​POSTPARTUM

PMAD; More than Postpartum Depression

Before I had my daughter, my vision of parenthood was warped by what I saw on social media. I imagined a child who slept through the night, instantly losing the “baby weight,” and expected everything to be based on a magical "mother's intuition". Wow, was I wrong! While motherhood is amazing it is also so hard. Some new parents even experience perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD). While an estimated 1 in 9 parents experience depression after giving birth, we also know that anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, trauma and psychosis can happen. While new mothers are most commonly effected, we know new dads and gender-fluid parents can deal with PMADs too. PMADs are so much more than "baby blues" and can have long term impacts on both parent and baby. Seeking help doesn't mean you don't love your child or are a "bad parent." Instead, it means you want to give the best start to your baby and the gift of the best start of parenthood to yourself.

Birth Trauma

Birth is often painted as a beautiful miracle. For 1 in 3 women though birth is traumatic for a variety of reasons. Maybe your birth didn't go the way you were expected; perhaps there were medical interventions you didn't plan on or agree to, you almost died, your baby spent time in the NICU or because of past trauma you have experienced this day was not special. Often times birth trauma gets ignored or dismissed and people feel silly for complaining because "it could have been worse." However, our feelings and experiences are legitimate and deserved to be heard and acknowledge. Early research shows that talk therapy and EMDR can be helpful ways to address birth trauma. If you are interested in addressing your birth trauma through individual therapy, EMDR, or a workshop please give me a call. This doesn’t have to be something you go through alone!

Birth Story Workshops

Coming soon! Seeds Counseling hopes to offer small, growth-focused workshops to allow new parents to write and process their birth story in a safe, recovery oriented environment.

Contact
(970) 315-7686 - [email protected]