There is a simple question that can be life-changing for a new mom: “How are you feeling emotionally today?”
According to Nyeema Wright, CLD and CPD, a doula care provider at Mahmee who specializes in whole-person care, this question often marks the first moment a mom pauses to check in with herself. “Once you ask it,” she says, “the feelings start coming out. It opens the door.”
As someone who has supported countless women during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum, Nyeema sees the emotional weight new moms carry every day, and how quickly postpartum depression (PPD) can creep in when that weight goes unshared.
Postpartum depression doesn’t always look like crying spells or a breakdown. In fact, it can show up as something quieter, but just as serious.
A mom might stop showering, or may not change her clothes in days. She might no longer be interested in bonding with her baby, and the activities that used to bring her joy now feel flat or meaningless. Sometimes there’s numbness or there are intrusive thoughts she doesn’t want to say out loud.
And in many cases, no one has asked her how she’s really feeling because everyone is focused on the new bundle of joy.
“She's going through the motions,” Nyeema told us. “She’s feeding the baby, managing the household, doing all the things. But inside, she’s overwhelmed, and she may not even realize how much she’s struggling.”
That’s why emotional check-ins are a key part of the postpartum care process at Mahmee. Nyeema doesn’t wait for red flags to become emergencies. Instead, she begins each interaction with empathy, intuition, and one essential question: How are you feeling emotionally?
What makes Mahmee’s model so unique is that mental health isn’t a separate, siloed part of the support. It’s embedded into the care that moms receive from day one.
Nyeema describes it as holding space; listening first, and responding with care. “We’re not just checking boxes,” she explains. “We’re having real conversations in real time.”
If something seems off, Mahmee’s team springs into action. Providers collaborate closely to ensure a mom gets support from the right people, whether that’s a mental health clinician, postpartum nurse, or even a primary care referral for more intensive care. It’s all about the team.
And crucially, no one is left to navigate their feelings alone. “Sometimes just being told, ‘You’re not the only one who feels this way,’ can be incredibly healing,” says Nyeema. “We let moms know that what they’re going through is real and that help is available.”
Maybe you’re a few weeks postpartum and starting to feel a bit off, or you’ve told yourself it’s just hormones, or a lack of sleep, or something you’ll shake off when the baby sleeps more. Maybe if you keep waiting it will just go away! But deep down, something isn’t sitting right and you have this feeling of dread all the time.
Nyeema urges moms to speak up, even if they’re unsure what they’re feeling. “You don’t have to wait until you’re in crisis to ask for support,” she says. “You deserve care just as much now, in this early foggy stage, as you did during pregnancy.”
She also gently reminds moms that PPD doesn’t mean you’re dropping the ball, or you don’t love your baby or that you’re doing something wrong. It means your brain and body have been through a monumental shift, and it’s okay to need help finding your way back to yourself.
If Nyeema could tell every mom just one thing, it would be this: Give yourself grace.
“You’re learning a whole new version of yourself,” she says. “You’re healing. You’re adjusting. And that deserves care, not pressure.”
Healing doesn’t follow a straight path. There will be days that feel heavy and confusing, and days when you surprise yourself with your own strength. But through it all, you don’t have to do it alone.
Mahmee is here, not just for the physical milestones of postpartum recovery, but for the emotional moments, too. The ones that are quiet, invisible, but no less real.
So the next time someone asks, “How are you feeling emotionally?” don’t rush to say “fine.” Pause. Reflect. And remember: Your feelings are valid. Your story matters. And support is always here for you.
