Breastfeeding After A Traumatic Birth
by Ashley
Category Archives: Maternal Mental Health
LETTERS [To the Editor]: Postpartum Depression
Image Credit Jillian Tamaki New York Times Readers react to articles on the various ways that mental disorders can afflict new moms. Opinion LETTERS June 21, 2014 To the Editor: Re “ ‘Thinking of Ways to Harm Her’ ” and “After Baby, an Unraveling” (“Mother’s Mind” series, front page, June 16, and Science Times, June 17): Bravo. […]
Nobody Would Believe…
“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 […]
Find Your Comfort Zone
I was one of the lucky ones who determined very early on, without much guilt, that I would be a much better mother to my children if I returned to work, part-time at first. The part-time option sounded good. I could be home early to spend more time with my baby, and it felt right, […]
Before I Was a Perinatal Specialist, I Was Postpartum Mom in Therapy
Before I became a specialist treating perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), I was a postpartum therapy client. 6 weeks after our oldest child was born, my husband and I decided to check in with a wonderful and experienced therapist whom we knew both liked. At the start of the session my husband looked lovingly […]
Empowerment in the Face of Despair
“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 […]
Healthcare Providers and Your Perinatal Population: Your patients are at risk.
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 […]
Resources for Healthcare Providers Treating Intrusive Thoughts
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 […]
Doctors? Nurses? Frontline Healthcare Providers? ARE YOU LISTENING?
In light of the recent focus on the inexcusable ways some healthcare providers respond to acute distress in postpartum mothers, let us do some teaching here. Please share and inform your local resources. **NOTE TO ALL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS** Some postpartum women are afraid to tell you how they really feel. They are worried that you […]
Message From Anonymous
This post was written anonymously by a mom in response to our #speakthesecret campaign. We thought her words would resonate with many of you: “I want to share my personal story of dealing with postpartum depression. The reason I’m doing this now is because in the last 3 months, 2 mothers from my home town […]
Find Your Holiday Brave
Pic credit: The PPSC magic bracelet. You know who you are. Wear it. Believe in it. The Holiday crunch is here. Shopping. Eating. Rushing. Spending. Talking. Family. Friends. Gathering. Too much? Not enough? Too crowded? Too lonely? Excited about it? Anxious about it? Dreading it? Overwhelmed by it? Ambivalent about it? If you have a […]
The Incubator: A Premature Paradox
I wonder, now, why I have such conflicting thoughts about this place. A place I knew as my own sacred space before I was ready for the world or before the world was ready for me. Warm, radiant, transparent plastic encloses the precious gap between me and life outside the box. It is, by design, […]
Scary Thoughts: #speakthesecret
The Secrets Women Keep This thread is amazing. Needs to be turned into a list and handed out to expecting moms by every ob/gyn. They tell women everything under the sun about what to expect for 9 months; why not this?! I think it’s wonderful you’re making this list for new moms. It […]
“I Had No Idea I Was Overdoing it”
Experts and postpartum women themselves have long been aware of the interrelationship between postpartum distress and some individual predispositions. We cannot make any claims of direct causality, nor do we have research to back it up. What we have is tons of anecdotal evidence that postpartum women are doing too much. Women who describe themselves […]
The Six Points
When you are in an anxiety-producing moment, it can be tempting to continue to focus on scary thoughts and exaggerated worries. Accepting that anxiety is a part of your life right now and that there are things you can do to help yourself through the challenges will help you gain a sense of mastery over […]