It is important to learn about postpartum mood and anxiety disorders because knowledge is often the best defense.  Our society, unfortunately, still stigmatizes these experiences, causing new parents to be afraid to talk about them and seek help.

Postpartum depression is more common than you think. 1 in 5 women struggle with postpartum depression (PPD), 1 in 3 women of color struggle with PPD, and 1 in 10 men struggle with it as well. So it is smart if you are researching your risk for postpartum depression.

To help you out, here are some things to think about:

Do you think you are struggling with postpartum depression? If you do, you are not alone. 1 in 5 new moms experience postpartum depression, and 1 in 10 dads do as well. Knowing how to cope with postpartum depression will allow you to minimize the severity and shorten the duration. And remember, you are not alone.

It is important to understand that postpartum depression is different than depression outside of childbirth.

While it does have many of the same symptoms of major depression, including anxiety, anger and rage, frustration, inappropriate guilt, and suicidal ideation, it also includes grief and loss. All the symptoms are connected to the baby and parenthood.

Postpartum depression has been used as a broad term for the many different perinatal mood and anxiety experiences.

Whatever your symptoms look like, the first step is to get a diagnosis from an expert in the field of perinatal mental health.

After your diagnosis, knowing how to cope with postpartum depression will support your recovery so that you can start feeling more like yourself.

How to cope with postpartum depression and the spectrum of perinatal mental health:

This might be obvious, but therapy is key. But since you aren’t with your therapist 24/7, you will benefit from having a support system.

Congratulations! You are having a baby! And you have ADHD. There are so many things to think about, plan, organize, and feel. Oh, I bet I am overwhelming you. But don’t worry, here are 4 things to you manage your ADHD while pregnant.

Postpartum anxiety is very real. About 6% of pregnant women and 10% of postpartum women experience anxiety. And moms aren’t the only ones, dads do too. But why is postpartum anxiety worse at night? And what can you do about it?

Recommended reading: What Is Postpartum Anxiety? And Can It Be Prevented?

If your baby hasn’t started sleeping through the night, then you may be thinking, “when will my baby go to sleep, or how long will my baby sleep before I am woken up again.” This can keep you in a hyperaroused state and make it difficult to quiet your mind so you can fall asleep.

What is postpartum anxiety, (PPA) really? Is it the baby blues, is it like postpartum depression (PPD) or just a little worry about how to take care of your baby? In a lot of ways, it can include all three.

The baby blues affects about 80% of moms. It can start at about 2 or 3 days after delivery and can include mild anxiety. However, it only lasts about 2 -3 weeks.

Postpartum depression affects 1 in 5 new moms, and 1 in 10 new dads. Yep, I said dads! Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand before and after delivery.

I have yet to work with a client that doesn’t have some sort of combination of both.

Anxiety is a trademark symptom of postpartum depression.

Becoming a new parent can be exciting and wonderful. It can also be scary and overwhelming. The emotional rollercoaster that begins, for some during pregnancy, and others after the baby is born, can be confusing. So how do you know if what you are experiencing is something that you can weather on your own or if you need extra support? To answer this question, you have to know the difference between the baby blues and postpartum depression (PPD).

I wanted to share a story about one woman’s experience of how undiagnosed ADHD impacts new motherhood and contributed to her struggle with a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder.  

I truly appreciate her raw honesty and giving me permission to share. My hope is to raise awareness and understanding of how living with undiagnosed ADHD can impact the experience of becoming a new mother including putting her at risk for a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder.

I will not provide her name in order to protect her confidentiality.

Here is her story in her words:

“For as long as I can remember, I have had a somewhat abstract awareness of my surroundings.  On top of that, when I do ‘wake up’ and engage with the world around me, it can be a shock to my senses.  I am a classic introvert on top of that.  So, people have not always known how to respond to me. At best, it might be said that I appear quiet and dreamy.  At worst, unresponsive, distracted, unmotivated, careless, or rude.

This week is Maternal Mental Health Week.  Let’s talk about the Myths of Motherhood.  Here are a few:

Becoming a Mother is the happiest time in your life.

Mothers instinctively know what their babies want and need.

Mothers should sacrifice everything for their children.

Breastfeeding is easy.

If a mother chooses not to breastfeed, she is a terrible mother.

Every woman instantly bonds with her baby during pregnancy.

Experiencing a Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder means you are a bad mother.

Well guess what, 1 in 5 mothers experience a Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder.  If we buy into the last myth, then there are a shit ton of bad mothers out there, including myself.  Let’s rise up and stand together and fight these myths and the stigma.  Motherhood isn’t easy and was never meant to be.  I for one try to practice self compassion everyday because I know motherhood isn’t easy, but it is much easier when I accept things as they are instead of trying to live up to these myths.  What are some of the myths that affect you?

#RealMotherhood #NoShame

Today is my firstborn’s 16^th birthday.  I am reflecting on my story of motherhood. It is amazing how time flies, yet his first year of life felt like it dragged on forever.  I remember people telling me to stay in the moment because time will pass by so fast.  That felt so invalidating and only made me feel worse about wanting it to move more quickly.  And I was miserable, and desperately wanted to be happy.   I felt absolutely terrified, completely ill-equipped, and disconnected.  (more…)