Parenthood, Pregnancy & Postpartum
Becoming a mom is something I always wanted. I heard all the horror stories of no sleep, babies crying, and your life changing. But MAN, you don’t know just how hard becoming a parent rocks you until you’ve lived it. Motherhood is the ultimate dialectic - the best and hardest thing. The mental load you take on in this season is too heavy to carry alone. I may not be the most seasoned parent, but I see you.
One of the greatest parenting skills you can have is emotional regulation. When the baby is screaming and you want to do the same, things can feel so overwhelming. I’ve been there. Emotional regulation doesn’t dismiss how you’re feeling, but helps you stay in the moment to get through those feelings with your child.
You can try to predict how parenthood will go for you, your pregnancy, delivery, how you’ll handle the 3 am wake ups, the way your body will change, or your proudest moments. If you’re predictions are 100% correct, I’d love to chat about how the heck you did that! Finding a space to process how things actually go, hearing tips from someone who has been there, and learning to be flexible for what your journey will look like is key.
After becoming a parent, it seeps into every part of you - including this work. Because of that I am actively expanding my expertise to maternal mental health care. What a privilege this kind of love is, so much so it can feel overwhelming.
“People will paint you pictures about motherhood in rainbows; you will forget the rain comes first. The brightness of that rainbow will always outside the grey, but it’s OK to talk about the grey, you should.”
- Beautiful Chaos by Jessica Urlichs
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-Perinatal mental health conditions can develop at any time in pregnancy or up to a year postpartum.
-These diagnoses include depression, anxiety, OCD, and in fewer cases, psychosis.
-The difference between the two include duration, severity and impairment to your life.
-Both deserve care and support!
-Depression and anxiety affect 1 in 5 women during this season of life.
-Identifying a clinical diagnosis may help guide care and suggest additional support, such as medications from a medical or psychiatric provider, due to these diagnoses being rooted in hormonal changes.
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Not a problem! If you can still benefit from sessions with your little one present, they are welcome.
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Dads deserve support too! A little known fact is that dads’ mental health can also be impacted by their partner’s pregnancy and postpartum seasons. Dads also have a significant role in parenthood. I gladly offer this support to dads who are in need of a therapeutic space.