The NEST Act would help mothers by establishing a pilot program through Health and Human Services to provide supply kits to mothers with infants that include but are not limited to diapers, wipes, hygiene items, blankets, thermometers for newborns, postpartum pads, lotion, cold packs, breastfeeding supplies, blood pressure monitors, and information on the maternal health hotline. The program would focus on areas with increased need, such as rural communities. Priority will be given to mothers and infants whose family income does not exceed 185 percent of the federal poverty line.
“I express my heartfelt appreciation for Congresswoman Julia Letlow, Kim Schrier, MD, Marianette Miller-Meeks, MD, and Nanette Barragan’s leadership in introducing the NEST Act,” said Kay Matthews, Founder and Executive Director of the Shades of Blue Project. “This critical legislation will support infant health and both maternal mental and physical health in the postpartum period, when maternal deaths and complications are most likely to occur. For years, the Shades of Blue Project has been independently distributing maternal supply kits across the nation and has seen the resounding positive impact in the lives of mothers and children. Through the NEST Act, the Congresswomen are creating federal infrastructure for the commonsense distribution of essential goods that will reduce the burden of inflation and economic strain on new parents and improve access to lifesaving informational resources, such as the new federal Maternal Mental Health Hotline number. With one in three women of color, servicewomen, and rural moms facing a maternal mental health condition, the importance of simple, yet effective health interventions like NEST cannot be overstated.”
Policy
Media
Addressing Black Maternal Mental Health: A conversation with Kay Matthews of the Shades of Blue Project
by Joanne Armstrong
Welcoming a new child can be a joyous and exciting time for women.
It is also a time that brings many physiological and life changes. These can contribute to numbness, sadness or serious mental health conditions.
Shades of Blue Project Making Shift Happen for Black Maternal Mental Health
by Tanesha Mondestin
Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy Center for Children and Families
Black Maternal Mental Health Week, created by Shades of Blue Project founder Kay Matthews, is celebrated annually from July 19-25. Every year the Shades of Blue Project hosts their Black Maternal Mental Health Summit in Houston, TX during Black Maternal Mental Health Week. The theme of this year’s Black Maternal Mental Health is the Art of Motherhood Parenting Beyond Societal Norms. I was fortunate to attend this year’s summit, which offered engaging sessions on topics such addressing grief due to perinatal loss, Black fatherhood, community-based solutions to support Black maternal health and doula support.
This project is helping women who can’t afford postpartum care
by Haley Hernandez
Click2Houston.com
After experiencing a traumatic birth, Kay Matthews has created a center equipped with counseling rooms and wellness clinics to help care for others after birth.
“My daughter was stillborn and no one was making the correlation between stillbirth and maternal mental health, and so, I wanted to create a space that was not based on birthing outcomes but birthing experiences,” said Matthews, founder of Shades of Blue.
Shades of Blue Project promotes maternal mental health, offers free support services
by Danica Lloyd
Community Impact
Kay Matthews’ world was turned upside down nearly 10 years ago when she lost her daughter in childbirth. The Houston native said she felt alone in her grief as she struggled to find people to listen to her and believe what she was experiencing.
“I delivered my daughter stillborn, and no one was making the correlation between maternal mental health and stillbirth. It was just like, you lose the baby; you go see a grief counselor; and that's where your story ends,” she said.
Published Work
Black Perinatal Mental Health: Prioritizing Maternal Mental Health to Optimize Infant Health and Wellness
Tracey Estriplet, Isabel Morgan, Kelly Davis, Joia Crear Perry, Kay Matthews
Front Psychiatry
Infant mental health is interconnected with and affected by maternal mental health. A mother or birthing person's mental health before and during pregnancy and the postpartum period is essential for a child's development. During the first year of life, infants require emotional attachment and bonding to strive. Perinatal mood disorders are likely to hinder attachment and are associated with an increased risk of adverse mental health effects for children later in life. The Black community is faced with a crisis as Black mothers experience a higher prevalence of perinatal mood disorders, including postpartum depression and anxiety, compared to the United States national estimates. The aim of the research is to identify social, structural, and economic disparities of Black perinatal women and birthing people's experience to understand the impact of perinatal mental health on infants' mental health. Black mothers and birthing people may often face social and structural barriers that limit their opportunity to seek and engage with interventions and treatment that address the root causes of their perinatal mood disorder. To enhance understanding of racial disparities caused by social and structural determinants of health on Black mothers and birthing people's mental health and health care experiences that influence infant mental health, the study team conducted semi-structured interviews among self-identified cisgender Black women health professionals nationwide, who provide care to pregnant or postpartum Black women and birthing people.
Pathways To Equitable And Antiracist Maternal Mental Health Care: Insights From Black Women Stakeholders
Kay Matthews, Isabel Morgan, Kelly Davis, Tracey Estriplet, Susan Perez, Joia A Crear-Perry
Health Aff (Millwood)
Structural racism causes significant inequities in the diagnosis of perinatal and maternal mental health disorders and access to perinatal and maternal mental health treatment. Black birthing populations are particularly burdened by disjointed systems of care for mental health. To identify strategies to address racism and inequities in maternal and infant mental health care, we interviewed ten Black women who support Black birthing people, including mental health practitioners, researchers, and activists, in February 2021. The five key pathways to address racism and inequities that we identified from the stakeholder interviews are educating and training practitioners; investing in the Black women mental health workforce; investing in Black women-led community-based organizations; valuing, honoring, and investing in community and traditional healing practices; and promoting integrated care and shared decision making. These pathways highlight critical resources needed to improve the quality of maternal mental health care for Black birthing populations.