Perinatal and Postpartum Mental Health
Postpartum Mental Health issues are the number one complication of pregnancy. Often, new parents are seen just once after giving birth, at 6 weeks, while going through the most profound and most profoundly challenging transition of their lives.
I’ve found that because postpartum is a time that we’re emotionally opened up and even vulnerable, it is also a huge opportunity to get to know ourselves in brand new ways.
Postpartum anxiety, in particular, can be very sneaky. Often, parents might notice things like being extra aware of “number-based” issues like temperature, ounces, hours of sleep/wake windows. These can be signs that something else is at play that could use extra care.
The first days, weeks, and months with a new baby can feel relentless. We might wonder if this is how it will be forever. We might find ourselves unmotivated, lost, and wondering what we ever found joy in.
Who nurtures us while we nurture our baby? How do we care for ourselves and continue to have enough to give? How is it that such a wonderful and extraordinary experience can simultaneously feel tense, overwhelming, tedious, lonely, depleting, and sad? Sometimes the wonderful parts are hard to see.
Parents I work with sometimes have patterns that have worked okay-enough for them as an individual, but they find no longer sustainable once they are a parent or partner. Having a baby can be a catalyst to look at and shift these patterns into something that works better, for the long term. It can be difficult to even figure out that this is the case while deep in the early days of parenting. Therapy can help!
Whether or not you have a diagnosable mental health issue postpartum, having a space to process one of life’s most profound transitions can be incredibly meaningful and useful.