Mental Health

Postpartum Depression Battle Inspires Knoxville Mom to Help Fellow Mothers

By Corazon Victorino | Update Date: Apr 21, 2024 10:30 PM EDT
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Postpartum depression inspired Knoxville mom Kimberly O'Neal to launch a business targetting women who may also be struggling with the same issue and more.

Following the birth of her first son Brayden, O'Neal began experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression, expressing feelings of disconnection and isolation.

According to a 2018 CDC study, one in eight women with recent live births undergo similar experiences.

Seeking solace and community, O'Neal secured a remote job while caring for her newborn, finding that maintaining activity helped alleviate her struggles.

Motivated by her journey, she initiated Modern Day SAHM earlier this month, a platform aimed at assisting stay-at-home mothers.

The platform serves as a conduit between companies and stay-at-home moms seeking employment opportunities.

"Basically what I am doing is I am connecting companies, small businesses, with moms," she told 6 ABC. "So any company or business that is willing to hire a stay-at-home mom, they have the ability to come onto my platform and post their jobs."

O'Neal personally meets with each company to ensure their commitment to hiring stay-at-home moms, explicitly excluding multi-level marketing or pyramid schemes from the platform.

With over 2,500 mothers already utilizing the platform, O'Neal's venture addresses both mental health concerns and financial pressures. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing gratitude for the recognition of stay-at-home moms' struggles.

"Just the amount of messages I've received and the amount of just, 'you have no idea what you're doing, this means so much to us stay at home moms, this has been overlooked for so many years,'" she explained.

O'Neal noted that her platform's mission is to foster support and provide a community for mothers, advocating for solidarity in overcoming challenges.

"What I want people to know is you're not alone," she said. "Get with a community, find something that you can do with your days and just know that it will get better."

Presently, the platform offers roles in insurance, sales, administrative work and finance, with O'Neal advising companies seeking to join to provide project or completion-based opportunities.

Through Modern Day SAHM, O'Neal strives to ensure that other mothers feel supported and understood, encouraging them to seek community and activities to alleviate their struggles, assuring them that brighter days lie ahead.

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