Search results for: postpartum depression
Postpartum Depression: Naming the Pink Elephant (Rat) in the Room
“One in four first time mothers had depressive symptoms caused by postpartum depression or postpartum stress syndrome. PPD strikes women without any history of depression, without complications in pregnancy, mothers who are in difficult marriages, mothers who are in satisfying marriages, or single.” Common sense disclaimer: this blog is not intended to diagnose or treat…
Mothers Rising Strong: A Manifesto & Short Film
When I became a mother nine years ago, I underestimated what a big deal it was. I remember a friend without children said to me “I don’t understand why becoming a mother is such a radical life transformation. There are other experiences in life that I think are just as monumental.” She may be right.…
How Music helps your Brain, Your Heart, and Your Recovery
Have you ever had a song come on the radio that suddenly transported you somewhere? A alcoholic friend of mine in recovery takes it as a “sign” whenever she hears the song from the movie Frozen “Let it Go,” reminding her that she is not in control and that is a good thing. Another woman…
Motherhood as a Rite of Passage
The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh Look I remember when I was a brand new first-time mom, like four days brand new, and went to a new mom group. I was in…
What if She Turns Out Like Me? Braving Toxic Anxiety as a New Mom
It can be very hard to see our own suffering as gifts. I will cut right to the chase. I wish with all my heart it were different, but I have found in my work with mothers that many use the suffering they’ve faced as the foundation for self-criticism and hatred. For some, it becomes…
Mommy Brain: Neurological Data To Combat Confusion
Mommy Brain Anyone? I distinctly remember 1 moment postpartum when my husband and I were in a bookstore, with baby in the carrier, browsing. I saw the book The Female Brain and picked it up, thumbing directly to the section on “Mommy brain,” and, more specifically, “Breast feeding and the Fuzzy brain.” I was still…