Today’s guest shares how she turned her difficulties into a passion for educating and supporting others. Her postpartum journey inspired her upcoming short film Postpartum. Join us to learn more!

Brittani Noel is a biracial filmmaker, actor, and mom of two. Her creative works delve into the emotional and psychological complexities of identity, race, and motherhood. Her award-winning short, The Other, examined the international racism experienced growing up mixed-race, garnering an official selection at the Oscar-qualifying Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIFF). Her film, Postpartum, continues this thread through the lens of maternal mental health. As an actor, Brittani most recently appeared in Leah McKendrick’s feature, Scrambled, opposite Yvonne Strahovski, and shares the screen with Tom Everett Scott in the comedy feature Rockbottom. Whether behind the camera or in front of it, Brittani is committed to telling stories that scare her a little and stay with the viewer for a long time.  

Show Highlights:

• Brittani’s filmmaking journey: How it all began

• Dealing with sleep deprivation

• Persistent anxiety (to a certain extent) is part of motherhood.

• Big changes in life and relationship dynamics when a new baby arrives

• Maternal/paternal leave and parental support in other countries

• Postpartum explores the social impact and societal expectations of new mothers.

• The narrative Brittani wants to share with others through the film

• Stigma and guilt around “trying to cope” with new motherhood (We need more conversations and support!)

• The need for more education around pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum

• Options that could be changed to make postpartum much better for new moms

Resources:

Connect with Brittani Noel and Postpartum: Postpartum (short film), Instagram Brittani Noel, and Instagram Postpartum film

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visitcdph.ca.gov.

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. 

There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services.

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms.

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/for information on the grief course. 

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today! 
If you are a California resident seeking a therapist in perinatal mental health, please email me about openings for private pay clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the 3rd in a four-part Behind the Sessions series about coping during the holidays with various perinatal mental health challenges. Today’s episode focuses on pregnancy loss. If you’re in a time of grief over the loss of a child, you are not alone. Many people are carrying deep feelings of grief and loss during a time when celebrating with sparkles of joy and peace feels painfully out of sync with their reality. You certainly didn’t ask for this, and now you have new, raw feelings to process. All of your feelings are real and valid. Everywhere you look, families are celebrating new babies and expected babies, and you may feel as if there is no safe space for your grief. You are probably experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions and waves of sadness and heartbreak. Let’s talk about how you can cope during this time of extreme pressure to “put on a happy face.”

Show Highlights:

• This holiday season is NOT what you anticipated or prepared for.

• Most people are unsure of what to say, and many of them will say the wrong things.

• The love you have (for someone you never got to meet) deserves to be honored. Honor it in whatever ways you feel are best for you.

• Your body is impacted by pregnancy loss, along with the emotional toll. Don’t feel pressured to “show up” for others. 

• Two partners can experience and process grief in different ways; this can cause tension in your relationship.

• There is no right or wrong way to grieve. Don’t feel like you should feel “a certain way.” 

• Reframe with self-compassion and understanding. 

• Find meaningful ways to remember your baby and give your grief a place to rest. 

• Plan ahead for family gatherings by setting boundaries/expectations.

• Don’t apologize for your grief and deep feelings of sadness.

• Support groups can be helpful when you’re ready for them.

• Grief is not linear with nicely packaged stages. Allow yourself to feel your emotions in whatever way works for you. 

• My hope for you: “Be easy on yourself, approach your grief with compassion, give yourself time to process your feelings, and don’t put pressure or timelines on your healing.”

Resources:

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visitcdph.ca.gov.

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. 

There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services.

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms.

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/for information on the grief course. 

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today! 
If you are a California resident seeking a therapist in perinatal mental health, please email me about openings for private pay clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

En este episodio especial en español de Mom in Mind, la Dra. Kat recibe a Karla Cardoza, LMFT, PMFC, RYT200, y a Luisa Shamas de Postpartum Support International. Conversan sobre la importancia de ofrecer recursos de salud mental perinatal cultural y lingüísticamente adaptados para familias hispanohablantes. Karla y Luisa destacan el crecimiento de los grupos de apoyo en español de PSI, comparten experiencias personales y testimonios y explican cómo las familias pueden acceder a ayuda confidencial y compasiva. También enfatizan el valor del apoyo entre pares, la inclusión de parejas y el compromiso de las voluntarias, y destacan la dedicación de PSI a apoyar a familias latinas en todo el mundo mediante una atención accesible y empática.

Aspectos Destacados del Episodio:Recursos:

• Recursos para familias hispanohablantes que enfrentan problemas de salud mental perinatal

• Importancia de apoyo cultural y lingüísticamente apropiado

• Rol de las voluntarias y grupos de apoyo en español en brindar asistencia

• Testimonios de personas que han recibido apoyo de Postpartum Support International (PSI)

• Importancia del apoyo entre pares en la recuperación de desafíos de salud mental perinatal

• Expansión y accesibilidad de los grupos de apoyo en español

• Consideraciones culturales en el cuidado y apoyo perinatal

• Inclusión de padres y parejas en grupos de apoyo para mejorar la dinámica familiar

• Red de voluntarias en América Latina, el Caribe y España para un apoyo personalizado

• Recursos especializados para situaciones únicas, como la terminación del embarazo por complicaciones médicas

Conéctate con Karla y Luisahttps://postpartum.net/staff/karla-cardoza/, https://www.yerbabuenawellnessandcounseling.com/,@yerba.buena.wellness

Redes Sociales:PSI Español InstagramPSI Español Facebook

Página principal de PSI en español (con blogs en español al final de la página):https://postpartum.net/en-espanol/

Página de grupos de apoyo en español:https://postpartum.net/en-espanol/encuentros-de-apoyo-virtuales/

Programa de mentoras en español:https://postpartum.net/en-espanol/apoyo-de-pares/

Recursos especializados en español para familias:https://postpartum.net/en-espanol/recursos-especializados-para-madres-padres-y-familias/

Taller prenatal/posnatal:https://postpartum.net/en-espanol/del-embarazo-al-posparto/

Enlace para conectarse con una voluntaria en América Latina, el Caribe o EspañaLa persona debe hacer clic en "Conéctese con ayuda" para llenar un formulario:https://postpartum.net/get-help/latin-america-caribbean-bermuda/

Grupo cerrado de Facebook en español:https://www.facebook.com/groups/595053181756279

Conéctate con Rudo Savage y Mindset Mother:TikTok, The Words of the Lost Soul, y Becoming Whole in Pieces

Llama a la Línea Nacional de Salud Mental Materna al 1-833-TLC-MAMA o visita cdph.ca.gov.

Encuentra recursos en inglés y español en Postpartum Support International, o por teléfono/texto al 1-800-944-4773.

Hay muchos recursos gratuitos, como grupos de apoyo en línea, mentoras entre pares, un directorio de proveedores especialistas y capacitaciones en salud mental perinatal para terapeutas, médicos, enfermeras, doulas y cualquier persona que desee ofrecer mejores servicios.

También puedes seguir a PSI en redes sociales: Instagram, Facebook y la mayoría de las demás plataformas.

Visita www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ para obtener información sobre el curso de duelo.

Visita mi sitio web, www.wellmindperinatal.com, para más información, recursos y cursos que puedes comenzar hoy mismo.

Si eres residente de California y buscas un terapeuta especializado en salud mental perinatal, por favor, envíame un correo electrónico para consultar disponibilidad de sesiones privadas.

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Today’s guest shares her story of turning her pain into purpose as she discusses mothers’ mental health conditions and the power of storytelling. Join us to hear her inspirational story.

Rudo Savage is a mental health advocate, mother of three, founder of Mindset Mother, and author of The Words of the Lost Soul and Becoming Whole in Pieces. Through her writing and mentoring, she empowers others to embrace healing, self-acceptance, and transformation, drawing on her personal, powerful journey of resilience. 

Show Highlights:

• The inspiration to start Mindset Mother as a way to help others

• Mental health issues were noticeable in Rudo’s teen years, with multiple diagnoses and medications

• Describing what it’s like to live with emotional dysregulation as a mother of three children

• Pregnancy and postpartum shifted and elevated Rudo’s mental health struggles.

• Finding your identity as a new mother and adjusting to the never-ending care of your children

• Rudo’s hospitalization experience and recovery to care for her children

• Finding a passion for writing and the birth of her first book

• Birth practices in the UK, when a “health visitor” comes to check on mother and baby during the postpartum

• The toxicity of motherhood on social media makes it hard for other moms to be honest and real.

• Rudo’s quest to find a therapist who was a good match for her in the UK’s flawed system

• Finding healing through hearing others’ stories 

• Overcoming the mindset of being a “good mother.”

• Rudo’s family background and its impact on her transition to motherhood–finding acceptance in understanding the WHY

• Writing a second book after taking time for healing: An overview of Becoming Whole in Pieces

• Rudo’s advice for mothers in prioritizing time for themselves

Resources:

Connect with Rudo Savage and Mindset Mother: TikTok, The Words of the Lost Soul, and Becoming Whole in Pieces

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visitcdph.ca.gov.

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. 

There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services.

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms.

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/for information on the grief course. 

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today! 

If you are a California resident seeking a therapist in perinatal mental health, please email me about openings for private pay clients. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our first episode in this series was about infertility; today’s focus is on pregnancy. Our final two installments will cover pregnancy loss and postpartum. I’m discussing how holiday expectations might not align with what's happening. The holidays can feel like a mixed bag of joy and anticipation, while a lot of stress and pressure get thrown into the mix. We can’t deny our emotional truth, because that complicates everything.

The bottom line is that it’s no small thing to be pregnant during the holidays, and figuring out how to manage everything may be extra challenging while growing a baby. 

Show Highlights:

• Mixed feelings: joy, excitement, and maybe a struggle to overcome nausea

• Amplified pressure

• Regulating your emotional and physical self 

• Expectations, boundaries, and relational stress

• Typical examples and reasons you need self-compassion

• Perinatal mental health issues may leave you with sensory fatigue, irritability, and the pressure to be perfect.

• Feelings of loneliness and disconnection

• Financial strain and holiday spending pressure

• It’s okay to slow down and set boundaries. 

• Tips for navigating the holidays while pregnant:

  • Make mindset shifts as your priorities shift and change.

  • Prioritize intentional rest and protect your downtime.

  • Ask for help, delegate tasks, and learn to say NO. 

  • Plan to ensure emotional safety.

• “You don’t have to prove that you’re doing enough.”

Resources:

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visitcdph.ca.gov.

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. 

There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services.

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms.

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/for information on the grief course. 

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today! 

If you are a California resident seeking a therapist in perinatal mental health, please email me about openings for private pay clients. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s guest shares her family’s NICU story and her beautiful book, Waiting for Max. She explains how the anxiety of a NICU stays with you for a long time and why she’s dedicated to helping other families. Her book supports parents AND siblings who are waiting for their NICU baby to join the family at home. Join us!

Emily Rosen is a mom, freelance creative director, copywriter, and children’s book author. She has built her career working for top advertising agencies and brands. Always striving to use her creativity for good, Emily empowers women, mothers, and kids, and her inspiration comes from her son Max’s time in the NICU. She wrote her first children’s book to help families going through experiences similar to hers. When she’s not writing, Emily loves going for a run in the neighborhood, singing karaoke with friends, and reading to her two kids. A proud native of Cleveland, she now lives in Los Angeles with her family. 

Show Highlights:

• NICU statistics in the US: 10% of babies have a NICU stay

• Emily’s NICU journey (16 days) with Max, born at 34 weeks in 2019

• Reading books to Max in the NICU brought a sense of normalcy to what was otherwise a frightening experience.

• Emily’s inspiration to write Waiting for Max – and how she found unexpected healing

• Helping kids understand the NICU in age-appropriate language

• Life after the NICU may look different for your child, but there is hope for a normal life.

• Emily’s infertility journey to have a second child—and inspiration for a second book about infertility and surrogacy

• Creativity as a way to process feelings and protect your mental health

• Emily’s best strategies for parents to get through a NICU stay

• What NOT to ask parents with a baby in the NICU

Resources:

Connect with Emily Rosen: Website, Instagram, and Waiting for Max

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visitcdph.ca.gov.

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. 

There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services.

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms.

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/for information on the grief course. 

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today! 

If you are a California resident seeking a therapist in perinatal mental health, please email me about openings for private pay clients. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Blue Dot Project is an exciting program within PSI, and I’m thrilled for today’s guest to share it with us. We will learn about the project’s details and how you can get involved. The goal of the program is to provide the necessary resources and professionals for mothers and families during the perinatal period, so that everyone can access the support they need. Their brand-new initiative, The Blue Dot Safe Spot, is already helping people and saving lives—and it’s just getting started! Join us to learn more!

Laura Killgore began her career in early childhood development, serving as a preschool teacher and curriculum director for 10 years. She has a passion for child development and parent education. She married her husband in 2016, and their daughter was born two years later. Following a traumatic birth and an emergency C-section, Laura experienced postpartum depression, anxiety, and OCD. A few months after her daughter’s birth, she had the opportunity to tap into her creative side as a social media manager and branding expert for 2020 Mom, now the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, Mom Congress, and The Blue Dot Project. As a longtime advocate, Laura has joined Mom Congress in Washington, DC, on multiple occasions to speak with legislators about her personal experiences and help pass several bills and acts to better support moms and families nationwide. In 2023, the Blue Dot Project transitioned to its new home within Postpartum Support International. Laura is now a full-time PSI employee focusing on the Blue Dot, growing the brand through awareness, and helping to end the stigma and shame surrounding perinatal mental health. In Laura’s free time, you can find her listening to or watching true crime podcasts or shows, camping with her family, and exploring her beautiful home state of Oregon. 

Show Highlights:

• Laura’s story of becoming a mom and beginning her involvement with The Blue Dot Project 

• A traumatic birth, emergency C-section, and a fuzzy, detached feeling

• New family challenges when she and her husband both lost their jobs when their daughter was three weeks old

• A flurry of diagnoses that explained some of what Laura had experienced since childhood, even OCD and bipolar disorder

• Laura’s work with 2020 Mom while going through postpartum problems

• The beginnings and evolution of The Blue Dot Project

• The new iteration of The Blue Dot Project, The Blue Dot Safe Spot, which focuses on training support staff who interact with moms/families during the perinatal period

• The Blue Dot Safe Spot answers the “Now, what?” question for people who need more perinatal support.

• Laura’s vision for getting The Blue Dot Safe Spot in places everywhere

• How you can get involved (Email Laura at [email protected] and visit https://www.thebluedotproject.org; click the link to join the Interest List for The Blue Dot Safe Spot. 

Resources:

Connect with Laura Killgore and The Blue Dot Project: Website, Instagram, and Facebook.

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visitcdph.ca.gov.

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. 

There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services.

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms.

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/for information on the grief course. 

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today! 

If you are a California resident seeking a therapist in perinatal mental health, please ⁠email me⁠ about openings for private pay clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s episode marks the beginning of a four-part series on coping with specific holiday scenarios, including infertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and pregnancy loss. We will discuss tips and tricks that can also be useful at other times of the year when emotional challenges arise. I’ll offer coping skills that can help you, especially in your interactions with others. Today’s focus is on infertility and how to navigate the holidays when you are struggling. Join us!

Show Highlights:

• Handling the inevitable questions from friends, family, and acquaintances

• The “preloaded” expected feelings that come with the holidays–and the pressure they bring

• Navigating family gatherings when the spotlight is on you

• It’s okay to feel jealous, angry, sad, and resentful when others are experiencing what you desperately want.

• Intrusive questions are coming your way—for sure! (Everyone has an opinion on what you should do!)

• Understanding the emotional landscape you’re in

• Gentle reframes to use as coping skills:

  • It’s okay to feel however you feel, as opposed to how you think you should feel. (Shift from judgment to compassion and understanding.)

  • When things get busy, it’s harder to pay attention to what you need. (Take time for grounding, centering, and self-care.)

• Don’t be afraid to set boundaries as a way to honor your needs. When it comes to attending holiday events, set the following boundaries:

  • Say NO.

  • Have an exit strategy.

  • Protect your energy and peace. 

Resources:

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visit cdph.ca.gov.

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. 

There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services.

You can also follow PSI on social media, including Instagram, Facebook, andother platforms.

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/for information on the grief course. 

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today! 

If you are a California resident seeking a therapist in perinatal mental health, please email me about openings for private pay clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode introduces us to maternal ecodistress, explaining what it is and its relationship to matrescence. We also discuss why mothers are vulnerable to mental health challenges in relation to a changing climate and how we can support mothers in this experience. Join us to learn more through this fascinating conversation!

Dr. Allie Davis is a maternal mental health ecotherapist, author of The Mother Tree Method™, and creator of the Maternal Ecopsychology Certification™ for professionals supporting mothers through climate-aware, nature-based mental health care. She is the founder of Root and Ritual Wellness, based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she supports mothers in transforming ecodistress into rooted resilience through nature-based practices, storytelling, and care-centered community. 

Show Highlights:

• Understanding the role of a nature therapist, or ecotherapist, in maternal mental health

• The certification available for professionals in maternal ecopsychology

• Indicators that someone is being impacted by climate change

• Shifts we are seeing in how people want to live in relation to nature

• Offering space and support for mothers through their growth

• Categories included under the umbrella of ecodistress

• Deep connections to nature can impact the way we navigate grief, trauma, and hope.

• Ecological questing and its relationship to matrescence, identity, and well-being

• Mothers are more susceptible to climate distress

• Dr. Allie’s observations about ecodistress in pregnancy and postpartum

• Mothers and the eco-guilt burden they bear as caretakers of children and the home

• Being a good mother and a “good, green mother”

• Dr. Allie’s support for mothers in ecodistress, a trauma symptom that a reattachment to the earth can remedy

• Finding support for ecodistress in your community

• Focusing on “nearby nature” as a nature-based intervention

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Allie Davis: Website and Instagram

*The insights Dr. Davis shares in this episode are part of her project, Bringing Maternal Ecodistress into the Climate Conversation: A Media Toolkit for Science Communicators, supported by the Schmidt Science Communication Catalyst Grant. 

You can learn more and explore the Media Toolkit at www.dralliedavis.com/toolkit.  

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visitcdph.ca.gov.

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. 

There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services.

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms.

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/for information on the grief course. 

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today! 

If you are a California resident seeking a therapist in perinatal mental health, please email me about openings for private pay clients. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s guest shares her work in mentoring the next generation of doulas and helping maternal healthcare professionals balance the heart of their work with sustainable business practices. We also discuss Medicaid, systemic barriers to care, and systemic barriers that prevent some populations from accessing doula services. Join us to learn more!

Jacquelyn Clemmons is a veteran birth and postpartum doula, trainer, and mentor with over 20 years of experience serving diverse, intercultural families. She is the author of A Doula's Guide to Improving Maternal Health for BIPOC Women  and is the producer of the short film, Jazz and the Blues. Jacquelyn is a leading advocate for culturally competent care and a passionate supporter of doula services for all women. Through her Intrinsic Doula Design™ framework, she empowers doulas to build authentic, thriving businesses while transforming the families they serve. 

Show Highlights:

• Jacquelyn’s journey into doula work

• Jacquelyn’s framework, Intrinsic Doula Design™ 

• The shift in doula work in 2020

• Understanding the basics of business development is a big piece of doula work.

• The importance of a sustainable pricing model from the beginning

• Jacquelyn’s work as an advocate in Oregon

• Sustainable doulas help to stimulate local economies.

• Medicaid reimbursements for doula care are up to $3500 in the state of WA, which is leading the way. (OR and CA are close behind.)

• Hospitals’ greed—-watch out for it!

• What can you do? Advocate for yourself by always asking, “Can you please document that in my chart?” (Hospitals speak the language of liability.)

• Jacquelyn’s film project, Jazz and the Blues (See the trailer at okionu.app.)

• The need for comprehensive support for families, even those with good family support

• Jacquelyn’s book, A Doula's Guide to Improving Maternal Health for BIPOC Women 

• A well-matched doula can be a strong support for maternal mental health.

• The need for cultural respect and well-matched core values

Resources:

Connect with Jacquelyn Clemmons: Website, Instagram, and A Doula's Guide to Improving Maternal Health for BIPOC Women 

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visitcdph.ca.gov.

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. 

There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services.

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms.

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/for information on the grief course. 

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today! 

If you are a California resident seeking a therapist in perinatal mental health, please email me about openings for private pay clients. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the final episode of the 4-part series, 2 am Pep Talks. You can check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 by clicking these links. Today’s episode is all about hope! It is essential to understand that this season of early morning wake-up times will pass. Sleeping through the night again will happen for you, even though you may wonder now if you will ever sleep enough to feel like yourself again. A perinatal mood and anxiety disorder can increase the likelihood of thoughts filled with self-judgment, negativity, and hopelessness. Having to attend to the middle-of-the-night details of infant care can, even without PMADs, leave you feeling wrung out, tired, and isolated. It’s hard to maintain hope that this phase will shift when you are in the middle of it. Believe me, with time, practice, and support, everything will get easier, but it’s often difficult to see through to the other side. Join me for today’s discussion.

Show Highlights:

• Identify one thing you are looking forward to in the morning–even if it’s just that first cup of coffee!

• Nighttime care can feel monotonous and never-ending.

• Look at all the things you’ve learned!

• Take encouragement from other moms who can validate your experiences.

• Learn to validate your own feelings.

• Resilience and growth are yours to claim and honor.

• Tips for that middle-of-the-night time:

  • Use visualizations and affirmations.

  • Assure yourself that you are learning, shifting, and growing.

  • Be gentle with yourself. You are doing better than you think!

Resources:

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visitcdph.ca.gov.

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. 

There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services.

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms.

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/for information on the grief course. 

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today! 

If you are a California resident seeking a therapist in perinatal mental health, please email me about openings for private pay clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices