Baby Dove Destigmatises Postpartum Challenges with #OneRealPressure Campaign

This Mother's Day, Baby Dove introduces #OneRealPressure, a new campaign created to inspire real conversation about navigating the pressures of early motherhood. This initiative is part of the brand's ongoing commitment to bolster parents' belief in their ability to care for their babies with confidence, with support.

Baby Dove is committed to changing the narrative and encouraging moms to share just #OneRealPressure on social media this Mother's Day and beyond. The campaign call-to-action will empower moms to talk about the real experiences they have faced during their own postpartum journeys.

"The pressures of early motherhood can affect moms in many ways. As a brand born to provide superior care to new families, Baby Dove understands this reality for new moms and wants them to know that they are not alone," explains Sally Brown, global brand director, Baby Dove. "Together, we recognise the power of shared experiences, and how by destigmatising these pressures through conversation, we can build a community that supports new moms on their postpartum journeys."

After giving birth, new moms are met with a new reality at the most transformational moment of their lives. Women feel pressure to be the perfect mom and aren't given the space to talk about the overwhelming challenges that come with motherhood. As a result of these pressures, one in five new moms experience serious mental health conditions in the postpartum period: including Postpartum Anxiety, and Postpartum Depression. Though many women are experiencing pressures, challenges and deteriorated mental health, they avoid discussing the unrealistic expectations of new motherhood with others. Research shows that 85% of moms agree the first year of motherhood is nothing like what they see on social media.

"We partnered with Baby Dove to listen to people's postpartum experiences. Motherhood is a lot. The research suggests that many birthing parents or caregivers do not have opportunities to authentically share their realities and connect– which reflects our culture and our inner voices," said Dr. Kristin Tully, PhD, a leading member of the UNC School of Medicine's 4th Trimester Project. "We stand together to change the narrative. Being open and vulnerable is a sign of strength and an important part of improving systems of support. We look forward to a future in which the postpartum tune is about wellness and joy.

To shed light on the real experiences of new mothers, Baby Dove will release a short film, titled: 'Under Pressure.' The film will feature stories of real challenges new moms face, to destigmatise conversations around the struggles of the postpartum experience and is set to a modern rendition of Queen's ‘Under Pressure,’ performed by Claudia Gomes, a new mom facing her own postpartum pressures. This film features a montage of raw scenes depicting some of the earliest and most challenging moments of motherhood, including: feeding obstacles, sleep deprivation, body changes and balancing responsibilities outside of the home. The film intends to build a shared sense of experience and recognise the real, unfiltered, and often unshared moments of new motherhood.

Baby Dove is raising awareness of postpartum struggles so more women will recognise symptoms and fewer will suffer in silence. In partnership with Postpartum Support International (PSI) – the world's largest perinatal mental health organisation – and a group of real moms who have experienced Postpartum Anxiety and Postpartum Depression, Baby Dove is providing true accounts, resources, and tools needed to navigate the pressures of postpartum – all available to review and learn more on BabyDove.com.

"Research has found that 72% of women agree they wish they knew more about postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression. Most of the time, new moms going through the postpartum period mistakenly think they are failing at parenting. We are excited to work alongside Baby Dove to make our resources more accessible to the general public, so that women and their families can increase their awareness of two of the most difficult pressures for new moms. We want to help them improve their ability to identify symptoms and know where to reach out for help," notes Wendy Davis, PhD, PMH-C, executive director of PSI.

Baby Dove will also encourage moms to share and engage with one another digitally and in real life:

• Beginning April 25th, Baby Dove, powered by Google, will reply with tools and resources to the thousands of search queries posted by moms regarding postpartum struggles.
• On May 4th, Baby Dove, in partnership with BabyCenter, will convene leading experts across postpartum specialties to engage in a virtual roundtable discussion focused on signs, symptoms and support for moms experiencing Postpartum Depression or Anxiety.
• At BabyDove.com, we will host a suite of resources for moms facing the broad spectrum of postpartum pressures, true stories from real moms who have shared these experiences, helpful articles about the challenges women face during their postpartum journeys and more.

Join us and share #OneRealPressure about your own postpartum experience to support other moms. Visit BabyDove.com for more resources from Postpartum Support International and visit NewMomHealth.com for postpartum information from the 4th Trimester Project.