The arrival of a child into a family is truly a celebration like no other. It turns the established routine and habits of a couple upside down, bringing an abundance of joy into this little family world. However, not everything always goes according to plan.
Renata Jadlauskienė, our interviewee, gave birth to her first child much earlier than expected. The intense experiences of early motherhood triggered mental health difficulties for this young mother, often leading to postpartum depression, a topic widely discussed in society.
Unfortunately, Renata, as she herself admits, did not want to reveal her problems even to her closest people. Trying to cope with the daily challenges of caring for a premature baby, managing household tasks, and meeting the needs of her family, she tried to hide her poor well-being and refused help from psychologists. Today, she says she would act differently and prioritize her own needs.
As an ambassador for the „Look Deeper“ mental health initiative, Renata shares her sensitive life experiences and encourages all future and current mothers to talk about their feelings and experiences. The ability to ask for help and accept it can not only ease daily life but also improve psychological well-being.
In a conversation with Vaida Aleksandravičienė, the coordinator of the Neonatal Department at the Republican Šiauliai Hospital, we discussed the challenges faced by parents and medical staff when a baby enters the world prematurely. We also talked about what can cause premature birth and how the care of such premature babies differs from fully developed newborns.
November 17th marks World Prematurity Day. This year, the Republican Šiauliai Hospital aims to draw attention to those who enter the world too early. As V. Aleksandravičienė says, the growing community of premature babies contributes to the well-being of premature babies and their parents both in the hospital and beyond.
This year, thanks to the efforts of volunteers, the hospital has set up two new rooms dedicated to severely ill or premature babies. The installation of these rooms was supported by the women’s club „Šiaulietė,“ the brokerage agency „NBA,“ the Šiauliai Technology Training Center, the Šiauliai District Education Support Service, and other sponsors.
Perhaps the biggest achievement this year is the addition of a newborn respiratory therapy device to the department, donated to the Republican Šiauliai Hospital by the charity and support fund „Fenix.“
The „Look Deeper“ mental health ambassador initiative aims to empower individuals who have experienced or are experiencing mental health challenges in their own or their family’s lives to become mental health ambassadors and share their experiences in their communities.
For more information, visit https://zvelkgiliau.lt. The project in Šiauliai is implemented by the Drama Therapy Association in collaboration with the Šiauliai City Public Health Bureau „Healthy Sun City.“
The project is organized by the Mental Health Center of the Hygiene Institute and funded by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania.
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