Mom and Mind | Pregnancy and Postpartum Depression & Anxiety

Latest Episodes:

356: Behind The Sessions: Loneliness and Isolation Aug 08, 2024

Show notes

The transition to motherhood can bring feelings of loneliness as life forces a new schedule and new priorities. A new mom’s responsibilities are never-ending, along with the added stress of insufficient sleep and managing a new normal in the household. Our society is set up such that a mom is most often the default parent, and this can lead to a disconnect in the relationship. As we will discuss in this episode, loneliness is about much more than just being alone. Join me for more on this topic!

Show Highlights:

Moms can be surrounded by people and still feel alone because they aren’t connected, supported, and understood.
Dealing with a limited bandwidth for conversation and connection to a partner
The value of feeling connected to a like-minded community
What loneliness looks and feels like
Finding connection and understanding through therapy, support groups, and a supportive community
A cultural system that isn’t set up to be supportive for new moms so they know what’s normal and what isn’t normal
How we fail new moms by letting them float around until they “figure it out”
Let me know how you’ve experienced loneliness, the impacts you’ve noticed, and your thoughts on how we can offer better support. Email me!

Resources:

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be a better support in offering services.

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

355: An OB’s Perinatal Mental Health Story and Helping other Physician Moms with Dr. La Toya Luces-Sampson Aug 05, 2024

Show notes

Obstetricians play an important role in perinatal mental health, and hearing their perspective is always informative. It makes my heart happy to learn that more and more OBs are getting trained in perinatal mental health so they can offer more help to their patients. My guest shares her story to help normalize the perinatal mental health issues that many women face. Join us!

Dr. La Toya Luces-Sampson (Dr. Toya on social media) is a wife, mother, coach, and board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist. Her work is geared to physician moms who are postpartum and beyond to help them go from feeling anxiety and resentment to feeling confidence and joy. She does this through private coaching and as the host of the Stethoscopes and Strollers Podcast.

Show Highlights:

Dr. Toya’s story of her second pregnancy and delivery, dealing with unusual pain, complications, and family stress
Marriage issues, couples therapy, and working through challenges on a trip to Mexico
Dr. Toya’s pursuit of her perinatal mental health certification to help other physician moms
How the system fails moms who need help
Starting her podcast, Stethoscopes and Strollers
to tell her story and help others
What Dr. Toya wishes she had done differently
Dr. Toya’s efforts to prioritize her wellness in pivotal life choices
The need to temper our opinions on social media to respect others’ choices
Dr. Toya’s perspective on the gaps in our healthcare system for perinatal mental health conditions
An unsustainable healthcare system in which people (patients AND doctors) cannot thrive
Dr. Toya’s message to moms: “Asking is your superpower. You deserve the care, rest, and support that you need, and it is setting you up for the rest of your motherhood journey.”

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Toya: Website, Instagram, YouTube, andStethoscopes and Strollers Podcast

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

354: Cultural Crossroads: A Japanese Mother’s Journey through Birth, Postpartum PPD Stigma Jul 29, 2024

Show notes

My guest today shares the culture shock she felt as a Japanese woman giving birth in the US and experiencing the vastly different healthcare system. Being away from her family was challenging, but she also felt frustrated with postpartum care in the US as compared to Japan. She also shares about the deep stigma of postpartum depression among the Japanese people, how she handled that as a new mother with PPD difficulties, and how we can improve perinatal care in the US. Join us to hear Keiko’s story!

Keiko Yoneyama-Sims is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Supervisor who lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband, two teenage daughters, and a cat. Born and raised in Japan, she moved to the US for her college education. In her private practice, Keiko has worked with women experiencing PMADs for over ten years, along with facilitating workshops and networking events for local birthing professionals to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration. With a primary focus on perinatal mental health, Keiko is currently working toward a Ph.D. in social work at the University of Denver. She is the health and wellness director of the Colorado Chapter of the Association of Asian American Professionals and has presented at international conferences, facilitated workshops, written articles, and co-authored a book chapter on perinatal mental health. Her collaborations with clients, supervisees, and colleagues emphasize equality in relationships using a strength perspective.

Show Highlights:

Keiko’s path into the work she does today
Keiko’s experience as a Japanese woman who came to college in the US
The culture shock over the differences in healthcare in Japan and the US, including billing procedures, care practices, postpartum care, and nutrition
The massive gaps in the US because postpartum care focuses solely on the baby–not the mother
Messages about motherhood need to change at the societal level.
The Japanese traditions of a 40-day resting period for new mothers, weekly midwife visits, etc.
How things are changing in Japan around perinatal mental health
Depression can have very real physical symptoms!
Keiko’s perspective on how we can make changes and improve the perinatal mental health system in the US
Keiko’s advice to Japanese-American moms

Resources:

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

353: Behind The Sessions: Venting About How Moms Are Treated Jul 25, 2024

Show notes

We would all love to only associate positive things with pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, but that’s just not everyone’s experience. Unfortunately, many people have negative emotions, triggers, traumas, and heartbreak around these major life events. I get mad on behalf of parents, especially mothers, during the perinatal time because of the real injustices many parents face. So many of these could be prevented if people were trained properly with awareness and compassion. I’m doing a bit of polite yelling in today’s soapbox edition of the podcast. Join me!

Show Highlights:

Responses I’ve gotten on my Facebook page about how parents are treated and the pressures put on them
Comments to an expectant mom about her pregnancy tend to run between two extremes
The transition to motherhood is NOT the same for everyone! We should be more thoughtful.
The ridiculous question immediately after a first child is born: “When are you going to have another one?”
Unfeeling comments to a mother after a traumatic birth or pregnancy loss
Insensitive and shaming comments about medications during pregnancy and while breastfeeding
People, especially older mothers of a certain age, make disparaging comments about new mothers who use a birth doula.
Women should NOT have to fight for the right to give birth exactly as they choose. (Medical providers do not have the right to force a procedure on someone else’s body.)
A doula is an advocate who can speak for you and help you make an informed decision in a hectic delivery room.
NO ONE has the right to tell you what you’re feeling is wrong or that you should change your opinion about your perinatal experience.

Resources:

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

352: Treatment for Perinatal Mood Disorders: Psychiatric Medication Jul 22, 2024

Show notes

Today’s episode focuses on medications during pregnancy and postpartum. This topic raises many questions and opinions, and women need more information to understand the options they can discuss with their doctor. Join us to learn more from today’s expert guest!

Dr. Priscilla Hidalgo, aka Dr. H, is a board-certified and fellowship-trained psychiatrist in private practice who serves patients in North Carolina and Florida. Her NC-based practice, Lux Psychiatry, focuses on helping busy and stressed people live happier lives with tailored treatment and direct care. Dr. H has a special interest in women’s mental health; she has been a guest speaker on multiple platforms, including podcasts and social media, where she has discussed women’s and perinatal mental health, work-related stress, and mindset.

Show Highlights:

Dr. H’s path to the specialty practice work she does today
Common experiences of Dr. H’s patients
“When should I see a psychiatrist?”
Dealing with a patient’s anxiety about taking medications
Giving people the information they need to feel empowered and have reduced anxiety
Why so many patients feel unseen and unheard at their doctor’s office
Common questions about medications related to perinatal depression and anxiety
Dr. H’s methods of dealing with medical providers
Working with patients on medication management, psychotherapy, self-compassion, anxiety, etc.

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Priscilla Hidalgo: Website, Facebook, and Instagram

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

351: Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child with Kelley Coleman Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

Parenting a child with disabilities brings a host of unexpected dynamics and challenges. No one knows the ins and outs of this journey better than a parent who has fought long and hard for her own children and used that knowledge to help others. Join us to hear more from Kelley!

Kelley Coleman is a feature film development executive-turned-author and advocate who draws on over a decade of parenting and advocacy experience. With an unmistakable depth of passion for this work, Kelley shares her journey with a focus on what mental health can look like through the different stages of being a parent of a child with disabilities and how she’s working to empower and support other parents. One way she offers support is through her book, Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services, and Supports. This book is a fantastic resource for parents to help navigate the systems to find the right support.

Show Highlights:

The facts about the number of children born with disabilities
The shock most parents feel when their child is diagnosed with a disability
Shocking statistics: 66% of dads and 94% of moms of kids with disabilities WILL experience depression and/or anxiety
Dealing with weird reactions from others about your disabled child
Support, at its most basic, comes down to asking, “What do you need?”
Why Kelley refuses to apologize to others for who her disabled son is and how he behaves
Grieving what you “thought” life would be like and acknowledging that life with a disabled child is hard
Kelley’s book premise in a nutshell: “Caregiving is a job. There is paperwork, planning, and systems you have to figure out. Here’s the information you need.”
Kelley’s goal to support and empower other caregivers
The importance of connecting with other parents

Resources:

Connect with Kelley Coleman: Website, Instagram, and book (Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services, and Supports)

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

350: Behind the Sessions: Ongoing Stress and Healing with Dr. Kat Jul 11, 2024

Show notes

Our session today focuses on an ongoing theme I see frequently with women in therapy. It’s centered on how many moms feel frustrated and blame themselves for not doing enough to feel better. There is so much to unpack around this topic. Let’s take a closer look!

Show Highlights:

We can’t “self-care” our way out of ongoing stress!
Fact: Times of transition are inherently stressful.
Scenarios in which stressors pile up and impact our mental health and well-being
Understanding the impact of stressors with a conscious awareness
Using context awareness to inventory your feelings
Building self-awareness by using a checklist to inventory your basic life functions around sleep, eating, hydration, hormonal changes, etc.
Identifying resources and your best sources of support

Resources:

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

349: Healing from Perinatal OCD with Danielle Silverstein of Marriage and Martinis Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

OCD can be a debilitating condition. My guest today shares her personal experience, including how some medical care can actually contribute to a worsening of symptoms. Hers is an important story for us to hear because no matter how devastating a perinatal mental health condition is, the overriding message is that healing is always available. Join us to learn more!

Danielle Silverstein knows the struggles of losing oneself amidst the busyness and chaos of life, but she is determined to keep finding, experiencing, and sharing fresh methods of self-discovery. She is committed to being outspoken when it comes to such important topics as maternal mental health, an experience that has become very personal for her. She has hosted the hit podcast, Marriage and Martinis, alongside her husband for the past five years. This endeavor has led to some of the most raw, open, and honest conversations that a “real” couple has ever shared in such a public way. Her wildly popular, record-breaking book and ebook,The Date Night Questions Experience, has helped partners worldwide connect in a refreshingly straightforward and uniquely impactful way.

Show Highlights:

Danielle’s story of her first pregnancy with her daughter, now 19: a lot of experiences that were scary and unknown for her and her husband
Living with (and noticing the signs of) a family history of OCD and anxiety—but not talking about it AT ALL
The debilitating effects of stopping OCD medication during her first pregnancy
Danielle’s doctors, 20 years ago, had NO concept of perinatal OCD and anxiety; they had no idea what to do to help her
Danielle’s pregnancy and first few months with her newborn daughter were moments of enjoyment overshadowed by anxiety
Wishing just one person had said something different to her about staying on her OCD/anxiety medication during her pregnancy
Danielle’s experience in reverting back to her childhood and moving back into her childhood bedroom during her pregnancy
The importance of finding THE right doctor–whether it means walking out of a practice or not (Do your research!!)
Important questions to ask your doctor about perinatal mental health
Why it feels hard to reach out for help when you feel shamed, pushed aside, and discounted by healthcare professionals
The trickiness of being in the creative space as a content creator because of judgy people and all kinds of voices coming at you
Why Danielle is committed to being outspoken about perinatal mental health and being the voice of support for ALL women’s experiences

Resources:

Connect with Danielle Silverstein and Marriage and Martinis: Website, Instagram, Marriage and Martinis Podcast, and The Date Night Questions Experience book

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

348: Navigating Parental Leave and Being a Working Parent with Dr. Anne Welsh, Ph.D., PMH-C, RPLC, ACC Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

Parental leave is a confusing topic to most of us because there is no uniformity from state to state and company to company. Many parents are probably not getting all the benefits available to them in parental leave because it’s such a confusing system. Today’s guest works relentlessly to help people figure this out and make the most of parental leave benefits and balancing parenthood and a career. Join us to learn more!

Dr. Anne Welsh is a clinical psychologist, executive coach, and consultant. She began her career at Harvard before opening her own practice with a focus on supporting working parents in growing their careers and families. As an expert on the transition from working person to working parent, Dr. Welsh has dedicated her life to unraveling the interplay between career aspirations, personal fulfillment, and women’s mental health throughout their lifespan. Being a mother of four allows her to draw from her own experience as a mother, her research career on the transition to motherhood, and over 15 years in practice to help parents feel less alone and more connected to themselves and their values, fully empowered to make their own choices.

Show Highlights:

Transitions: times of growth and struggle
Shifting priorities and identities in the transition to parenthood
Pressures and difficulties in being a working parent
Discrimination in workplaces against women who become, or want to become, parents
Dr. Anne’s work in supporting people to balance work and parenthood
The importance of communication and self-care
An uneven division of labor at home makes the transition back to work even harder!
Understanding parental leave coaching and its benefits
Navigating a return to work after experiencing a perinatal mental health disorder–and knowing how much to share with others
Flexibility for working parents makes all the difference–but some companies are too rigid and unwilling to work with new parents.
Dr. Anne’s Five Leadership Lessons of Parenting: people skills, processing skills, productivity, perspective-taking/planning skills, and playfulness
Reframing the challenge as something positive and good that’s adding to our lives rather than detracting from our work
Thinking of balance as an ongoing process rather than some kind of permanent “magical state”

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Anne Welsh: Website, Instagram, and LinkedIn

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

347: Spicy Soapbox Edition! Default Parent with Dr. Kat Jun 27, 2024

Show notes

There is so much more to the perinatal mental health story than just postpartum depression. I’m coming in hot today on my soapbox to speak on behalf of many very frustrated mothers. The problem is that they are the default parent, being 100%, or nearly 100% responsible for taking care of EVERYTHING. What makes me sick is the fact that we haven’t come far enough as a society to support new parents, new moms, and new default parents. Being the “cruise director” and the manager of everything for the family and household creates a tremendous amount of stress, depression, and anxiety. Let’s explore this topic in today’s episode!

Show Highlights:

Unless you are a single parent by choice, there is another parent who should be partnering with you.
If your partner isn’t helping, who else can you depend on for help?
Why I call “BS” on society’s attitude that tells moms to try harder and do better
My anger and frustration on the behalf of those who are stuck and suffering
My goal: to speak up for those who are not being seen and validated for their invisible labor
There isn’t an easy solution, but we can start by being supportive and helping the default parent feel a little less alone and a little more seen.

Resources:

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices