By Kelsey Glynn | Queen Creek
After each of my three pregnancies, I experienced postpartum depression. And after each birth, I was given just one follow-up appointment — usually at six weeks postpartum. During that appointment, I was handed a brief screening form, the kind with questions like “Have you been feeling down?” or “Have you cried more than usual?” I filled it out honestly. But that was it. No discussion. No education. No next steps.
No one explained what I was experiencing. No one prepared me for what postpartum depression could feel like, how to recognize it, or what I could do if I started to spiral. There was no conversation about support or resources. Just a piece of paper, a quick glance and a "you seem fine."
I wasn’t fine.
The first time, I thought maybe I was just bad at this whole motherhood thing. I didn’t know how to talk about the anxiety, the rage, the intrusive thoughts. I didn’t know how to explain why I felt so hollow, even though I was holding the baby I had longed for. I suffered in silence because I didn’t know any better — and no one told me otherwise.
The second time, I recognized some of the signs sooner. But it still took months before I found someone who could help. I had to search the internet in the middle of the night and try to piece together a plan myself.
By the third time, I knew what to expect, so I had a plan in place, a provider I trusted and support ready if I needed it. But it shouldn’t take three rounds of suffering to figure this out. Mothers should be equipped from the start.
That’s why I’m urging our state lawmakers to pass HB 2332.
This bill would require the Arizona Department of Health Services to develop and distribute educational materials on postpartum depression and maternal mental health to both healthcare providers and patients. That might sound small, but it isn’t. It means mothers would finally be given something meaningful and proactive: information, resources, a starting point. And providers would have consistent tools and training to talk about these issues early and often.
In Arizona, 11.7% of women with a recent live birth report experiencing depressive symptoms (America’s Health Rankings). Mental health conditions are among the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths in our state (AZ Blue). And what’s more, almost 90% of pregnancy-associated deaths in Arizona are considered preventable (University of Arizona Center for Rural Health).
HB 2332 also calls for the creation of a committee focused on improving OB/GYN and mental health care access in rural Arizona, where many mothers are forced to drive hours for basic care — or go without it entirely.
According to the March of Dimes, over 2 million women of childbearing age in the U.S. live in maternity care deserts, including women in Arizona who face this exact situation (March of Dimes). In communities with few providers, or providers that mothers don’t trust, the risks only increase.
This bill is so close to becoming law. It’s already come further than most maternal health bills do. And we cannot afford to lose this opportunity.
Postpartum depression is common, and mothers shouldn't face it alone. In Arizona, new mothers return home lacking essential support, often re-entering exhaustion and hormonal turmoil without guidance or safety nets.
We can do better. We must do better.
HB2332 is not a partisan issue. It is a matter of basic maternal health and safety. It ensures that moms get information that could help them recognize when they’re not OK — and know where to turn. It helps providers have more consistent tools to engage in these conversations. It acknowledges that rural moms face greater challenges and deserve targeted support.
As a mom who has lived through this, I know how hard it is to ask for help when you don’t even have the words for what you’re feeling. HB 2332 helps give mothers those words. It opens the door to conversation, connection and care. And it could change — or even save — lives.
Arizona needs to be a state that values not only the health of our babies, but the mothers who bring them into the world.
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