Why We Need To Start Talking About Moms And Their Health Seriously

By Dinesh Mosamkar

This Mother’s Day, we will scroll past pastel reels and brunch tributes to “supermoms”. But while we are busy celebrating strength, a quieter crisis is unfolding. Mothers, especially young ones, are burning out mentally, and barely anyone is paying attention. What Instagram would not tell you.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), up to 20 per cent of women in developing countries develop mental disorders post-childbirth, primarily depression. These are not fleeting ‘baby blues’. In severe cases, women cannot function and tragically, some do not even survive.

Children of mothers with untreated postpartum depression often face developmental delays, emotional distress, and behavioural challenges. Despite this, maternal mental health does not get the attention it deserves. New moms are expected to ‘bounce back’, but between sleep deprivation, healing from delivery, and emotional upheaval, many are barely holding on.

And it is not just mental health. Physical issues like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and fertility complications, often go undiagnosed after motherhood begins. Preventive care is skipped. Cervical cancer vaccines? Missed. Annual health checks? Postponed.

This negligence shows in insurance data, too. A recent report by Tata AIG mentioned that while 47 per cent of their portfolio comprises women, their retention rate has dipped from 80 per cent (FY22–23) to 74 per cent (FY24). It hints at a drop in coverage when women become caregivers. Worse, most are underinsured. Around 56 per cent of insured women opt for coverage between Rs 5-10 lakh, with only a quarter choosing higher protection above Rs 10 lakh.

Alarmingly, hospitalisations due to cancer are 50 per cent higher in women than in men, showing a clear sign we are catching issues too late.

Mental healthcare is not a luxury for new moms. It is urgent care. And solutions do not always require psychiatrists. The WHO affirms that trained obstetricians and gynecologists (OB-GYNs), nurses, and community health workers can help detect and manage maternal mental health issues early.

We also need a cultural shift, one that normalises moms saying ‘I’m not okay’. One that treats postpartum depression with the same urgency as a physical complication. One that sees therapy and emotional support as routine postnatal care.

This message is not just for moms. It is for every woman in her 20s or 30s. The patterns, such as ignoring pain, skipping checkups, dismissing burnout, start early and compound with motherhood.

This Mother’s Day, let us do more than celebrate moms. Let us protect them.

• Check-in on a mom without asking about the baby first

• Offer to take over so she can nap or talk

• Stop romanticising struggle as strength

• And if you are a woman, start investing in your own health today

Because strength is not doing everything. It is knowing when to ask for help and actually getting it.

The author is the senior vice president, Consumer Underwriting at TATA AIG General Insurance Co. Ltd.

(Disclaimer: Views expressed are the author's own, and Outlook Money does not necessarily subscribe to them. Outlook Money shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person/organisation directly or indirectly.)