Slice 24 🧠: Inside Mothering Minds: Rebuilding Perinatal Mental Health Support with Tech & Specialist Care

Most women are told to prepare for birth, but far fewer are prepared for the emotional, psychological, and identity shift that can come with motherhood. In this powerful episode, we speak with Vanessa Rio, founder of Mothering Minds, about the hidden mental health crisis affecting new parents and why so many still suffer in silence.Vanessa shares her journey from linguistics and journalism into women’s health innovation, and explains why specialist perinatal mental health support should be seen as essential care, not a luxury. We explore intrusive thoughts, postpartum stigma, overlooked maternal identity shifts, and the concept of matrescence: the profound brain and body transformation that occurs through motherhood.We also discuss how technology can widen access to expert support, why fathers and partners matter in the conversation, and what modern maternity systems should look like if they truly prioritised family wellbeing.A vital listen for parents, clinicians, and anyone interested in where women’s health meets what’s next.