pregnancy and postpartum
Growing, delivering, and caring for a new baby is an amazing thing. And can be really hard.
There are so many women who struggle in pregnancy and postpartum. So many women whose experiences of being pregnant or having a new baby are nothing like the rosy, blissful images they have in their minds or that is portrayed in media. But this image is so ingrained in us that when we start to struggle we feel completely caught off guard and don’t know what went wrong or how to cope.
Women have so many thoughts and feelings that can be hard to say out loud:
“I hate being pregnant and I feel so guilty that I’m not enjoying it more. I’m so terrified of something bad happening. Even though I wanted this, I’m getting really anxious about having this baby. I’m worried I am going to be a terrible mother.”
“Is this just the baby blues? Does everyone feel as stressed about breastfeeding as I do? Everyone says to sleep when the baby sleeps, but I’m having trouble sleeping at all. I don’t feel as connected to the baby as I feel like I should. I’m afraid I might be a terrible mother.”
pregnancy
Struggling with feelings of depression or anxiety during pregnancy is miserable. It feels like you can’t live up to the expectations of what pregnancy should be like and you find yourself not only not enjoying the pregnancy, but feeling sad, unmotivated, or discouraged about the future. Or, you notice feeling overwhelmed, anxious about every aspect of the pregnancy, and imagining every worst-case scenario. You might be having a difficult time with your daily tasks: eating, sleeping, working, or concentrating on anything other than how badly you feel. You can’t imagine how you’ll ever feel better and be able to take care of your baby when the time comes.
If you have a history of anxiety or depression, or if you suffered through infertility or miscarriage(s) prior to your pregnancy, these symptoms may be even worse.
If you’re struggling, please reach out! Therapy can be so helpful to get support, decrease symptoms, and work through what you’re experiencing.
Postpartum
The days and weeks after having your baby have been a blur. You may have initially thought that how you’re feeling is normal, but now you’re not so sure.
You’re sleep-deprived, exhausted physically and mentally, and all of a sudden have no sense of normalcy. There’s so many things to think about and do, but you’re not sure if you’re doing any of it right. All of your time and energy is spent feeding, holding, cleaning, and caring for your new baby. The responsibility of it all can be overwhelming.
You might be feeling disappointed or even guilty about how you’re feeling. When your experience doesn’t live up to your expectations, you may blame yourself and wonder what you’re doing wrong.
You’re not doing anything wrong. You may just need some extra support. You’re not alone. Please reach out!
If you’re struggling in pregnancy or postpartum, you are not alone. There is hope.
There are so many things that can help you during these stages: sleep, nutrition, exercise, help from your partner, social support, meditation, supplements, and sometimes medication. Therapy or supportive counseling might also be something that helps you get through this tough time and start to feel better.
The work we do together can help you decrease your depression or anxiety, reconnect with yourself, let go of guilt, judgement, and self-doubt, and feel comfortable in your role as a parent.
When I work with women who are pregnant or postpartum, our sessions are typically a mix of processing their unique experiences and talking about strategies for self-care. My hope is that in these sessions, you feel supported, empowered, and nurtured. After all, you’re taking care of a tiny human now…it can be really nice to have some space to focus on just yourself.
Come with your partner. Or come alone.
I’m happy to help in whatever way feels best – either with you and your partner, or just you by yourself. We can figure it out together if you want.