Stevie K. found out she was pregnant with her first child in January 2023. On paper, things looked stable. She had a supportive partner who was working full time, a home, and her own fulfilling career. But as her pregnancy began, so did a wave of anxiety and isolation that caught her completely off guard.
Even with all her basic needs met, Stevie couldn’t find mental health resources in her community—no support groups, no local parenting classes, no guidance on how to cope with what she was feeling. One night, just five weeks pregnant, she called a pregnancy hotline in tears, feeling scared and completely alone.
It takes a village, but where was my village?
Mental Health Care Shouldn’t Be a Luxury
Stevie had already been living with mental health concerns. She knew pregnancy would be her biggest challenge yet. And she was right. There were nights spent crying on the bathroom floor, trying not to wake anyone, while worrying that her pain was somehow hurting her baby. When Keanu was born, the worry didn’t resolve, and at times she felt stuck in her home, uncomfortable even to take the baby out on the patio for some fresh air.
Parents need to be supported (in order) to provide support. The airlines had it right—put your own oxygen mask on first.
Keanu is now a happy, thriving toddler. But Stevie knows it could have been different. She speaks out now because supporting parents’ mental health is essential to supporting their children’s.
What Comes Next
Families like Stevie’s are urging Congress to invest in funding streams that support infant and early childhood mental health, including Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA programs.
Stevie’s story shows what too many parents go through in silence. It also shows that when you support a parent, you support a child.
