Vision

Our vision is for every family in the perinatal period to have the awareness of the prevalence of perinatal mental health disorders and knowledge to support healing.

Mission

Our mission is to use the blue dot symbol to raise awareness, provide support, and nurture solidarity with the aim to end the stigma and shame surrounding perinatal mental health disorders.

Creation of the Symbol

The blue dot was created by Peggy O’Neil Nosti, a mom who suffered from postpartum anxiety with her third child who wanted to find a way to let other moms know they were not alone. Peggy created a subtle image of a blue dot and a silver lining to illustrate hope. 

Symbol Adopted by The Cause

The symbol was selected by the former National Coalition for Maternal Mental Health after one of its member organizations, Postpartum Support International hosted a contest to seek symbol ideas. The symbol is now being used in multiple ways to promote awareness and solidarity.  

The Dot finds a New Home

After the symbol was launched, 2020 Mom began managing TheBlueDotProject in 2017. To further promote the symbol through Maternal Mental Health Awareness week and strategic partnerships. 

In early 2023, the rights to TheBlueDotProject including TheBlueDotProject.org and related social media brands, were signed over to Postpartum Support International to further propel the reach of both the blue dot symbol, the light blue color and the TheBlueDotProject story. The term ‘maternal mental heath’ has been changed to perinatal mental health to align with the strategic mission of PSI to incorporate diversity and inclusion and all levels.

Just like the widely accepted pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness, a blue dot symbol may be used by anyone to promote awareness of perinatal mental health. In 2018, TheBlueDotProject began to host the national Maternal Mental Health awareness week campaign (held in May each year), anchored around the blue dot symbol.

Anyone Can Use The Symbol

The blue dot circle is not copyrighted. Both the symbol and the color may be used by anyone to promote awareness of these disorders.

The Maternal Mental Health Social Media Awareness Week Campaign

The campaign, launched in 2014, to reach mothers, families and the general public, to raise awareness about maternal mental health disorders, like postpartum depression, which impacts up to one in five mothers in the U.S.

Each year the theme changes, however the blue dot, the international symbol for MMH, is shared on memes used during the campaign to bring continuity to the images and raise awareness of the symbol.

The aim is to combat stigma and shame through mass social media reach, with you, our larger community.