Self-care! To supplement your nutrition during pregnancy and in the fourth trimester, making smoothies is a great healthy habit.

It is normal to have feelings of anxiety, stress and depression immediately following the birth are not uncommon—these feelings are often re

This article is part of the Perinatal Mental Health series, which explores pregnancy, postpartum, and loss through a biopsychosocial and nervous system–informed lens. What Causes Perinatal Mood Disorders? What are the risk factors for postpartum depression and other perinatal mood disorders? Many expectant and new mothers ask why some people develop perinatal mental health challenges while others do not. Research suggests there is no single cause. Instead, postpartum depressi

A story of perinatal mental illness and recovery wrapped in a murder mystery.

In my work as a perinatal psychotherapist, I have had the honor of hearing many women’s oral histories about their childbirth experiences. I often sit with women who have nearly died during childbirth — most commonly due to hemorrhage. **Due to the confidential and deeply personal nature of my work, I never share identifying information about clients. Today, I want to speak about the intersection of maternal mortality and post-traumatic stress after childbirth (PTSD following

Dyane Harwood, author of Birth of a New Brain. Dyane's lifelong healing journey with bipolar Dyane Harwood battled depression her whole life and then bipolar disorder after she gave birth. Therapy, lifestyle changes, medication and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) got her life back. Birth of a New Brain , by Dyane Harwood is a very important book. Dyane’s autobiographical account of her life with bipolar disorder is as stunning as Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison’s autobiographica

What Is the EPDS? Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are the most common complication of childbirth. Approximately 15–20% of women experience symptoms of depression or anxiety during pregnancy or in the first year postpartum. While “postpartum depression” (PPD) is the most widely used term, perinatal mood disorders include: Postpartum depression (PPD) Postpartum anxiety (PPA) Postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) Bipolar disorder Postpartum psychosis Birth-related

Pregnancy and birth are major adult transitions filled with joy, but the transition to parenthood can also bring up feelings of insecurity, sadness or fear as you and your partner move into this different phase of self-identity. Parenting an infant is difficult, but if one of you had a complicated early family life, parenting can be like navigating rough waters, as flashbacks to unpleasant scenes from childhood intrude upon present reality.

Happy Mother’s Day! Be kind to yourself today. Affirmations by themselves are not all that need to do to enact change within yourself, but are a wonderful enhancement to positive self-development. Positive parenting and feeling well and confident take conscious, daily effort. The conscious processing of perceived hurts and events helps clear out old habits, making way for new thoughts and ways of being. Pursuing the development of the self and being gently and consciousl

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. And yet, for something that affects so many people, it can still feel strangely invisible. According to the World Health Organization, depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Just a few decades ago, it ranked much lower. The rise is not because people are weaker—it’s because we are finally measuring and naming what has always been there. Former WHO Director-General Margaret Chan called these statistics “a wake-up

The Question Many Mothers Ask If you need medication for your mental health, is it safe to take it during pregnancy or breastfeeding? There is no zero-risk option. Not treating depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder carries risks. Taking medication carries risks. The goal is not eliminating risk — it is weighing relative risk with good information. A Personal Reflection When I experienced postpartum depression over two decades ago, I chose not to take medication because I w

Radical Acceptance is acceptance of the reality that life is worth living even if there is pain.

Infant massage is a great way to create an oasis of calm time with your baby. It helps promote bonding and calm both mom and baby. Studies show that infant massage decreases stress hormones (in both Mom & baby),

Updated February 19, 2022 Dancing on the Edge of Sanity asks once again How Often Must We Ask for Sensitive Care? It’s easy to connect with Ana Clare Rouds’ personal story of the reality of motherhood in her book, Dancing on the Edge of Sanity . She shares her personal story about her experience with postpartum depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and she eloquently brings out several issues. Her story reminds us that: we need shame-busting! the anxiety,

The Fourth Trimester and Extended Family Different cultures acknowledge the postpartum period in different ways. In the United States, postpartum is viewed as a time when the new mom is expected to quickly recover and become mobile and get back to “normal” life. The focus is on healthy pregnancy and birth and how to care for a newborn. However, the mother's physical and emotional transition receives less attention as part of the postpartum conversation in the US. Think ab

I had the honor of attending the Postpartum Support International (PSI) 27th Annual Conference at the University of North Carolina (UNC) campus at Chapel Hill. The theme that year was: “Creating Connections between Communities: Practitioners and Science: Innovative Care for Perinatal Mental Health.” Researchers, clinicians, advocates, and survivors gathered to share both professional insight and personal experience. It was, at that time, the best-attended conference in PSI’s

Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody In 2014, I had the opportunity to speak with Samantha Meltzer-Brody about a groundbreaking development in perinatal mental health care: the creation of the first and only psychiatric Mother-Baby inpatient unit in the United States at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Meltzer-Brody serves as Associate Professor and Director of the Perinatal Psychiatry Program at UNC and has long been a leader in reproductive psychiatry. The Mother-Baby

This year again I have the honor of hosting Megan Daley! Megan discusses her challenges with perinatal mood disorders twice in her lifetime. Now pregnant with her third child, she talks about her concerns in this pregnancy for her postpartum health and how she is proactively creating a personal postpartum plan. To help others, Megan outlines resources that helped her through her dark times. She says: “The most important thing I ever did was finally put down the mask.” P

Dyane Leshin-Harwood, Author Today I have the honor of hosting Dyane Leshin-Harwood’s story of postpartum onset of bipolar disorder. Her story is incredibly inspiring. I had tears in my eyes as I read her gutsy story! I imagine you will as well. Postpartum mood disorders can include bipolar disorder and postpartum mania — conditions that require specialized care and awareness. Please join me in welcoming Dyane’s contribution to the Postpartum Support International 2014 Bl

Throughout this series, we have explored how a woman’s emotional health and perinatal mental health is shaped not only by hormones, but by the ongoing interaction between brain biology and lived experience. As explored in our discussion of brain biology and mood before pregnancy, the limbic system continuously integrates hormonal signals with lived experience — and that integration continues into the postpartum period. The limbic system — the brain’s emotional center — doe