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

Originally posted October 9, 2011. This is a personal reflection shared in honor of World Mental Health Day, offered to reduce stigma and remind others that help, healing, and hope are possible. Hey there! Honored to be part of PsychCentral’s World Mental Health Day Blog Party! Today, as an LPC, I could write another professional blog about treatment options or family dynamics; like outline a specific self-care relaxation, expressive or cognitive re-framing exercise. But,

Originally published September 19, 2011. Reflections from the Postpartum Support International Conference on gender, hormones, and women’s mental health. Great to see Dr. Jeanne Driscoll! There were so many great speakers talking about the complexities of caring for women in the perinatal period. Dr. Jeanne Driscoll, a practicing psychologist and nurse-practitioner, is co-author with Deborah Sichel, MD of Women’s Moods: What every woman must know about hormones, the brain,