Mom and Mind | Pregnancy and Postpartum Depression & Anxiety

Latest Episodes:

306: Perinatal, Racialized, and Muslim Mental Health with Hajara Kutty Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

As far as we have come in recent years in removing the shame and stigma of mental health care and educating the public about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, we still have a long way to go. Today’s guest shares her experience and describes the scope of her work with underserved segments of the population. The fact is that every person deserves the same access to quality healthcare for their physical and mental well-being! Join us to learn more!

I’m joined by Hajara Kutty, an educator and perinatal mental health advocate who has worked for nearly two decades to create awareness around perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and support those who experience these issues. She is on the Postpartum Support International Advisory Council, and her writing on mental health has appeared in various national media outlets. She discusses some of the issues she has identified that negatively impact racialized perinatal women and what she has seen in her role as a Muslim coordinator for PSI.

Show Highlights:

How Hajara became involved with postpartum mental health work through her experience of becoming a mom about 20 years ago
Hajara’s perspective on how far we’ve come with perinatal mental health and how far we still need to go in helping women
How Hajara has gotten involved through advocacy work, writing, helping to create programs, and raising awareness
What it means to be “racialized”--and why racialized women are treated differently in many cases, not having access to quality care and resources
Why Canada and other countries are doing a better job than the US in addressing the problem of accessible healthcare
How socioeconomic status limits a person’s access to quality mental health resources
The negative impacts for Muslim parents who experience perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
The encouraging feedback Hajara receives from Muslim parents who are accessing PSI support

Resources:

Visit www.postpartum.net for resources and support!

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

305: Behind the Sessions: How to Manage Holiday Stress with Dr. Kat Dec 14, 2023

Show notes

Today’s topic is showing up in therapy sessions everywhere right now with the holidays and the end of the year. Many people have conflicted feelings about their relationships with their families and upcoming family events; while we feel the pressure to be happy, cheerful, and joyous, we need to realize that some people have much dread, stress, and pressure during this time. Some people are just not okay. Let’s talk about how to better manage whatever holiday stress you might be feeling.

Show Highlights:

How to have a realistic perspective around expectations, pressure, stressors, and the overall mental load of the holidays
Why many people have strong feelings of sadness, loss, and grief around the holiday season
How to take stock of the factors contributing to your stress
Why holiday traditions usually change when a new baby comes along—and families are not always accommodating or understanding
How to set boundaries (both physical AND emotional) and be intentional with self-care to manage the stressors and overwhelm of the holiday season

Resources:

Visit www.postpartum.net for resources and support!

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

304: Disordered Eating and Body Image in Pregnancy and Postpartum with Kathryn Gantt, MHS, LDN, RYT 200 Dec 11, 2023

Show notes

Disordered eating, eating disorders, and body image issues are very common experiences for many women, yet they are overlooked by most medical providers during pregnancy and postpartum. Today’s guest is passionate about educating us about these topics and offering more understanding to struggling women. Join us to learn more!

Kathryn Gantt is an eating disorder dietitian, certified yoga instructor, and mom of two who uses her experience to help people change their relationships with food and their bodies. She gives us an insightful look at the challenges obstetricians and care providers face without the education, experience, and certifications to deal with patients with eating disorders and body image issues. Our discussion also touches on the prevalence of weight bias in the medical field and how “diet culture” contributes to body image struggles during pregnancy and postpartum. Kathryn focuses her work on pregnancy and postpartum nutrition, mindful/intuitive eating, Health At Every Size (HAES), and non-diet approaches when counseling clients. She serves on the executive board of the WNC Chapter of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals and is passionate about helping people understand the societal pressures that impact our physical and mental health during pregnancy and postpartum.

Show Highlights:

How Kathryn came into her specialty of working with eating disorders
How weight bias shows up in the medical field with very little understanding of eating disorders
The difference between eating disorders and disordered eating—-and how body image issues fit into these categories
Why all obstetricians work with people with eating disorders, whether they realize it or not
How Kathryn works with Obs to do simple screenings for eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image issues
How disordered eating and eating disorders relate to anxiety in pregnancy and postpartum
How diet culture has shaped much of our thinking about pregnancy and women’s bodies
Why the nutrition piece during pregnancy and postpartum doesn’t matter if we ignore mental health issues
How to recognize signs of an eating issue—and what to do next

Resources:

Connect with Kathryn Gantt: Website (Learn more about the upcoming retreat on body positivity for women in Gatlinburg, TN, on January 19-21, 2024) and Instagram

Visit www.postpartum.net for resources and support!

You can now watch the Mom & Mind Podcast on YouTube! Check it out!

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

303: Perinatal Mental Health through In Utero Diagnosis with Kate Stacom, MSW, LICSW Dec 04, 2023

Show notes

Today’s guest shares the personal story of her unborn baby’s traumatic diagnosis in utero. She hopes her story assures others that they are not alone in facing this type of diagnosis, and she explains coping skills and how to remain hopeful through a bleak and terrifying time. Join us to learn more!

Kate Stacom is a licensed clinical social worker and mother of two who has lived experience of perinatal trauma, depression, and anxiety. Her perinatal mental health journey began when her daughter, Clare, was diagnosed with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) at 36 weeks gestation, leading to a traumatic birth and several chaotic weeks before and after delivery. Kate has become a passionate advocate for more mental health support and the role of intuition and spirituality for caregivers after hearing the news of in-utero diagnoses of congenital anomalies. Kate has a private practice where she utilizes her clinical skills coupled with her intuition to help others live meaningful, joy-filled lives where they feel most connected to their soul purpose.

Show Highlights:

Kate’s pregnancy story: gestational diabetes, a mother’s instinct that something wasn’t right, and an in-utero CDH diagnosis at 36 weeks
How Kate felt the range of emotions from anxiety, fear, grief, anger, and guilt
What it was like to get MRI scans on her unborn baby, be induced at 39 weeks, and go through a traumatic birth with massive medical interventions
How Kate and her husband navigated a long NICU stay where they constantly worried that their daughter would not survive
How Kate and her husband handled their daughter’s surgery as a newborn and the isolation they endured at the hospital
How Kate went into survival mode during her daughter’s six-week NICU stay
Why the anxiety didn’t stop when they brought Claire home
A happy update of how Claire is thriving today as an energetic four-year-old
Kate’s biggest takeaways about what helped her the most through her experience
Kate’s advice to other parents in similar situations

Resources:

Connect with Kate Stacom: Website, Instagram, and Facebook

Mentioned by Kate for more information about congenital diaphragmatic hernias and help for families: Tiny Hero

Visit www.postpartum.net for resources and support!

You can now watch the Mom & Mind Podcast on YouTube! Check it out!

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

302: Behind The Sessions: When You Don't Know How You Feel Nov 30, 2023

Show notes

Have you ever found yourself in situations where trying to figure out your emotions feels like trying to untangle a knot? Or perhaps you have experienced an overwhelming whirlwind of conflicting feelings, which happens often. Life is anything but linear. It is messy and full of ups and downs that challenge us emotionally.

Over the last 70 years, there has been more emphasis on psychology, and we understand so much more about getting in touch with our feelings. But even so, some of us are still learning as we go.

In today's Behind the Sessions episode, we look into what it is like not to know how you feel. Join us as we unravel the complexities of tuning into our feelings while navigating the emotional rollercoaster of life and the reproductive experience.

Show Highlights:

How disorientating the experience of pregnancy and parenthood can be
How the pressure to appear fine can feel uncomfortable when we do not know what we are feeling
Why we need to acknowledge and accept our feelings, even when they are uncomfortable or hard to confront
What happens when we deny or avoid our feelings?
Why being confused about your inner life, emotions, and mental health during the perinatal transition is normal
The benefits of therapy for exploring and understanding feelings and becoming empowered to make positive changes in life
The value of healing and growth through self-awareness
How building a better relationship with ourselves benefits our overall well-being
Why should we prioritize our mental health?

Resources:

Visit www.postpartum.net for resources and support!

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!

Mom and Mind on Instagram and Facebook

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

301: Dr. Berlin's Informed Pregnancy Project with Elliot Berlin, DC Nov 27, 2023

Show notes

We are delighted to have Dr. Elliot Berlin back on the podcast for the first time since he was with us last in 2018. He joins us today to share the latest from his Informed Pregnancy Plus world and discuss his incredible work in perinatal chiropractic care for pregnancy and labor. Our bodies go through so much to support pregnancy and make birth happen, and Dr. Berlin truly knows how to help!

Dr. Berlin is passionate about helping people achieve optimal health- especially women navigating pregnancy and postpartum experiences. With his wealth of experience, he has dedicated his life to supporting new and expectant mothers in finding comfort and well-being during pregnancy and birth. He is committed to giving his patients top-quality care, using unique techniques and specialized equipment. Despite being based in Los Angeles, his platform, the Informed Pregnancy Project, reaches people everywhere.

The Informed Pregnancy Project includes the well-loved Informed Pregnancy Podcast, the Informed Pregnancy Blog, and the recently added streaming service, Informed Pregnancy Plus. Dr. Berlin joins us today to offer valuable insights and highlight the importance of informed decision-making throughout the pregnancy and birth journey. So, let's dive in and meet Dr. Berlin!

Show highlights:

Dr. Berlin explains how the pandemic affected the birth world and shares his Covid-19 experience
How chiropractors help to restore normal motion and function to the musculoskeletal system
How Dr. Berlin combines chiropractic and massage to create a more functional system
How pregnancy-related issues like headaches and jaw problems can be released through manual therapy
How addressing musculoskeletal issues during pregnancy prevents discomfort and ensures a smooth delivery
How chiropractic treatments help to position the baby and prepare women for breech births
The benefits of chiropractic treatments for an optimally-functioning body during vaginal births
The importance of chiropractic care for babies and children, especially for excessive crying and digestive issues
Dr. Berlin explains how gently newborn infant chiropractic gets done
How Dr. Berlin’s presence and skills as a doula help women feel more calm and relaxed during the birthing process
How his platform empowers women and helps them make informed decisions for their pregnancy and birth experiences

Resources:

Visit the Informed Pregnancy Plus platform

Find out what Dr. Berlin is doing on his website, Instagram, and Twitter

Visit www.postpartum.net for resources and support!

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

300: ADHD and Perinatal Mental Health with Jacqueline V. Cohen, NCC, LPC, ADHD-CCSP, NBCCH-D Nov 20, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to a very special episode! It’s our 300th episode, which is mind-boggling to think about. Not only that, we also address ADHD in the perinatal period, a very important topic. We all can benefit from a deeper understanding of ADHD and how it impacts perinatal mental health. Join us to learn more!

Jacqueline Cohen is a Licensed Professional Counselor, ADHD-Certified Clinical Specialist Provider, Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, coach, consultant, writer, and speaker. She has been in private practice for over 15 years, specializing in perinatal mental health and adult ADHD. Her practice, Therapy Mama, is in Marietta, Georgia, although she is also licensed in Colorado and Florida. She experienced postpartum depression and anxiety after the birth of her son in 2001 and was diagnosed with ADHD ten years later as her son was also diagnosed. Along her journey of discovering how her brain works, she realized that her postpartum depression and anxiety were largely a result of living with undiagnosed ADHD. This experience was the impetus for her work in helping others in similar situations in the journey to parenthood. In this episode, we discuss what ADHD is, what it looks like, and how it might be experienced in the perinatal period. I’m excited to explore this topic with Jacqueline!

Show Highlights:

How Jacqueline became interested in how perinatal mental health and ADHD intersect
How she discovered that her postpartum depression and anxiety were due to undiagnosed ADHD
Why “being bored” can cause depression and anxiety in someone with ADHD–because of the way the brain works
The basics of what ADHD is
How ADHD impacts working memory, impulsivity, organization, time management, planning, and prioritizing
Types and descriptions of ADHD variations
How ADHD relates to being a highly sensitive person
Why someone with ADHD is likely to procrastinate
Why many people are diagnosed with ADHD later in life and don’t realize they have suffered
How a new mom might realize she has undiagnosed ADHD
What masking is, why lower estrogen levels exacerbate ADHD symptoms, and the connection to rejection sensitivity dysphoria
Shortfalls in the ADHD assessment process

Connect with Jacqueline Cohen

Therapy Mama Website

Resources:

Visit www.postpartum.net for resources and support!

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!

Books mentioned in this episode:

Journeys Through ADDulthood by Sari Solden

Women with ADD by Sari Solden

Gender Issues and AD/HD by P. Quinn and K. Nadeau

ADHD 2.0 by John Ratey and Ed Hallowell

A New Understanding of ADHD in Children and Adults by Tom Brown

The Queen of Distraction by Terry Matlen

The ADHD Effect on Marriage by Melissa Orlov

The Couples' Guide to Thriving with ADHD by Melissa Orlov

A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD Workbook by Sari Solden and Michelle Frank

Understanding Girls with ADHD by K. Nadeau, E. Littman, and P. Quinn

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

299: Behind the Sessions: “I’m a Failure” with Dr. Kat Nov 16, 2023

Show notes

The idea of feeling like a failure comes up often in therapy; I hear it multiple times each week. People who are struggling often feel like they are a failure, and this is heartbreaking to hear. Let’s go behind the scenes and talk about what’s happening underneath the feelings of failure.

Show Highlights:

Why being perfect and being a failure are NOT the only two options
Failure and perfection—defined and explained
Why failure and perfection cannot be the measure of parenting success
Why a defense against shame is often underneath the unreasonable goal of perfection
Examples of how perfectionism can show up in the parenting journey
Examples of what could really be happening to cause you to yell at your child
How to have a more compassionate view of your journey
How to gain perspective on your negative self-judgmental thoughts
Why we need to have more self-compassion—and model it for our kids

Resources:

Visit www.postpartum.net for resources and support!

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

298: A South Asian Mom's Mental Health Journey: Missed Diagnosis with Jigyna Patel Nov 13, 2023

Show notes

Today you’ll hear Jigyna Patel’s story. She and I met recently at the PSI Conference, and I knew her perspective as a South Asian mom of Indian heritage would be valuable for listeners to hear. She’s a Houston-area mother of three, and she is a passionate perinatal mental health advocate who loves her volunteer work with PSI. Join us to learn more!

Show Highlights:

Jigyna’s story of her first pregnancy, nine years ago, which involved PCOS, infertility, emergency C-section, and a traumatic birth
How Jigyna felt depression and disinterest in her new baby after taking her baby home to much help from family members, but felt much stigma and shame to get out of her “funk”
How her symptoms progressed to anxiety, panic attacks, severe sleep deprivation, hallucinations, delusions, intrusive thoughts, and suicidal thoughts
How she started the journey with a therapist, but eventually had to move with her baby into her parents’ home for six weeks
How medication, better sleep, journaling, and frequent walks helped Jigyna feel better and better over the next few months
How Jigyna and her husband had conflicting opinions about having another baby
How a second pregnancy (via another IUI) with twins (!) launched Jigyna into deep depression—until she decided to take charge and make a plan
How the twins’ birth was an amazing delivery, via C-section, and led to Jigyna’s struggles with postpartum depression and anxiety–but none of the other symptoms from before
Why Jigyna became active with PSI after researching and realizing that she had experienced postpartum psychosis with her first baby
How Jigyna’s Indian culture impacted her journey with pressure and stigma
How she learned the value of sleep and took steps to prioritize her sleep and self-care as a mom of three
Why she felt guilty for not “wanting” her pregnancy with her twins at first–and how her group support has shown that this is a common feeling for moms of multiples
How Jigyna handled bonding and connecting issues with her babies
Highlights of her current work with PSI

Resources:

Connect with Jigyna: Email

Visit www.postpartum.net for resources and support!

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

297: A Mom's Journey to Reconcile Faith and Mental Health Support with Dara DeMari Nov 06, 2023

Show notes

In far too many segments of our society, there is a stigma and terrible shame around perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Even now, when there is a huge push to validate mental health support for those who need it, many women are suffering in silence. The Christian faith is one subset of society where postpartum support is truly lacking, and simply “praying more” or “reading more scripture” are not valid ways to treat mental illness. Because of her suffering on the motherhood journey, my guest is on a mission to help other Christian women have the confidence to find the help they need. Join us to hear Dara’s story.

Dara DeMari is a born-again Christian, wife, and mother of four young children. All of her pregnancies culminated in premature births and NICU stays for her babies. Although she grew up in a church family, her postpartum struggles left her feeling incredibly isolated, alone and shamed. With a full spectrum of perinatal mood disorders ranging from anxiety, OCD, rage, and depression, it took Dara years to shed the stigma of shame and be ready to share her story. She has made it her personal mission to gather stories of other Christian women who suffered in silence and help them use their voices to encourage women in the church to speak up and speak out about postpartum mood disorders. The goal is to comfort and encourage new mothers to feel confident in asking and receiving the support and help they need. Dara is in the process of forming a nonprofit called Postpartum Faith to help educate people and give those of Christian faith the resources available to face postpartum mood disorders head-on and overcome them with confidence.

Show Highlights:

How Dara’s motherhood story began: a miscarriage and subsequent high-risk pregnancy with twins who were premature and required a three-week NICU stay after birth
How further problems and another three-week hospital stay for her newborn son led to severe sleep deprivation for Dara
How breathing issues for her son and feeding problems for both babies led to huge anxiety issues for Dara, including OCD, panic attacks, and intrusive thoughts
How Dara reached out for help to her Ob-gyn but was turned away with no direction or resources offered beyond the advice to “find a therapist”
How the Christian faith has a stigma associated with mental health and offered Dara no help
How Dara progressed to feeling desperate for help and frozen in anxiety
How relief finally came when she was directed to the postpartum stress center
How Dara’s next pregnancy and birth happened just as COVID lockdowns occurred and resulted in premature birth, respiratory distress, and another NICU stay
How Dara began to experience postpartum rage and reached out to her therapist
How her next pregnancy also resulted in a premature birth and NICU stay, which set Dara on the road to postpartum depression
How Dara realized what is lacking in the church as far as postpartum support for women–and what she wishes the church would do
Why she is starting a nonprofit to help other women
How Dara’s struggles and intense suffering have positioned her with a passionate purpose to help other Christian women