Starting a family can be a very joyous time filled with sweet moments and new experiences.
Beginning a family can also be a very complicated time full of emotions as sleep becomes scarce, neurology and hormones evolve, and expectations go unmet. Our psychology during this period requires an identity shift while still grasping our individualities before having children.
Each one of our journeys into parenthood is unique in its own way. It is not your fault that the transition into parenthood is not going the way you had hoped. A complicated pregnancy, birth trauma, lack of support, miscarriage and loss, stillbirth, infertility, feeding challenges, intrusive and scary thoughts, and the adjustment to the mental load, and more— these are all too common themes in my therapy room.
It would make sense that mental health often suffers during this transitional time into the new “normal”. There is a reason postpartum depression is the most common complication of childbirth and that suicide is one of the top causes of maternal death in our nation.
Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) are common and serious. People of every age, race, income level, and culture can develop PMADs during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum. PMADs include Prenatal Depression and Anxiety, Major Postpartum Depression, Postpartum Anxiety or Panic Disorder, Postpartum Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Postpartum Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Bipolar Disorders, and Postpartum Psychosis. Though serious, these conditions respond well to treatment.
When left undiagnosed and untreated, the family’s well-being and overall developmental health are at risk. Psychotherapy has been proven to be an effective treatment for these conditions when symptoms are in a mild-moderate range and in combination with medication when symptoms are moderate-severe. With help, family functioning can improve. Early intervention is key to nourishing healthy families.
From the start of perinatal counseling, I offer a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation and treatment plan. We will get to know each other and become comfortable while filling your tool-box with coping skills based on evidenced-based therapy as our professional relationship continues. I often partner with healthcare providers and reproductive psychiatrists when symptoms are severe enough to impair normal functioning and warrant medication management. Together, we will weigh risks and benefits of options and decide what is in your best interest for how to find wellness in your life for you and your family.
In addition to individual and family therapy, I currently offer group therapy for maternal mental health. These groups run monthly. Group therapy is unique and effective. These groups are small and intimate, allowing for a safe place to connect with other women who have walked in your shoes— the shoes that can empathize with your journey in ways you may not have received support just yet. You will join a tribe of compassionate women who are there to support one another during this incredible and challenging developmental milestone in your life while you get to experience doing the same for them.
Resources
Baton Rouge Perinatal Counseling
Postpartum Support International
Mother to Baby - Medication & More During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding