Many postpartum parents report feeling isolated and alone in their experience. Feeling isolated is a symptom of depression. There are multiple contributing factors to Postpartum Isolation and also somethings that you can do to connect with others and feel less alone. Contributing factors to Postpartum Isolation The Myth of Motherhood – I can and should be able to do it by myself. I know I bought into this myth – I should be able to do it by myself. I felt like asking for help

If you feel like your responsibilities to others and yourself are overwhelming, like you answer to too many people, and you’re getting pressure to do it all and do it perfectly. You may be experiencing role strain. What are your roles? Our identities are often defined as the roles we inhabit in life. For example: I’m a mother, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a therapist, an entrepreneur, a friend, a gardener, etc. And each of these roles come with responsibilities and expecta

To work or not to work is one of the more polarizing topics of motherhood. It is a topic that comes with nuance, expectations, judgment and of course guilt. Let's unpack some of the layers at play that contribute to moms feeling guilty around returning to work. What is working mom guilt? Guilt is a signal emotion that we are doing something wrong or in conflict with our values. Shame is we are bad, guilt is we are doing a bad thing. Working mom guilt is when a mom feels gui

Having a baby to care for can be the ultimate test to your nervous system – you’re running on very little sleep, you haven’t had a full meal, you’re struggling with feeding, feeling touched out, falling behind on keeping your home clean, maybe you're overstimulated all the time. You are giving everything to this little baby, and sometimes it can feel like a big sacrifice. What is an activated and dysregulated nervous system? When our nervous system is on high alert, we ar

Self-care is important for all of us caregivers, if we are unable to take care of ourselves, we’re unable to take care of our loved ones. And for some reason, we’re the hardest people to prioritize. What have you done for yourself today? Sit with yourself for a moment and ponder the questions: "What have I done for myself today?" and “What do I need today?” Often the answer can fall into one of three themes: nourishment, connection, or regulation. These themes of self care

For those that have experienced a traumatic birth , it can be hard to open up and share. It is important to find a way to share your story – for your own healing and because your story matters. The importance of storytelling We tell stories about what happened to us to help us make sense of our experiences and our life. The stories we tell shape and reinforce how we see, interpret and interact with the world. Birth is a life altering and universal event. To some, it is cons

The addition of a new child has a tremendous impact on the family system. Each individual in the system has a new relationship, a new role, and new responsibilities. And as each person adjusts to all this newness, their relationships with one another shift. It is inevitable. But it does not have to be bad. We cannot predict what that change will look and feel like, but we can look at trends and make good, educated guesses. And we can have strategies in place for recognizing c

If you are pregnant and you’ve experienced a traumatic birth , sexual trauma, pregnancy loss or infant loss, you may be wondering how you...

What is birth trauma? Birth trauma is not an official diagnosis, but rather a phrase used for individuals who experienced trauma during...

I know better than to wait until 5 PM to figure out the dinner plan. And yet, here I was at 5 PM with 3 hungry toddlers - all pulling at...

Some days are an endless cycle of cleaning up messes, soothing children, and making sure everyone else’s needs are met. We change...

For me, the biggest myth of motherhood is that I should be able to do it all by myself. The mental load for taking care of a young human...

Having a baby to care for can be the ultimate test of your patience – especially when you’re running on very little sleep, you haven’t...

If you have found yourself here, you have likely concluded that you need more therapeutic support than you are currently getting. If you...

If you’ve been diagnosed with a high risk pregnancy, you may be feeling anxious about the health and safety of both you and your growing...