Relaxation practices are great during pregnancy as perinatal mental health is influenced by the nervous system In the previous article, Brain Biology, Hormone and Mood Before Pregnancy , we explored how genetics, serotonin modulation, and the stress-response system shape emotional regulation before pregnancy. Now we explore pregnancy hormones and mood during pregnancy and birth — periods of profound neuroendocrine intensification. Perinatal mental health is deeply shaped by a

Content Note: This article discusses sexual abuse and its impact on pregnancy, birth, and postpartum mental health. Please read gently and take care of yourself. Sexual abuse — whether a single assault or long-term childhood trauma — can quietly shape the emotional landscape of pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood. Many survivors do not initially connect past trauma with their perinatal mental health. Yet pregnancy, labor, breastfeeding, medical exams, and the profound vuln

Originally posted February 5, 2014. Puff, the magic dragon, Lived by the sea And frolicked in the autumn mist In a land called Honah Lee....

Originally posted January 10, 2014. A recent study about finding a link between postpartum depression and fear of childbirth has been getting a lot of press . The press I read reported the study showed a prevalence of .03% of postpartum depression. I felt like the public was being fed bits and pieces of the study, so I read the whole article and wanted to bring out a few key facts. The researchers, led by lead study author Dr. Sari Raisanen, an epidemiologist and visiting

Originally posted December 2, 2013. My colleague, Dr. Christina G. Hibbert, has been a leader in Maternal Mental Health for many years. From the outside, her life looks kinda like a modern day fairy tale! Before she turned thirty, she married the love of her life, had three children, earned her doctorate, produced her DVD about Postpartum Couples, founded the Arizona Postpartum Wellness Coalition and started her own clinical practice! A dazzling list of accomplishments, es

Originally posted November 18, 2013. Negation of Pregnancy or Denial of Pregnancy: Is it real? I was busy over at Science and Sensibility this week with a guest post as a Perinatal Mental Health contributor. I’ve had a some denial of pregnancy or negation of pregnancy cases in my clinical practice, and I wanted to share the research about this under-studied condition. I thought that this condition only occurred in younger teenage women, but more recent research shows that

Guest Post by Heidi Koss The following piece is a personal reflection shared by a guest contributor. Individual experiences vary, and this story is offered as one person’s lived perspective rather than clinical guidance. Today I am humbled to share a guest post from Heidi Koss, LMHCA. Many of you know Heidi Koss from her professional persona. She was featured on this blog in April, 2013. She runs a busy psychotherapy practice in Washington state and is an activist in the

Originally posted July 29, 2013. This is a love letter to all of you hard-working women who fill so many various roles in your family and work life! I feel so connected to so many of you even if we haven’t met in person…. I’m posting a heart-felt “good-bye for now” love note from the BirthTouch® blog for the month of August. I’m taking some time and space to “plant daffodils” with my family to have many more years of sunshine blooms for the soul. I love the summer and

Originally posted June 24, 2013. Guest Post: Today I am pleased to have Leighann Adams of Multitasking Mumma guest posting here today. Leighann is a mom and a self-identified Postpartum Depression blogger. She says the Postpartum Depression blogging community helped her a whole lot when she needed information and support. She found blogging to be therapeutic for her; now she gives back to others via blogging and awareness campaigns. Leighann’s post is about her inner pr

Originally posted June 17, 2013. Mom’s voice is perfection to her baby Today I am pleased to have Matt Logan, MA, MT-BC, a board-certified...

Originally posted June 7, 2013. Behind the Scenes Spotlight: Leslie Butterfield, Ph.D. Biography: Leslie Butterfield, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist specializing in pre and perinatal psychology and women’s health. She also works tirelessly in several not-for-profit organizations. She is on the Board of the Prevention and Treatment of Trauma in Childbirth (PaTTCH) and volunteers in various capacities for Postpartum Support International (PSI), including serving as the

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

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

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

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

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. Affirmations are not a substitute for professional care, but they can be a gentle, supportive practice for emotional regulation and self-compassion. Positive parenting and feeling well and confident take conscious, daily effort. The conscious processing of perceived hurts and events helps clear out

Originally posted January 24, 2013. #LifeWellLived Did it. Done it. BOOM. I’m joining a small group of my bloggy friends, including Yuz at Not Just About Wee and Andrea B at Good Girl Gone Redneck in sharing the things we HAVE accomplished in a #LifeWellLived blog hop! Please join us in this positive psychology exercise! Soooo, here’s my list: Published three books, BirthTouch® Shiatsu and Acupressure for the Childbearing Year, BirthTouch® Healing for Parents in the NICU and

Originally published November 5, 2012. Unless you live under a rock and don’t go out at all, you have to know that Jersey Shore’s Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is a mom! Her baby boy, Lorenzo, was born this August. Snooki has been showing him off in beautiful pics on her official Twitter and Facebook feed. Snooki became famous as a fightin’ boozin’ bad-girl with her group of pals on the show, Jersey Shore . Millions scrutinized her as she rumbled with her frenemies living in thei

I’d love to share with you a chapter from new book, BirthTouch: Shiatsu and Acupressure for the Childbearing Year. It’s available on Amazon for purchase So – good question – how much stress in pregnancy is too much? Like many things in life, the question of how stress affects a woman’s pregnancy does not have a simple answer. Because each individual has her own emotional and physical tolerance for stress, exactly how much stress is a causative factor for depression and an