This interview is part of a professional spotlight series highlighting diverse perspectives in mind–body and perinatal care. Views expressed are those of the interviewee. Please welcome my colleague from across the pond! Dr. Diane Speier, a holistic psychotherapist and birth and postnatal professional to BirthTouch ® is guest posting today! Diane is also a birth psychologist, specializing in the psychology of parenthood, the psycho-physiology of birth, postnatal depres

Postpartum Thyroiditis, Pre-eclampsia, Scary Thoughts: An Interview with Jennifer This interview shares one mother’s personal experience with postpartum mood challenges. It is offered to increase awareness and reduce isolation, not as clinical guidance. In 2012, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jennifer, the founder of Organic Baby University . As a mental health professional specializing in Maternal Mental Health, Jennifer’s story has both personal and professional inter

Spring was a great time for Women’s Reproductive Health events in New Jersey. I was fortunate enough to attend and also was invited to present at La Leche League of the Garden State’s Annual Conference in Jamestown, New Jersey. I also went to an event hosted by St. Clare’s Hospital and the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey. I had so much fun meeting and seeing some virtual colleagues/friends, such as Ruth Callahan and Colleen White at LLL

This post shares one mother’s personal experience with postpartum mental health challenges. It is offered to reduce isolation and encourage support-seeking, not as clinical guidance. In this personal narrative, Megan Daley shares her experience of postpartum depression and anxiety, including the challenges she faced and the steps she took toward recovery. Struggling Through the Darkness & My Journey to Recovery I used to have a vision in my mind of what it would be like to be

This post shares a personal reflection related to perinatal experience. It is offered to foster understanding and connection, not as clinical guidance. Comparing Scars The course of a marriage is often turned, sharply, by incidents that might pass in a moment but can define them for years, until another incident becomes another corner. Looking back on my marriage, there are three of them that I now realise shaped our new family. The first was during late pregnancy with ou

This post is part of an ongoing series of conversations with professionals in the perinatal mental health field. It is offered to share perspectives, not as clinical guidance. Intro: You have been involved in different areas of Maternal Mental Health for many years. You founded the Arizona Postpartum Wellness Coalition, you produced a DVD about Postpartum Couples, and your daily psychotherapy practice is centered on the woman & family experience. Q: Do you have a person

April was a great month for Women’s Reproductive Health events in New Jersey. I was fortunate enough to attend and also was invited to present at La Leche League of the Garden State’s Annual Conference in Jamestown, New Jersey. I also went to an event hosted by St. Clare’s Hospital and the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey. Both events were at the intersection of women’s physical and mental health. I had so much fun meeting and seeing some vir

So, I kept it quiet that I suffered from postpartum depression for many years. I was ashamed that I suffered from depression and mostly ashamed about my episode of postpartum depression, as I had a baby to take care of and somehow this condition marked me as not a good mother.

This post is part of an ongoing series of conversations with professionals in the perinatal mental health field. It is offered to share perspectives, not as clinical guidance. Biography: Suzanne Swanson, Ph.D., is an activist in many areas of Maternal Mental Health. Since 2006, she has been the Postpartum Support International (PSI) Minnesota Coordinator. By 2007, along with a collective group of perinatal mental health professionals, she helped form the Pregnancy and Po

This post is part of an ongoing series of conversations with professionals in the perinatal mental health field. It is offered to share perspectives, not as clinical guidance. Biography : Heidi Koss, LMHCA, has been an activist in many areas of Maternal Mental Health for two decades. She has volunteered for Postpartum Support International (PSI) of Washington for sixteen years and is the Postpartum Support International Washington State Coordinator. She runs a busy Marria

This post is part of an ongoing series of conversations with professionals in the perinatal mental health field. It is offered to share perspectives, not as clinical guidance. Biography: Jennifer Moyer experienced postpartum psychosis when her son was eight weeks old. She has put in the hard work of personal recovery and has built a life filled with the love of her family and her determination to leave a positive imprint in this world. She has focused her efforts on being

Bio: Dr. Pec Indman is a internationally recognized expert in the field of mental health related to pregnancy and postpartum. In 2002, she was one of the first professionals, along with Dr. Shoshona Bennett, to author a book about postpartum depression. In her private psychotherapy practice, she works with clients experiencing fertility challenges, pregnancy loss, depression and anxiety during pregnancy or postpartum. Dr. Indman is the Chairperson of the Education and Trai

Meet these wonderful Individuals who are Sending Positive Vibes out into the world! They Rock the world! I am tons of grateful for my intelligent and loving friends in the birth community who have agreed to help me share my work throughout February, March and April! Simone Magaletta-Snyder (New Jersey). A rockin’ wise birth woman! Mom, doula, childbirth educator, and massage therapist of DoulaSimone will be sharing her well-educated thoughts on the books and talking to

by Brandy Ash Myers, NCC This post shares a personal birth story and reflection. It is offered to foster understanding and connection, not as clinical guidance. Today i s a beautiful guest post by Brandy Ash Myers, a wonderful on-line friend of mine. She experienced postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress (childbirth onset) during the birth of her first child. Now, during her second pregnancy, she was moved to write her birth story, as a facet

As I sat at my computer at lunch hour, a wonderful email popped into my inbox! To my surprise, Wendy Newhouse Davis posted a link on Postpartum Support International’s Facebook page regarding a Live Chat with Samantha Meltzer-Brody, M.D Director of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine Perinatal Psychiatry Unit. The UNC Perinatal Psychiatry Inpatient Unit (PPIU) is the first in the US. It was modeled after the mother-baby units (MBU’s) in Eur

This is Part One of a two part interview with Walker, Karraa This interview highlights the perspective of a professional working in the field of perinatal mental health, sharing clinical insight, experience, and approaches that support women and families during the childbearing year. “ Pregnant and postpartum women are particularly vulnerable to mood and anxiety disorders, and it is life threatening.” How Long Must We Ask for Compassionate Care? Why aren’t our childbirth we

How Long Must We Ask for Compassionate Care? Why aren’t our childbirth websites and our perinatal mental health websites linked? Part One of an interview with Walker Karraa MFA, MA CD(DONA) This interview highlights the perspective of a professional working in the field of perinatal mental health, sharing clinical insight, experience, and approaches that support women and families during the childbearing year. “ Pregnant and postpartum women are particularly vulnerable to moo

In honor of Father’s Day 2012, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Will Courtenay of www.saddaddy.com regarding Paternal Postnatal Depression (PNDD). As Dr. Courtenay begins in this interview: “Paternal Postnatal Depression (PPND) refers to a depression that a father experiences within the first year after his child is born. PPND is different from the “daddy blues” – which many new dads can experience. With normal postpartum stress or the daddy blues, a father’s going

Originally posted April 23, 2012. This is a personal reflection on community, support, and gratitude. Celebrating 50 Years in New Jersey: La Leche League of the Garden State Area Network Conference April 20 – 22 I want to start this article off with the disclaimer. I am not writing this article to make anyone feel guilty about their personal decisions or circumstances surrounding about infant feeding methods. I’m just giving a personal account about something that helped

Originally published February 20, 2012. In this interview, a mother shares her personal birth story in her own words, offering insight into the emotional, physical, and relational experience of childbirth. Ann Kirchner, CD(DONA) has graciously agreed to share her personal story of her birth, birth trauma, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and her struggle to just get recognition and diagnosis and treatment for severe postpartum depression. Her story is very important. Sprea