How the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline Helps Latinas and All Mothers

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Every year an unprecedented number of pregnant women in the US suffer mental hardships. 

The American Academy of Medicine (AAMC) estimates that 1 in 5 women endure a mental health or substance use disorder during a pregnancy and up to a year after birth.  

In fact, mental health conditions are one of the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  

What’s more, 80% of these deaths are preventable. 

That’s why the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) created the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline.  

Let’s dive into the hotline, how it helps Latinas and all mothers, and what HHS is doing to get the word out about it. 

What is the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline? 

Launched on Mother’s Day 2022, the National Maternal Health Hotline is a free, 24/7, confidential hotline that supports women, before, during, and after pregnancy via phone call or text. 

Designed to help combat maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, the hotline connects women to counselors, including licensed health care professionals, certified educators, and specialists.  

Counselors are tasked with listening to the needs of the caller and directing them to local support groups and organizations, or other health care professionals.  

The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is available in English and Spanish with translation services in over 60 languages. 

The hotline can be reached at 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262). 

How Has the Hotline Helped Latinas and All Mothers? 

Within the first 11 months of the hotline’s launch, nearly 12,000 pregnant and postpartum women and their loved ones received support, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). 

Of those who received help, 76% called for themselves (38% postpartum and 19% pregnant) and 24% called on behalf of a loved one, according to a Salud America! report. 

The hotline is equipped to handle and address many issues related to pregnancy concerns, such as breast feeding, depression, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, or having relationship conflicts.  

Raising Awareness about the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline 

While the hotline has made strides in lessening the burden of maternal mental health, there are still many who don’t know it exists.  

That’s why HRSA is partnering with retailers, grocers, pharmacies, and health and community associations to reach moms and pregnant women in locations they frequent, according to a recent HHS news release.  

These locations will reach across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

“Becoming a parent is an incredible and life-changing event, but it comes with its own challenges too. As a parent, husband to an OB-GYN, and Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, I know we can and must do more to support maternal mental health,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in the news release. “In just two years, we’ve seen how the Maternal Mental Health Hotline has been a positive and productive resource for thousands of new parents. Today we’re building on those efforts through a targeted campaign to reach even more moms and let them know there is help and support during even the hardest of times.” 

The campaign, dubbed the Maternal Mental Health Champions, aims to spread awareness by sharing the resource for mothers, pregnant women, and their families, which includes displaying information about the hotline in visible locations.  

The HRSA has already secured grocer Albertsons Companies with a network of 2,200 stores, including Safeway, Vons, Shaw’s, and Acme, along with CVS Health, which serves 185 million people, and Walgreens, which boasts 9,000 stores across the country. 

Other partners include Babylist, which is a popular outlet for products and services to support growing families, Children’s Hospital Association, which represents more than 200 children’s hospitals, and the National Diaper Bank Network with over 240 assistance programs. 

“The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is a safe space for pregnant women and new moms to get the emotional and mental health support they need, and we want to continue to reach even more pregnant women, new moms, and their loved ones with this vital support,” HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson said in the news release. 

HRSA has a plan to identify and publicize additional organizations and companies that have pledged to get the word out in the time leading up to National Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week in May 2025. 

Organizations and companies interested in partnering to get the word out about the hotline are encouraged to visit the campaign’s website.  

The Importance of the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline 

With the US in the midst of a maternal healthcare crisis, the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is more essential now than ever. 

The hotline comes at a time when many women are experiencing a lapse in prenatal and postpartum care due to a shortage of facilities and providers.  

In fact, 2.3 million reproductive-aged women live in areas known as maternity care deserts, according to a new March of Dimes report.  

These women are in 35% of US counties, which lack a proper ratio of obstetric clinicians to births, access to birth facilities, and health insurance. 

Many of these counties are rural with larger minority populations or found in southern states that have not expanded government-funded healthcare, such as Medicaid, according to the report. 

What’s more, birthing units and care centers are shutting down at an alarming rate because they aren’t taking in enough money for services rendered. 

“In 2021 and 2022, approximately 1 in 25 (over 100) obstetric units closed nationwide,” according to March of Dimes. 

With a shortage of providers and facilities, many women have to travel long distances to get care — sometimes at great expense or emotional and physical hardship.  

Other times, the distance can put the mother and baby’s health at risk.  

For example, some women had trouble getting to the hospital to deliver because of the distance and gave birth in a car.  

Claudia, who lives in the maternity care desert of Ward County, Texas, was 30 minutes away from the nearest hospital with obstetric care when she gave birth.  

“My second baby was born in the car,” Claudia told March of Dimes. “The third one was almost the same, I barely made it to the hospital.” 

Natalia, who lives in Odessa, Texas, was also faced with a long drive to get to the nearest birthing hospital and worried she would suffer the same fate as Claudia.  

“During an emergency, 30 minutes is a lot of time, especially when you’re pregnant,” Natalia told March of Dimes. 

And some may not seek care at all.  

Without proper care, women are subject to worse healthcare outcomes, including higher risk for preterm birth, pregnancy complications, and postpartum challenges such as postpartum depression.  

Missed visits to maternal healthcare providers means missed “opportunities to check in on pregnant and postpartum women’s mental health,” according to a 2022 Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) report. 

“Pregnancy and a new baby can bring a range of emotions. Many new moms feel overwhelmed, sad, anxious, or exhausted at different times during their pregnancy or after the baby is born,” according to HRSA. 

To make matters worse, some post-partum mothers may only have health insurance up to 60 days after giving birth. 

While some states have extended Medicaid coverage for up to a year postpartum, others have not, resulting in women not having insurance to get proper postpartum care that could catch mental health or other post-birth issues.  

“Recent data indicates that 53% of pregnancy-related deaths occur between 1 week and 1 year after delivery,” according to the March of Dimes report. 

Healthcare Deserts in Your Community 

Do you live in a maternity or other healthcare desert? 

Check out what healthcare access in your community looks like by downloading a Health Equity Report Card from Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio. 

The Health Equity Report Card gives you insight on where your community stands on important issues such as housing, transportation, healthy food access, and healthcare, including maternity care. 

Share your community’s health with friends, co-workers, family members, or use the information included in the Health Equity Report Card to advocate for local change.  

Get your Health Equity Report Card!