When mothers do not have the necessary resources to raise their children, this adversity causes substantial stress that can hinder caregiving and lead to postpartum depression. In a new study in JNeurosci, Millie Rincón-Cortés and colleagues from the University of Texas at Dallas used rats to explore how a lack of resources while raising pups alters neural activity. The researchers focused on a neuron population that is activated by interactions with pups and is linked to motivated behavior as well as maternal care.