Managing Maternal Mental Health
It wasn’t that long ago that postpartum depression was only beginning to be understood.
With a growing focus on emotional well-being for women during and after pregnancy, a wider range of challenges have now been identified. I offer compassionate, perinatal-informed mental health support around:
- Pregnancy
- Labor and Delivery
- Birth Trauma
- The Postpartum Period (typically 1-year after delivery)
- Pregnancy Loss
- Infertility
- Transitioning into Motherhood
- Maintaining Individual Identity & Wellness
About 20% of pregnant or postpartum women will experience what’s referred to as a Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder (PMAD) which includes treatable conditions such as depression and anxiety. You don’t have to do this alone. Therapy may help.
Children under the age of 18 months may be present during our telehealth counseling sessions. Bottle feeding, breastfeeding, and pumping are welcome.
Expectations vs. Reality
There’s so much pressure to look happy and content around pregnancy and birth. When that’s not your experience, it can be really hard to talk about it.
You may find yourself thinking:
- “I thought this would be the happiest time of my life, but I feel so anxious and depressed. What’s wrong with me?”
- “I’m not qualified for this! What if I can’t keep my baby safe?”
- “This is experience is not what I expected and it’s really upsetting.”
- “Every conversation is about the baby. I miss those parts of me that aren’t about being a parent.”
- “Why am I having such distressing thoughts? Am I going crazy?”
You’re 100% not alone in those feelings. Talking about it can help.
If you’re a pregnant or struggling postpartum mom in Alaska or Colorado, I invite you to contact me to set up your free 15-minute phone consultation.
A Note on Pregnancy and Gender
While genderqueer, nonbinary people, and transmen can also experience pregnancy, you’ll see me refer only to women here, since I serve only those identifying as women, both transgender and cisgender.
Let this not take away from my stance that all who do not identify as women also deserve love and equitable, gender-affirming care.
I’ve chosen to focus my training and career solely on looking at mental health through the lens of women’s unique cultural experiences.
