reducing isolation with postpartum therapy & care
as a midwife, time and time again i have witnessed new mothers and parents graple with the lack of support during the postpartum phase.
sure, if you’re lucky - you might have a mother / mother-in-law come out to support making food for a few days, maybe a week. perhaps a postpartum doula you can afford for a couple weeks. you may have a robust community of friends who say they want to help out and do… initially. but what happens at week 2, 3.. 6 months… 1 year?
often, isolation.
there is a big hype once a baby is born. but as new parents and moms adjust to the lack of sleep, major transition in identity, huge learning curve - they’re often left with little to no energy to reach out to people or know how to ask for help or what they even need help with.
isolation is a core component to postpartum depression and emotional disorders.
the gap in societal holding and care leaves parents and families exhausted, low-resourced, and overwhelmed. amidst that overwhelm, isolation can be the final tipping point in which new mothers and/or parents become emotionally impacted; postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum ocd, & postpartum psychosis are all potential risks within that emotional impact.
every new parent deserves emotional support.
getting care with a therapist, coach, or healer who specializes in postpartum depression and other postpartum emotional ‘disorders’ can support a new mom or new parent in so many ways:
identifying patterns that contribute to emotional distress and postpartum depression
psychoeducation to support feeling empowered in understanding what is happening and reducing guilt, self-criticism, and despair
tools and ways to cope with anxiety, depression, and dysregulation while having a new baby in your life
professional assessment and referrals if your care team needs to expand - a safety net of providers to support you through your postpartum experience
therapy curated for you - your individual story, your birth experience, your own unique journey of navigating the emotions through the postpartum
invitation into modalities that support embodiment, mindfulness, and deepened awareness (somatic therapy, gestalt therapy, relational therapy, parts work, etc.)
support in finding a deeper connection to yourself amidst the fragmentation and disintegration that being a new parent can bring. (here is a particularly good illustration of how this experience can feel due the changes to the brain being pregnant and then being in the postpartum time — pregnant? here’s how to deal with the new you)
image by chelsea conaboy from above linked illustrated article
having an expert who understands the physiology of the perinatal time and emotional terrain that comes with entering the postpartum is vital.
you are not as alone as you feel.
you deserve care, support, and connection.
and you will get through this.
being a birthworker for over a decade, and a homebirth midwife for 7+ years has given me an ample amount of experience, understanding, and education that has been invaluable in supporting clients through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum emotional and spiritual terrain. if you feel resonance, please reach out. you deserve the care that is holistic, encouraging, and empowering.
your pregnancy & postpartum experience does not have to be rooted in isolation & distress.
i offer in-person therapy in eugene, or and virtual therapy throughout oregon for pregnancy and postpartum emotional care.
whether you think you have postpartum depression, baby blues, postpartum ocd, or just general challenge with being a new parent —
i would be honored to support you on your journey.
take care <3