Postpartum Support
Most of us have heard the familiar proverb “it takes a village,” and a therapist can be part of that village. When a new baby arrives, many of the people in that village are focused on the baby's wellbeing- the pediatrician, the lactation consultant, and others who help your little one thrive.
My goal is to be someone who is there to support you. To make space for your feelings, help you navigate the challenges of the transition, and remind you that your well-being matters, too. Because caring for you is also an important part of caring for your family.
Some postpartum experiences that can be supported in therapy:
-
Feeling disconnected from yourself and the people around you
-
Feeling more irritable and easily frustrated than you usually do
-
Having difficulty sleeping when your baby is sleeping
-
Not feeling connected and bonded with your baby in the way that you had expected to
-
Struggling with being apart from your baby, worrying about their safety when you're not around them
-
Grieving the pregnancy or delivery that you had imagined, or grieving pieces of your life that you feel less connected to since becoming a mother
-
Feeling flooded with guilt, whether it's related to feeding choices, feeling touched out, or finding that it's harder to show up in other roles, such as with your partner, family, friends, or at work
-
Finding yourself being pulled into memories of a difficult birth, or feeling like you are back there reliving it
-
Having intrusive thoughts related to your baby
-
Struggling to feel present in your day to day or with your baby
-
Feeling down, numb, or simply not yourself
-
Noticing tension in your relationship as you both try to figure out these new roles and juggle the responsibilities of caring for a newborn
You are not alone in feeling this way, and feeling alone doesn't mean that you are alone. You don't need to carry it all by yourself. None of these things will make me think that you are a bad parent. Postpartum challenges are more treatable than they may feel when you’re experiencing them- you can start to feel more like yourself again.
Therapy may look like holding space for multiple emotions simultaneously - the joy, fear, sadness, guilt, frustration, and everything in between.
I work with folks to develop ways to navigate anxiety and explore underlying doubts they may have about their abilities stepping into this new role. We may also name and process the grief that can arise, whether it's grieving the pregnancy, birth, or postpartum experience you had imagined, or the parts of your life that look and feel different now. Therapy can offer space to explore the feelings of new motherhood with compassion, untangle expectations you may be holding yourself to, and begin to find a little more grace for yourself as you navigate this new chapter.
You can be struggling and still be a good parent. You can feel scared and still be moving forward. And you can ask for help without meaning that you've failed.
With support, you can feel lighter and more connected to your own resilience. I am honored to walk alongside my clients as they start to feel more like themselves again.
This website is for informational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact 988(Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or your nearest emergency services.