INTRODUCTION I love being married. I am the self–proclaimed master of all things relationship–oriented, while my husband, well, he does everything else. We each surrender to the other’s area of expertise. Like everything else in life, our marriage has its good days and cranky days, and days when the relationship simply must take a back […]
There’s a sweet saying that has been plucked from the chamber of anonymous authors and found its way into popular culture and right into my heart: Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over… it became a butterfly. I just adore it. The large blue square-shaped magnet that displays these words is posted at […]
I thought I knew what postpartum anxiety was. Until my daughter with a history of OCD gave birth to a premature baby the day the pandemic was broadcast. I have been studying, researching, practicing, writing, and interviewing about maternal mental health for over 30 years. For some time now, my work has been acknowledged as […]
New moms shouldn’t have to explain, justify, defend or substantiate the reasons they do things or the way they are feeling. But we live in a culture that demands that they do so, usually indirectly, but sometimes, blatantly. Do this. Don’t do that. Feed this way, not that way. Go here, not there. Wear […]
Are you trying to find a perinatal therapist? • A personal recommendation from someone you trust is one of the best places to start. • The following organizations have searchable lists of therapists in the U.S. and outside the U.S. who are trained as postpartum specialists. The Postpartum Stress Center Postpartum Support International Postpartum Progress […]
Below is the Afterword writted by the late Ilyene Barsky, pioneer in the field of maternal mental health. We will not forget her professional influence and her personal grace and fortitude. As Amy and I proceed to work on the second edition of “Dropping the Baby and Other Scary Thoughts”, I feel compelled to bring […]
♥ I will listen to my body and my good instincts to determine whether I need help or not. ♥ I will be prudent when listening to the well-intended but sometimes misled suggestions from others. ♥ I will spend less time on the Internet, on my phone, on social media media, and any other place or temptation […]
Opinion LETTER March 27, 2019 Image Credit:Chloe Cushman To the Editor: Re: “Can a Drug Stop Postpartum Depression?,” by Elisa Albert and Jennifer Block (Op-Ed, March 25): We do not completely understand the etiology of postpartum depression. Those of us in the trenches with moms who suffer deeply know only too well that our best efforts to understand […]
Written by Hilary Waller, MS, Director of Education and Programming at The Postpartum Stress Center Reposted with permission from Rise Gatherings When my first child was just a few hours old, my then 7 year old niece was among the first visitors to arrive. When she entered my hospital room her dad leaned down and said […]
Review of GOOD MOMS HAVE SCARY THOUGHTS by Jen Schwartz Jen Schwartz is founder of the fabulous MOTHERHOOD | UNDERSTOOD Follow her on Instagram. “In an often unrecognized reality where 1 in 7 new moms are affected by mental health issues, Karen Kleiman’s new book, Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts, with powerful, pervasive cartoons illustrated by Molly McIntyre, should […]
Yep. That’s me. Working on my first book, This Isn’t What I Expected circa 1992. In one month from today, Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts: A healing guide to the secret fears of new mothers is coming out. (March 1, 2019, Familius) Please indulge me with this personal post, so I can tell you why this […]
by Ashley
“Nobody would believe what an effort it is to do what little I am able.” -Charlotte Perkins Gilman 1892 NOBODY WOULD BELIEVE… Maybe it’s because nobody’s listening Or maybe it’s because women are not telling us how bad they feel Or maybe it’s because nobody’s asking the right questions Or maybe it’s because women […]
“I know what I’m ‘supposed to do’ to feel better. Everyone keeps telling me the same thing. I should exercise. I should sleep more. I should eat well. I should take the medicine. I know, I know, I KNOW. But something inside my head keeps telling me to push through this. I can get better. I […]
It has been reported that maternal suicide is the leading cause of death during pregnancy and the first year after birth. This is why the current shift in attention toward greater awareness to maternal mental health is urgently necessary and long overdue. We are just scratching the surface, and have far to go, but this momentum toward improved […]
1. Book for new mothers and their treating healthcare providers Dropping the Baby and Other Scary Thoughts: Breaking the Cycle of Unwanted Thoughts in Motherhood 2. Information on scary thoughts and our #speakthesecret campaign What if I’m having scary thoughts? 3. Article by Jon Abramowitz, MD, expert on perinatal OCD Beyond the Blues: Postpartum […]
