We are going to describe symptoms of these perinatal mood and anxiety disorders briefly, but please remember this is a volunteer peer mentor program, and as such, mentors are not medical or mental health professionals.

As a volunteer peer mom, you are not here to give advice, nor can you diagnose a disorder or recommend a treatment. You can, however, share in general terms whether you have experienced any of these symptoms and what has helped you cope. You are here to validate your mentee’s feelings, to support them as a peer, and to discuss self-help tools and helpful resources – not to screen, diagnose, “fix,” or judge.

If you feel overwhelmed by this section, you may want to take a moment to step away and check in with yourself. If you think you are experiencing ongoing symptoms described, we urge you to discuss this with your doctor. In addition, if you discover you still have symptoms, there is no urgency to becoming a peer mentor. We will be ready when you are.