Mom and Mind | Pregnancy and Postpartum Depression & Anxiety

Latest Episodes:

286: "Foundations in Paternal Perinatal Mental Health" with Dr. Daniel Singley Sep 11, 2023

Show notes

I’m excited to welcome back Dr. Daniel Singley back to the show. He joined me about seven years ago when we were a brand-new podcast, and he’s been busy doing meaningful work in the world around paternal mental health. Join us to learn more about why the mental health of fathers cannot be overlooked in perinatal care.

Dr. Daniel Singley is a San Diego-based, board-certified psychologist and director of The Center for Men’s Excellence. His research and practice focus on men’s mental health with particular emphasis on reproductive psychology and the transition to fatherhood. He won the American Psychological Association’s 2017 Practitioner of the Year Award from the Division on Men and Masculinities. He is a past president of the APA’s Section on Positive Psychology and is the current president of the APA’s Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinities and the President’s Advisory Council for Postpartum Support International. Dr. Singley conducts training and presentations around the country to assist individuals and organizations to enhance their level of father inclusiveness. He also founded the grant-funded Basic Training for New Dads, Inc. nonprofit and the Padre Cadre social networking application, Just for Dads, to give fathers the tools they need to be highly engaged with their infants and their partners.

Show Highlights:

How things have changed over the past seven years in paternal perinatal mental health–and why there is still much work to do
Why it’s a systemic problem in our society that men can’t take time off when a new baby arrives
How a dad’s mental health is affected in the reproductive period
What the numbers show about the prevalence of perinatal mental health disorders in fathers
How neurobiological shifts happen in fathers during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum
How society’s message to fathers about being the emotional rock and provider for their family is a damaging one
The impact on a new baby, kids, and the family system when a dad gets the mental health help he needs
What perinatal mental health issues might look like in new dads
An overview of Dr. Singley’s advanced PSI training, Foundations in Paternal Perinatal Mental Health (Find out more at www.postpartum.net.)

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Singley: Website, Facebook, 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

285: Perinatal Mental Health Symptoms and Healing with Yoga with Ruthie Ayzenberg Sep 04, 2023

Show notes

Today’s episode features another personal account of struggle through postpartum issues and a journey to healing. Join us to learn more from Ruthie’s story!

I’m joined by Ruthie Ayzenberg, LMFT, LPCC, PMH-C, CYT, a dedicated California-licensed psychotherapist with over a decade of experience specializing in maternal and perinatal mental health. She provides therapy, postpartum CBT/DBT skills coaching, and support groups through her private practice, Mental Fitness Therapy. She explains how her transition into motherhood helped propel her into the perinatal mental health field, and she highlights signs and symptoms, also known as “orange flags,” that are often missed in new moms. Ruthie shares how she incorporates yoga into therapy and how new moms can use yoga practices to manage daily stress and optimize their parenting. Despite being a therapist, Ruthie was caught off guard by the challenges of new motherhood and the juggle of parenting demands. This inspired her to pursue her certification from PSI and gain experience working with El Camino Hospital’s MOM program, creating groups and providing care for struggling perinatal moms and their families. In her practice and her work, Ruthie draws from a variety of therapy modalities, including Experiential, IFS, Brainspotting, EFT-Tapping, Expressive Arts, Mindfulness, Yoga, and CBT/DBT skills. Ruthie’s experience living in Russia, Israel, and the US has instilled in her a deep respect for cultural uniqueness, and she incorporates cultural strengths, creativity, and spirituality into her therapy work. Ruthie strongly believes that the best gift for a child is a parent who is striving for health, regardless of their imperfections.

Show Highlights:

How Ruthie struggled with the “two sides of motherhood”
How the birth experiences with her daughter and son were totally different for Ruthie
How the guilt-driven decision to return to work at 6 weeks postpartum created the perfect storm of stress, guilt, shame, and irritability
How Ruthie obtained the perfect job at the MOMS program at El Camino–and relished the healing environment there
Why so many therapists and medical professionals miss the signs and symptoms of perinatal mental health issues
How Ruthie found help and healing through yoga and psychedelic-assisted therapy
Signs and symptoms of postpartum issues that are commonly missed in physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral categories
How Ruthie helps others find healing and recovery through the 5 S’s: sleep, sunshine, social support, self-care, skills, and spirituality
How yoga helps connect the body and mind to bring healing
How yoga nidra (a practice that can be done at home and for free) can help new moms who struggle with sleep deprivation
Ruthie’s takeaways: “I want to give hope to listeners that you are capable, competent, and skillful. There are many different paths to healing, and they can be simple and small.”

Resources:

Connect with Ruthie and Mental Fitness Therapy: Website, LinkedIn, and Na'aleh Yoga Podcast (try Yoga Nidra with Ruthie!)

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

284: Blindsided by Anxiety and PTSD with Molly Vasa Bertolucci, PMH-C Aug 28, 2023

Show notes

Struggles in the transition to motherhood can be a great motivator to help others. Such is the story of today’s guest. Becoming a mom during the early months of the COVID pandemic left Molly feeling blindsided by her birth and postpartum experience, even as a therapist. Unexplained seizures sent her newborn daughter to the NICU, an experience that fueled her postpartum anxiety. Later, she had a missed OCD diagnosis and went through the understandably difficult decision to have a second child. Join us to hear Molly’s story!

Molly Vasa Bertolucci is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California and the founder of Poppy Therapy. She helps new moms, postpartum women, and moms who want to find meaning and courage in the emotions, big decisions, transitions, and new experiences that come with motherhood. She is a mother of two and is passionate about perinatal mental health. When she’s not doing therapy, Molly interviews moms about their first year of motherhood for her podcast, Our First Year.

Show Highlights:

Molly’s story of feeling blindsided and isolated by her daughter’s traumatic birth and postpartum anxiety
How an earlier miscarriage and the COVID shutdown preceded Molly’s traumatic birth experience at a birth center
How breathing complications for her baby, being sent home too soon (after five hours), and unexplained seizures prompted a NICU stay of about ten days for her daughter
How the continued COVID shutdown, nearby wildfires, mandatory CA curfews, and the death of a beloved family pet kept Molly feeling isolated, traumatized, and anxious
How Molly experienced OCD with feeling consumed by fear and doubt as her life spiraled into chaos and upheaval
How shocking intrusive thoughts prompted Molly to get help when her daughter was 6 months old
How Molly found help and relief through EMDR with a therapist and from the Hand to Hold support group for NICU parents
How medication helped with Molly’s OCD symptoms that she describes as mental and emotional torture
Why it was a difficult decision to have a second child, even though that birth turned out to be a healing experience much different than the first time
Why Molly decided to specialize in perinatal mental health and begin a podcast
Takeaways from Molly: “There is help! If you are not feeling like yourself, reach out for support. There is a whole world of support out there for you.”

Resources:

Connect with Molly and Poppy Therapy: Website, Instagram, and Podcast

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

283: Postpartum Healing after D-MER and Sleep Deprivation Aug 21, 2023

Show notes

Today’s guest shares her experience with postpartum depression and how she got through it to the other side. Sleep deprivation is common for new parents, and it can definitely get in the way and diminish the magic of the brand-new relationship with their baby. Along with depression and the unusual condition of D-MER, sleep deprivation can make parents feel disconnected to the point that they misinterpret who they are and how they are functioning as new parents. Join us to learn more from Alicia’s story!

Alicia Delory is a freelance writer, editor, content strategist, and the mother of a four-year-old daughter. She is the author of the Amazon military family bestseller, Something is Better Than Nothing, and she’s currently hard at work on her second book. Alicia candidly shares her parenting story, including the reasoning behind sleep training with her daughter, which always spurs much debate among parents and experts. We discuss why parents should be free to follow their gut instincts in parenting decisions without the pressure of other people’s intrusion and the backlash that comes with those decisions.

Show Highlights:

How Alicia’s pregnancy and birth did NOT turn out like she wanted and expected–and only heightened her health anxiety
How Alicia experienced D-MER (dysphoric milk ejection reflex) and tongue, lip, and buckle ties with her newborn
Why she had bonding issues with her baby as the massive snowball of anxiety, D-MER, and diastasis hit her
How things came to a head with feelings of hopelessness, loneliness, and a life with no joy
How a PSI Climb Out Of the Darkness Walk helped Alicia to see the light at the end of the tunnel
Why Alicia decided to do sleep training with her daughter and found immediate relief and improvement
How switching to formula feeding helped relieve some of Alicia’s anxiety
How prioritizing herself and self-care made Alicia a better mom for her baby
How Alicia transitioned back into good sleep, productive work, and pelvic floor therapy—then the pandemic hit and turned everything upside down, making her terrified to leave her home
How anxiety medications and therapy helped Alicia realize that anxiety is not a character flaw
How she worked to be more comfortable in leaving her house and going out in public
Why Alicia did a TEDx talk about her experience to help other moms
Why there is undue pressure for the one who becomes the “default parent”

Resources:

Connect with Alicia Delory: Website, Instagram, TikTok, and TEDx talk (Recognizing the Duality of Permission for New Moms)

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

282: What to Know About the New Postpartum Depression Medication Aug 14, 2023

Show notes

I’m excited that today’s episode covers the new postpartum depression medication, Zuranalone (brand name Zurzuvae). This is the first pill for PPD and was just recently approved by the FDA. It differs from the IV infusion Braxanalone, which was FDA approved in 2019. As with any new medication, there are many questions to consider if we are to stay ahead of any misinformation and hesitations. Join us to learn what you need to know and understand about this fantastic new tool in the treatment of PPD.

Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody is the Assad Meymandi Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is an internationally recognized reproductive psychiatrist and clinician-scientist who also directs the UNC Center for Women’s Mood Disorders. Her work has focused on developing a comprehensive integrated clinical and research project in women’s mood disorders across the reproductive life cycle. Dr. Meltzer-Brody investigates the epidemiologic and biological predictors of perinatal biomarkers, as well as the impact of adverse life events.

Show Highlights:

An explanation for the layperson about Zuranolone—and why this is an exciting breakthrough in pill form
How SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) came to be used in the treatment of PPD, even though they have downsides and significant side effects
Why the new drug is different than traditional antidepressants previously used to treat PPD
What the clinical trials revealed about Zuranolone side effects, efficacy, and breastfeeding considerations
When Zuranolone will be available
The overall significance of this new medication
Why postpartum is different from major depression–and should be treated differently

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody:

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

281: Supporting Black Maternal Health and Mental Health with Chetina Guadalupe, LMFT Aug 07, 2023

Show notes

Today’s show focuses on how Black birthing people and mothers might experience trauma in the healthcare system that impacts them during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. There is great complexity in the emotions that people feel during the transition to parenthood, and today’s guest is dedicated to providing support, resources, and healing. Join us to learn more!

I’m joined by Chetina Guadalupe, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, consultant, and the owner/creator of Always Live Lovely. In her work, she provides support through individual and couples therapy, music, a podcast, and speaking engagements. She is passionate about breaking the stigma and equipping people with tools for deeper understanding that leads to their healing.

Show Highlights:

An overview of Chetina’s therapy work and podcast, Breaking Barriers
Why Black women have real fears about maternal mortality
How labor and birth experiences differ greatly from person to person because of inconsistencies in the healthcare system
Why people of color have to advocate for themselves within the healthcare system in different ways
Why Chetina chose to have the support of a doula when she gave birth to her son
How Chetina went into warrior mode during labor and delivery with a singular, focused purpose
Why you have to know yourself, your triggers, and what makes a safe space
How to find empowerment and not give in to shame, guilt, and triggers
What healthcare providers can do to support a Black birthing person

Resources:

Connect with Chetina Guadalupe: Website, YouTube, TikTok, Podcast, and Instagram

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

280: Emotional Journey Through Loss to Surrogacy and Spontaneous Pregnancy Jul 31, 2023

Show notes

Today’s episode sheds light on the truth that we never know what someone has been through, especially regarding the journey to parenthood. It’s so easy, and often inaccurate, to assume that another person’s path has been somehow easier than our own. My guest’s story includes many elements, including infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and the decision to use a surrogate, also known as a gestational carrier. A beautiful part of her story is that her best friend chose to carry her twins for her, and a spontaneous pregnancy added another happy plot twist to the mix. Join us for Katelin’s story.

Katelin Buchanan is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia with extensive experience treating those with anxiety, depression, trauma, substance abuse disorders, and major life transitions. She is passionate about working with women coping with infertility, pregnancy loss, and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. She co-founded a private practice, Women’s Therapy & Wellness, that treats women virtually throughout the state of Virginia. She has completed advanced perinatal mental health training through Postpartum Support International, serves as a volunteer with Postpartum Support-Virginia, and is trained in both EMDR and perinatal IPT.

Show Highlights:

Katelin’s journey: knowing something was “off,” PCOS, multiple IUIs, IVFs, and recurrent pregnancy loss in a five-year struggle to have a child
How her best friend, Erica, offered to carry her baby–but had a miscarriage on the first attempt
How Katelin began therapy along her journey and reached a point where she couldn’t continue
How Erica carried Katelin’s twins, who are now five-years-old
The emotional toll of the infertility journey
Why Katelin had to withdraw from many people to protect her mental health
How a local Resolve support group helped Katelin have an outlet
How she dealt with the anger that came with her journey
How she became spontaneously pregnant when her twins were 2-½ after being told it would never happen for her
How Katelin had severe postpartum anxiety and did a lot of grief work with her therapist
What it’s like to be the intended parent in a surrogacy/gestational carrier situation
Katelin’s advice about taking a self-care audit and finding joy in life

Resources:

Connect with Katelin Buchanan: Website

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

279: An OB's Postpartum Journey: Healing and Helping Others with Dr. Jessica Vernon Jul 24, 2023

Show notes

Sadly, many moms fall through the cracks in the field of perinatal mental health because healthcare providers don’t have the proper knowledge about perinatal mental health conditions. Today’s guest is a doctor dedicated to making a difference in the lives of women and families. Join us to learn more!

Dr. Jessica Vernon is a mom who experienced a perinatal mental health condition. As an Ob-gyn, she is dedicated to helping educate residents in her field with adequate training and information about perinatal health and wellness so they can identify, assess, and make referrals for appropriate treatment. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She also is an advocate for maternal mental health and is the Director of Perinatal Mental Health at NYU Langone Ob-gyn. In addition to mental health, Dr. Vernon is passionate about health equity and is the physician advisor for the NYU Black Motherhood Matters Committee and the physician director of the NYU Holistic Care Program for Black Mothers. She has been quoted in the media as an expert and has shared her personal experience with postpartum anxiety and depression on national television. When she gave birth to her second daughter, she was able to implement the lessons and tools she learned with her first child. She utilizes social media, along with her website and blog, Metamorphosis to Mom, to connect and share supportive, authentic content and curated resources related to the reproductive journey.

Show Highlights:

How Dr. Jessica felt hyper-vigilant as a first-time mom and later saw that she had severe anxiety and OCD with sleep deprivation, intrusive thoughts, and feelings of isolation
How medication helped her after two long years of suffering
How obstetric training falls short in dealing with all the nuances of PMADs
How Dr. Jessica changed to focus more in her practice on those who are struggling and suffering with PMADs
How Dr. Jessica’s passion to help her patients is providing extra care and support for many
How Dr. Jessica and a colleague developed a curriculum for trainees, created a lecture series, and are equipping the next generation of Ob-gyns
Why it’s difficult for some Ob-gyns to screen and treat patients with a more holistic approach
Highlights of Dr. Jessica’s program and initiatives at NYU, including holistic care for Black birthers
How Dr. Jessica’s second pregnancy went differently with planning, medication, supportive resources, and self-care
How we can work for big system changes
Why Dr. Jessica thinks Obs should strive for better human connection with their patients and find ways to allow space for them and their feelings

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Jessica Vernon: Website, Instagram, and on TikTok

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

278: A Postnatal Depression Journey with The Shems Doula, Abla Benyahia Jul 17, 2023

Show notes

I’m joined today by Abla Benyahia, a Moroccan, London-based postpartum doula and birth educator. She is the mother of two children under two years of age, and she’s a postnatal depression survivor. Passionately supporting women during their postpartum journey, Abla helps them navigate through mental health challenges and mom’s guilt to reclaim their true identities. Abla experienced postnatal depression after the birth of her first child, which was followed quickly by her second pregnancy. She shares her experience of what helped her, what didn’t help, and what she wishes she had done differently, along with her perspective as an Arab and Muslim mother. The mission of Abla’s work is to help people understand the importance of self-care and why it’s essential to get help as quickly as possible.

Show Highlights:

How Abla was born in Morocco before living in France and settling in London with her husband
How her first pregnancy went well, despite PCOS and the pandemic
How she experienced depression even before her baby’s birth, triggered by the fact that her family couldn’t travel internationally to be with her
How her birth plan couldn’t work like she wanted it to
How Abla’s religious beliefs factored into her birth experience and how giving birth in London was much different than in Morocco in support of a new mom both in the hospital and at home
How a loss of sleep and breastfeeding problems created the foundation for postnatal depression and intrusive thoughts
How a conversation with a friend led Abla to admit that something was wrong and that she needed help
How the support of a doula, therapist, and physiotherapist made a huge difference for Abla
Why Abla felt anger that none of the women in her daily prepared her for postpartum depression
How Abla’s husband learned to help and support her, helping her to prioritize self-care and quality time together rather than household tasks
How Abla’s second pregnancy occurred quickly and unexpectedly and gave her the chance to have her preferred birth plan AND her birth doula
How a helpful village of support made Abla’s second postpartum experience very different
Why Abla decided to become a certified doula and focus on helping other women

Resources:

Connect with Abla: Instagram

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

277: Debilitating Postpartum Intrusive Thoughts and OCD Jul 10, 2023

Show notes

One of the best ways to help moms with various postpartum difficulties is to let them know they are not alone. Helping to do that is what Mom & Mind is all about, and today’s guest wants to help shed light and understanding on intrusive thoughts and OCD. We hope many people will benefit from hearing Jenn’s story. Please join us!

Jenn Holmes lives in Mississippi with her husband and two-year-old son. She is the Mississippi State Lead Coordinator for Postpartum Support International, and she’s sharing her story to help other moms. Jenn experienced debilitating intrusive thoughts within days of giving birth to her son. She didn’t know what was happening and became very frightened by her thoughts. As Jenn shares in our conversation, her thoughts became very graphic, which is a real-life scenario for those who experience intensive intrusive thoughts. She shares details that may be hard for some people to hear, so please use your judgment as to whether you are ready for those. If not, you can skip over those parts or come back to listen at any time.

An important note that Jenn mentions is that she thought she may be experiencing psychosis because of what she had heard in the media about postpartum psychosis and mothers who harmed themselves or their children. In truth, there is a wide range of postpartum psychosis experiences, and the media portrayal is often incorrect, sensationalized, or inhumane. If you’d like to learn more about postpartum psychosis, please listen to Episode 258 with Michele Davidson. To learn more about postpartum OCD from a clinical perspective, please listen to Episode 205 on destigmatizing intrusive thoughts with Dr. Nichole Fairbrother.

Show Highlights:

How Jenn’s perfect pregnancy and non-traumatic C-section delivery gave way to her first intrusive thought before she even took her baby home
How her thoughts progressed in graphic severity or harm to her baby and herself
How Jenn found a Facebook friend who said she had postpartum OCD and told her about coping strategies–(the woman Jenn credits with saving her and her baby)
How Jenn’s intrusive thoughts turned even more vivid and catastrophic, making her unable to function in daily tasks without thoughts of harming her son
How Jenn’s Ob diagnosed her with severe postpartum depression, prescribed helpful meds, and suggested a “naming and taming” approach to intrusive thoughts
How Jenn is doing today
How she saw a psychiatrist, a social worker, and two therapists who had no idea what was going on with her
Why books, resources, and mental health professionals need to do more regarding postpartum depression, intrusive thoughts, and OCD
How Jenn helps others today through work with Postpartum Support International

Resources:

Connect with Jenn: Instagram and Facebook

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