The rapid hormonal changes that occur with giving birth, can leave women more vulnerable to stress. Adjusting to motherhood is in itself inherently stressful. Add a complicated pregnancy, a complicated labor and delivery, sleep deprivation, difficulty breastfeeding, anxiety about one’s ability to care for an infant, a lack of postpartum support, a history of depression, or major life stress (divorce, bereavement, financial stress) and you have the perfect storm for postpartum disorders.

According to the American Psychological Association, 9-16% of women experience postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is characterized by pervasive feelings of sadness and worthlessness, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, decreased appetite, changes in sleep patterns, and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide. These symptoms can impact a mother’s ability to function. A mother may struggle to connect to and care for her infant and  fear being alone with her baby.  Many women react to this experience as as further evidence of their (perceived) inadequacy and feel extreme guilt. There is often the narrative of failure at something that should be, as a woman, intrinsically mastered.  Some women are pained with intrusive thoughts or images of harming themselves or their baby. Many mothers feel overwhelmed by their belief that these feelings are going to last forever.

In therapy, I will normalize the challenges of  becoming a parent. I will help you to identify thoughts and beliefs which may be distorted and contributing to poor mood. I will help you to discern between anxious thoughts and actual threats. We will work to identify specific behaviors that will positively impact your mood. If needed, I will recommend evaluation for medication, and correspond with psychiatrist. You will leave therapy feeling an increased ability to cope with stress and improved perspective on your ability to parent.

On a personal note, I am a mother. My daughter is now ten years old. My labor and delivery was complicated and lasted for 30 hours. After she was born, I struggled with breastfeeding, and she was hospitalized due to a meningitis scare when she was less than a week. While I did not experience postpartum depression or anxiety, it is plainly clear to me how one could go down that rabbit hole.