But you don’t have to take them alone.

And if you are a photographer thinking about a one to one newborn training day in my Twickenham studio,I would love to be part of your journey.
Link in bio.

28 4
Open post by by_valentina with ID 17949340839173898
After 15 years, so much of what I do is on autopilot. I look for the gorgeous light and read the baby. I know when to wait and when to act. And I do it without thinking. But the moment someone is beside me, watching, learning, everything slows down. I have to find words for things I stopped noticing years ago. And in doing that, I remember how it felt at the beginning. The insecurities. The fear of getting it wrong. The weight of feeling like you should already know. The comparison with others. Teaching reminds me how much courage it takes to learn something new and how gently we should treat ourselves while we do. If you are starting out, in any field, well done. Truly. I know how hard and lonely those first steps can be. But you don’t have to take them alone. And if you are a photographer thinking about a one to one newborn training day in my Twickenham studio,I would love to be part of your journey. Link in bio.

Six weeks ago I shared a glimpse behind the scenes of this session. Today, you get to see what we made.

She arrived with her props already chosen.

Nude stockings. The kind her mother wore. The ones women mended rather than replaced.

She knew exactly what she wanted to say.
My job was simply to hold the space and let her say it.

This is what a portrait session can be.
Not a makeover or a way to fit an idea of beauty. But a conversation between a woman and her own story, made visible.

Dyana is an artist, activist and doula. She explores identity, the body, and everything that lives between and beyond definition.

I am grateful I had the chance to photograph her.

92 21
Open post by by_valentina with ID 17861247726689326
Six weeks ago I shared a glimpse behind the scenes of this session. Today, you get to see what we made. She arrived with her props already chosen. Nude stockings. The kind her mother wore. The ones women mended rather than replaced. She knew exactly what she wanted to say. My job was simply to hold the space and let her say it. This is what a portrait session can be. Not a makeover or a way to fit an idea of beauty. But a conversation between a woman and her own story, made visible. Dyana is an artist, activist and doula. She explores identity, the body, and everything that lives between and beyond definition. I am grateful I had the chance to photograph her.
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VALE@PHOTOGRAPHYBYVALENTINA.COM

07577 978246

LONDON NEWBORN & MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHER

Based in Richmond, I work with families across London to capture life’s most meaningful milestones through portrait photography.