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

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

Originally posted May 2, 2017. Can insomnia be treated without medication? Are you having trouble sleeping? Are you so tired that it’s ...

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

Healthy attachment grows from repeated moments of presence, responsiveness, and repair — not from perfection. The infant nervous system learns safety over time, through consistency and attunement.

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,

Harriet Jacobs (1813–1897), author, abolitionist, and one of the few formerly enslaved women to publish a first-person narrative. Harriet Jacobs lived a brutal and extraordinary life. Her story is appalling, sad, fascinating and inspiring all at once. Harriett’s life is all about the hardships of being a female piece of property. She writes intentionally in a women’s voice, highlighting gender issues. She hoped to appeal to free white women, to help them understand the a

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

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

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

Stigma and Fear Around Perinatal Mental Illness Stigma remains one of the most powerful barriers to treatment for mental illness — especially during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Research consistently shows that people living with mental illness are stereotyped as unstable, incompetent, or incapable of functioning in daily life. These cultural attitudes don’t just exist “out there.” They become internalized. Shame becomes self-stigma. Now imagine being a new mother — e

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

For the American Psychological Association’s Mental Health Month Blog Party, I chose to write about a topic we don’t talk about enough: being bullied as an adult. This is my experience of moving into a comfortable suburban neighborhood in northern New Jersey — and discovering that exclusion doesn’t always end after adolescence. Eleven years ago, my husband and I stretched our budget to move into a town with a good school system. Like many families, we hoped to build community

Originally published April 2, 2012. Understanding how labor patterns have changed can help reduce fear, self-blame, and unnecessary anxiety around childbirth. Research was published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Katherine Laughon, MD, and her colleagues, D. Ware Branch, M.D., Julie Beaver, M.S, and Jun Zhang, Ph.D., M.D., (2012) examined differences in childbirth labor patterns over the past fifty years, comparing data from a large study in the 1960’

Originally posted April 1, 2012. Science and Sensibility I am honored and hope that I can do a good job for Lamaze International for the month of April as their Guest Community Manager for the Science and Sensibility. Stop in here and take a look at my introduction and the the happenings over at Science and Sensibility for the month of April! thanks! Take care,

Originally published February 27, 2012. Share Your Story – Postpartum Psychosis Janet’s Experience – Postpartum Psychosis & Recovery THINK BEFORE YOU READ Janet’s story is graphic, yet it is a story of recovery. If you are currently experiencing scary thoughts, please do not read this article, as it may trigger negativity. Instead, immediately reach out to get the help you need. Tell a close family member or friend to take you to the doctor. Call a crisis line. If you feel y

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

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. – Dalai Lama Dr. Ann Becker-Schutte wrote a blog post called Invisible Pain , discussing how people with chronic invisible illnesses such as fibromyalgia, diabetes, Cushings Disease, etc. might be silently suffering and dismissed as having pain “all in their head.” Her post reminded me of a video on You Tube posted on Facebook by one of my therapist friends, Carol Rosen . It shows a man who, with special glasses, can tel

Revisiting Attachment Parenting In Part Five of my Infant Sleep Series, I revisit Dr. Sears’ bed-sharing and attachment parenting books as I am today, the mother of a 17-year-old son and a trained and experienced Licensed Professional Counselor. I first read about Dr. Sears' philosophies as a new mother learning how to breast-feed and learning how to parent, so long ago. I approach Dr. Sears’ work with mixed feelings. I deeply respect his cultural contribution to restoring e