SOLANGE du meine Depression übersiehst, weil du Babyblues hörst, bin ich Feminist:in.
AS LONG AS you overlook my depression because all you hear is baby blues, I will be a feminist.
In collaboration with Healthy Minds, we installed a 540m³ scaffolding net on the northern façade of the Innsbruck University Clinic’s surgical building on April 29, 2026.
One in five women and one in ten men develop depression or anxiety disorders in the period between pregnancy and the child’s first birthday. The causes are manifold: Overwhelming stress, complications during pregnancy and childbirth, previous mental health issues, or partners affected with illness are the main risk factors. Societal expectations and stereotypical notions of seemingly perfect mothers and fathers, often propagated on social media, can be just as harmful to new parents. And financial hardship is another factor.
The 34th installation of our international SOLANGE series focuses on a deep misunderstanding: The difference between depression and the ‘baby blues’ that many parents experience before and after the birth of their child. Raising awareness on the differences between the two and dismantling stigma around them is one of the central aims of “Healthy Minds”, a project financed by the Austrian Science Fund FWF.
As a feminist art project, SOLANGE supports Healthy Minds’ cause. For net no. 34, we invited the public, the entire staff of tirol kliniken and the Innsbruck Medical University to submit their suggestions for a SOLANGE sentence. We received 350 submissions that formed the basis for the final sentence.
“SOLANGE’s main aim is to create awareness for feminist issues. As a mother of two, it is very important to me that ALL feelings around parenthood are allowed. There should be no taboos. Women’s feelings are generally taken less seriously, which can harm their health and well-being. Fathers need to become more involved and should express more emotions, including when they feel overwhelmed.” Katharina Cibulka
Baby blues is not depression
Negative feelings felt after childbirth are often described with the slightly trivialising term ‘baby blues’, a range of emotions up to 80% of women experience after the birth of their child. These feelings can be caused by massive hormonal shifts, sleep deprivation and stress. The symptoms can appear similar to depression and can feel unbearable. The typical mood swings that indicate baby blues normally pass without intervention within a few days or two weeks at most. Some studies confirm that men also experience hormonal shifts when they become fathers: they may also develop baby blues symptoms.
Perinatal depression is a completely different issue. It can begin during pregnancy or up to one year after the child’s birth. Symptoms of depression or anxiety do not disappear on their own within a few days and it is important for affected parents to have access to professional therapeutic support.
Consultation services for peripartal mental health
Healthy Minds provides a special consultation service for perinatal mental health to new parents. Affected mothers and fathers can easily arrange an appointment by phone and quickly receive a first diagnosis, medical and psychological treatment and general support. They do not need a transferral from their GP or OB-GYN.
In cooperation with Healthy Minds, Meduni Innsbruck and tirol kliniken.
Photocredits: Ferdinand Cibulka, Katharina Cibulka, Claudia Eichbichler.
