I was stunned and embarrassingly heartbroken when I posed the ridiculous question to my well-informed virtual group of over-worked psychotherapists: “As long as we are discussing self-care strategies during these unprecedented times, just curious… how many of you are watching Outlander?” Silence. I was shocked. (Perhaps their computer audio was not working. Was I muted?) I […]
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 seat […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
by Ashley
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 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 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 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 […]
“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 […]
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 […]
