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 ...

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 ...

Today is my firstborn’s 16th 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.