In addition to working with an individual therapist, it can be helpful to join a support group to help in not feeling alone and connecting to others going through a similar experience. The Motherhood Center is a good place to start with a range of groups being offered from pregnancy to postpartum.
Happy New Year! With a new year can often come the desire to make resolutions. This article gives a different take on it. Consider focusing on the things you are already doing well or things in the past year that made you happy that you want to focus more on instead of assuming you need to make a whole new transformation.
Postpartum psychosis is rare but requires emergency care so it is important to be aware of some of the signs. Here is a new article from the NY Times that describes the condition and the treatment.
“Women are at a greater risk of mental illness during late pregnancy and the first year postpartum than at any other time in their lives.”
This NYT article describes new research that shows how pregnancy changes the brain.
“Studies scanning women’s brains before and after pregnancy have found that certain brain networks, especially those involved in social and emotional processing, shrink during pregnancy, possibly undergoing a fine-tuning process in preparation for parenting.”
Hearing other stories of healing from postpartum depression and anxiety can be helpful for new mothers. The Postpartum Resource Center of New York has a list of these women sharing their stories.
Pregnancy and postpartum can sometimes trigger Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. These can often include worries about injuring your baby or germs. This is very treatable and important to get help through therapy and sometimes medication. This is a clear description of some of the symptoms to be aware of with this disorder:
June 17th is International Father’s Mental Health Day. This is a good reminder that 10% of new dads experience paternal postpartum depression and need to think about getting support of their own. Here are some resources from PSI to get started.
flora@cobblehillcounseling.com | 646.629.9870
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