perinatal

Content Warning: Intrusive thoughts, anxiety and challenges with nursing.

Hello and welcome to Perinatal Wellbeing episode #6 today is part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Jodi Pawluski. Jodi is a researcher, neuroscientist, therapist, podcaster, and parent! Jodi is from Canada and currently lives in France with her partner and 2 kids. Jodi researches the Parental brain and you can learn all about it on her website and on her podcast, Mommy Brain Revisited. Jodi is also a perinatal mental health therapist. In this episode, Jodi shares her story of her delivery with her 2nd child and her experience with nursing him, in a different country than her first. We also talk about the neuroscience of anxiety and the biology of nursing. And because we had so much to talk about you get to hear Jodi’s story in 2 parts! Please see last week’s show for part 1.  

You can find Jodi at https://www.jodipawluski.com and her podcast Mommy Brain Revisited is on most major platforms.

In this episode, Rebecca sits down with Jaime Charlebois and Patricia Tomasi, co-Founders of the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative, which advocates for the treatment of all individuals during preconception, pregnancy, and the postpartum periods. We get into the topic of perinatal mental health and how advocacy platforms can be used to inform policy and to improve perinatal mental health care. 

Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative (CPMHC): https://cpmhc.ca/

You Are Not Alone: An anthology of perinatal mental health stories from conception to postpartum

• Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/You-Are-Not-Alone-conception/dp/1989664083
• Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/you-are-not-alone-an/9781989664087-item.html

Biographies:

Jaime Charlebois is the Perinatal Mood Disorder Coordinator at Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital and Regional Volunteer Coordinator for Postpartum Support International. She is also the Co-Founder & Research Director of the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative, non-profit lobbying the federal government to create a perinatal mental health strategy. Ms. Charlebois holds a Master of Science in Nursing, a Perinatal Nursing Certification from the Canadian Nurses Association, and a Perinatal Mental Health certification from Postpartum Support International. Her work experience includes 16 years of clinical nursing, seven years in higher education, and seven years in clinical leadership positions. She collaborates at the local, provincial, and national levels with multiple organizations and committees

Patricia Tomasi is a mom of two who struggled to find help for perinatal mental illness. She is a former journalist, turned fierce advocate, who went from writing about the state of maternal mental health in Canada as a reporter for HuffPost Canada to lobbying the federal government for a national perinatal mental health strategy. She is the Co-founder and Communications Director for the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative and the Founder of the cheeky Maternal Mental Health Matters Blog. She started the private Facebook Postpartum Depression & Anxiety Support Group in 2017 where thousands of women from around the world support each other 24/7. Prior to her advocacy work, Patricia spent a decade providing communications and media relations expertise for the Ontario government, and in addition to HuffPost Canada, she worked as a reporter for CTV and CBC News in Vancouver, Toronto, Timmins, and Thunder Bay.

 Content Warning: In this episode we are discussing challenges with nursing and grief and trauma that can be associated with that. I use the word breastfeeding when discussing my own story and I continue to work towards more inclusive language including using either nursing, chest feeding or body feeding. 

Let’s open up the conversation around nursing! There are so many stories of parents struggling to get started with nursing, not being able to nurse for as long as they want to, or at all and this can bring up extreme shame and guilt and have a very negative impact on a parent’s mental health. And there are also parents that do nurse because they physically can however, they struggle mentally and feel pressure to continue nursing even when they feel they don’t want to or can’t cope. And nursing can be a lovely journey for so many parents and then they experience a lot of grief when they decide to stop nursing or baby is ready to wean. And let’s not forget the shame and confusing messages we hear about nursing! It can be a rollercoaster of an experience. 

This episode is simply an introduction to this topic, to open up the discussion and is by no means an exhaustive exploration of all the challenges that various people face when trying to feed their babies. I open the discussion with my story of breastfeeding and acknowledge that this is only one type of story out there. I am not a lactation consultant, or feeding expert so please seek out help if you feel you are experiencing challenges with feeding your baby. We will have more guests on the podcast to discuss other perspectives and stories around this topic. 

Highlights:

3:55 My Story with breastfeeding 

6:35 Guilt and Shame

13:27 We’re not born knowing how to breastfeed

14:55 Judgement from others

17:55 Potential challenges during breastfeeding

22:13 Experiencing a grief or trauma wound from challenges with breastfeeding

23:47 How do we cope?

Resources: 

Support for Transgender and Non-Binary Parents https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/transgender-non-binary-parents/ 

You can find us at www.perinatalwellbeing.ca on Instagram @perinatalwellbeing_ontario or by email info@perinatalwellbeing.ca

Welcome to Linda's Corner, a top rated, positive, encouraging, self-improvement podcast.  In this episode, I'm delighted to welcome Catherine O’Brien.  Catherine is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, the author of “Happy with Baby: Essential Relationship advice when partners become parents,” founder of HappyBaby.com, the California state co-coordinator for Postpartum support International;  and she helped establish “A Mother’s Heart” in Sacramento, where mothers with perinatal and anxiety disorders can go to receive support, and she participates in the Sacramento Maternal Mental Health Collaborative.  You can reach Catherine at her website happywithbaby.com and on social media @happywithbaby.

Please share, subscribe, leave a rating and review, visit the Linda's Corner website at lindascornerpodcast.com and/or follow on youtube, facebook, instagram, and pinterest @lindascornerpodcast.

Also please visit the Hope for Healing website at hopeforhealingfoundation.org for free resources to increase happiness, build confidence and self esteem, improve relationships, manage stress, and calm feelings of depression and anxiety.  

Content Warning: Examples of various type of intrusive thoughts 

Episode description: On today’s episode we’re going to talk about Intrusive Thoughts in the Perinatal Period. I’m going to share the clinical definition, what this looks like in real-life, when it’s a good idea to ask for help and how to cope with these types of thoughts. I experienced intrusive thoughts in the Postpartum period, and I will share this experience with you. Let’s open up this discussion to reduce the barriers to seeking help and the shame that can come with these thoughts. 

Highlights:

2:33 - What are Intrusive thoughts? 

4:13 - Different types of thoughts. 
 7:52 - What does this look like in real-life? 

9:28 - Creating meaning around intrusive thoughts. 

10:45 - Shame and guilt.

12: 28 – Intrusive thoughts knock us out of our window of tolerance.

14:20 - Developing compulsions.
 15:00 - When to ask for help.

15:35 - Barriers to disclosing intrusive thoughts.

18:50 - Coping with intrusive thoughts.

21:52 - The process of managing the thoughts.

24:53 - Normalizing anxiety.

26:26 - Anchoring in the Self, trusting ourselves.

28:17 - Other ways to cope.

Resources: 

An incredible book for new parents is “Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts” by Karen Kleiman. 

And a great book for clinicians and parents is Karen Kleiman’s book “Dropping the Baby and Other Scary Thoughts: Breaking the Cycle of Unwanted Thoughts in Parenthood”, from which I have used a lot of information for this post as well as in my work with clients. 

You can find more information at www.perinatalwellbeing.ca on Instagram @perinatalwellbeing_ontario or by email info@perinatalwellbeing.ca 

You can find information and free online support groups at Postpartum Support International www.postpartum.net 

Content Warning: Intrusive Thoughts, Suicidal Thoughts

On today’s episode I share my story of having Postpartum Anxiety and Depression after the birth of my 3rd child. I share the different signs and symptoms that I experienced, what my journey to recovery looked like and how I made meaning from that challenging time. 

Highlights:

My Backstory highlighting previous breastfeeding and baby blues experiences 3:15

Birth and the beginning of my Postpartum Experience 5:39

The symptoms I experienced 6:21

Shame and guilt around breastfeeding 9:11

Social Media and comparisons 10:59

Lactation Consultant suggested PPD, researching PPD 12:31

Other Symptoms 14:21

Intrusive Thoughts 15:32

When I knew I needed help 16:58

6 Week check-up and asking for help 18:41

Referral to a support program and journey to recovery 21:02

Diagnosis and medication refusal 24:11

The ups and downs of recovery 25:12

Contemplating medication at 6 months postpartum 26:44

Starting medication and medication change 29:08

Grief 30:50

The 1 year mark and more grief and sadness 31:41

My husband’s support 34:35

ADHD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder diagnoses 35:18

Making meaning out of my story 37:00

Awareness of my mental health 38:14 

Resources: 

You can find us at www.perinatalwellbeing.ca on Instagram @perinatalwellbeing_ontario or by email info@perinatalwellbeing.ca      

Check out Postpartum Support International at www.postpartum.net for more information about Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders as well as free online support groups and a provider directory. 

You can look for an individual therapist on www.psychologytoday.com . 

Did you know what we often disparagingly refer to as “Mom Brain” has a scientific adaptive function? We know motherhood/parenthood affects every aspect of our lives. On our latest episode of Therapeutic Perspective Podcast, Dr. Ilyse Dobrow DiMarco, author of Mom Brain, shares practical tips to support moms in all stages of parenting—how to negotiate household responsibilities with partners, navigate challenging conversations about boundaries with the in-laws, how NOT to completely lose our identity in parenthood, and coping with the bane of motherhood companionate. 

Get all of our latest news, be the first to know about new episodes and events, and stay connected through Instagram and Facebook. Also, checkout our free, interactive clinician community on Facebook.

The topic for this episode is the Golden Hour, and the team are joined by student midwife Aimee Honeysett and midwife and midwifery lecturer Ola Ogbuehi as they consider the physiology of the first hour after birth and some of the practices which may be more or less helpful during this time.

Resources

Eyal Abraham, Talma Hendler, Orna Zagoory-Sharon, Ruth Feldman,
Interoception sensitivity in the parental brain during the first months of parenting modulates children's somatic symptoms six years later: The role of oxytocin,
International Journal of Psychophysiology, Volume 136, 2019, Pages 39-48, ISSN 0167-8760,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.02.001. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167876017303185)

Care Quality Commission (2020) 2019 Survey of women's experiences of maternity care: statistical release. https://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/20200128_mat19_statisticalrelease.pdf

Christensson, K., Siles, C., Moreno, L., Belaustequi, A., De La Fuente, P., Lagercrantz, H., Puyol, P. & Winberg, J. (1992) Temperature, metabolic adaptation and crying in healthy full-term newborns cared for skin-to-skin or in a cot. Acta Paediatrica, 81 (6-7), 488-493.

Moore, E. R., Anderson, G. C., Bergman, N. & Dowswell, T. (2012) Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (5), N.PAG.

Jennifer L. Neczypor, Sharon L. Holley, Providing Evidence-Based Care During the Golden Hour, Nursing for Women's Health, Volume 21, Issue 6, 2017, Pages 462-472

Odent M (2002) The First Hour Following Birth: Don’t Wake the Mother! Midwifery Today, Issue 61, Spring 2002.

 Mikko J. Peltola, Lane Strathearn, Kaija Puura, Oxytocin promotes face-sensitive neural responses to infant and adult faces in mothers, Psychoneuroendocrinology, Volume 91,
2018, Pages 261-270, ISSN 0306-4530, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.02.012.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453017311927)

In this episode from the series “Key Decisions in HIV Care,” Milena Murray, PharmD, MSc, BCIDP, AAHIVP, and Jonah Musa, MBBS, MSCI, PhD, discuss important considerations for ART use in pregnancy, including DHHS and WHO guideline recommendations and data supporting recommended ART regimen options in pregnancy from IMPAACT 2010, Tsepamo, and DoLPHIN-2. They also discuss pharmacokinetic considerations and drug–drug interactions. Following their dialogue, the faculty field questions from healthcare professionals.

Presenters:

Milena Murray, PharmD, MSc, BCIDP, AAHIVP
Associate Professor  
Pharmacy Practice
Midwestern University College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove Campus
Downers Grove, Illinois
HIV/ID Clinical Pharmacist
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Chicago, Illinois

Jonah Musa, MBBS, MSCI, PhD
Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of Jos
Honorary Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist
Jos University Teaching Hospital
Jos, Nigeria

Content based on an online CME program supported by educational grants from Gilead Sciences, Inc.; Janssen Therapeutics, Division of Janssen Products, LP; and ViiV Healthcare.

Follow along with the slides at:
https://bit.ly/3GRxpGQ

Link to full program:
https://bit.ly/2TXTYWx

In this episode, Milena Murray, PharmD, MSc, BCIDP, AAHIVP, explores recommendations and data on maternal weight gain associated with ART use in pregnancy.

Listen as she gives her perspectives on:

• IMPAACT 2010 data on maternal weight gain with DTG + FTC/TAF vs DTG + FTC/TDF vs EFV/FTC/TDF
• SMARTT study data on gestational weight gain by ART class
• Tsepamo Surveillance study data on maternal weight and birth outcomes among women receiving ART, as well as weight outcomes with DTG vs EFV
• DHHS Perinatal Guideline recommendations on dolutegravir and maternal weight gain

Presenter:

Milena Murray, PharmD, MSc, BCIDP, AAHIVP
Associate Professor  
Pharmacy Practice
Midwestern University College of Pharmacy
Downers Grove Campus
HIV/ID Clinical Pharmacist
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Chicago, Illinois

Follow along with the slides at:
https://bit.ly/3DusMQk

See the entire program at:
https://bit.ly/2TXTYWx

In this episode, Milena Murray, PharmD, MSc, BCIDP, AAHIVP, explores the data to support the use of tenofovir alafenamide in pregnancy.

Listen as she gives her perspectives on:

• DHHS guideline recommendations for the use of TAF in pregnancy
• Pharmacokinetic data to support adequate TAF concentrations throughout pregnancy
• Available antiretroviral pregnancy registry information on the use of TAF in pregnancy
• Data from the IMPAACT 2010 study to support the use of a TAF-containing regimen in pregnancy

Presenter:

Milena Murray, PharmD, MSc, BCIDP, AAHIVP
Associate Professor  
Pharmacy Practice
Midwestern University College of Pharmacy
Downers Grove Campus
HIV/ID Clinical Pharmacist
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Chicago, Illinois  

Follow along with the slides at:
https://bit.ly/3ofTHLr

Link to full program: 
https://bit.ly/2TXTYWx

For most women, having a baby is a beautiful and joyful time. For some, it can be a very stressful, anxious time. It can also produce something that one might not expect - depression.

Many mamas will experience “baby blues'' following childbirth, which usually lasts up to 6 weeks. They will experience symptoms like mood swings, crying, irritability, etc.

Sometimes, a more severe form occurs called Postpartum depression - symptoms include depressed mood, sleep issues, crying all the time, feeling of worthlessness, intrusive thoughts, plus several other symptoms. This period also increases the risk of suicide or suicide ideation.

As September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, this episode is dedicated to raising awareness in preventing suicide in moms by encouraging moms to take charge of their mental health. 

On this episode of the WHoly Mom Chat, I talk with Dr. Jessica Kaffer, a licensed Clinical Psychologist and a Perinatal Mental Health Specialist located in the Phoenix area.  Jessica shares her journey of experiencing postpartum depression herself as we take a deep dive into mom rage and not being afraid to ask for help.

Note: If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or call 911 immediately.

Do you know about my coaching services? My mission here at WHoly Mom is to empower women to find and nurture their true selves through the transformation of mind, body, and spirit. With my coaching clients, I focus on your individual needs to understand your specific situation. Together, we create a personalized plan to help you meet your goals. 

These sessions can take place in person or virtually. For my podcast listeners, I am offering $50 off any package with the code "50off" So shoot me an email at info@wholymom.com with 50off in the subject line and let's book your FREE discovery call today! 

Could you do me a favor? Would you please subscribe and leave a 5-star review so that other 
mamas can find out about this podcast! 

To get the full version of the show notes - https://wholymom.com/podcast/episode18 

In this episode of the Tea & Toast podcast, the team discuss mental health and mental ill health before and after birth. Joined by midwifery lecturer and researcher Dr. Catriona Jones, they discuss why this can be such a vulnerable time for parents' mental health and consider what strategies and support might help.

Accessing support around mental health in the perinatal period

If you have any concerns about your own or someone else's mental health before or after birth, the team strongly recommend you talk to one of your healthcare team - who you pick within the team is less important than choosing someone you feel comfortable talking to.

If you feel you need further support, or just want to know more about mental health issues around birth, a wide variety of organisations work in this area. Some of these include:

Mind 
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/postnatal-depression-and-perinatal-mental-health/about-maternal-mental-health-problems/

Maternal Mental Health Alliance
https://maternalmentalhealthalliance.org/about/the-issue/

Family Action
https://www.family-action.org.uk/what-we-do/early-years/perinatal-support-services/

Pandas (support with postnatal depression)
https://pandasfoundation.org.uk/

Join Hero and Elizabeth Baron of The Motherhood Center as they talk Maternal Mental Health, PMADs, stigmas around motherhood and pregnancy, and much more.

Elizabeth Baron is a New York state licensed mental health counselor and psychotherapist currently working as a therapist at the motherhood center of New York, and through her own private practice.. She received her masters degree in counseling psychology from Columbia University’s teachers college, and has since focused on maternal mental health. She is pattionate about the transition into and through motherhood - from the preconception stage and pregnancy through early childhood development and parenting. She has an expertise in treating perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and is deeply committed to destigmamtizing maternal mental illness and advocating for womens needs through the motherhood experience. Elizabeth is a member of postpartum support International, the American psychological association, and the women’s mental health consortium. 

The Motherhood Center of New York

https://www.themotherhoodcenter.com

Mental Health Resources

• https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
• http://www.mhresources.org
• https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support/contact-helpline
• https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

It goes without saying that there are a number of BS stigmas surrounding motherhood. Whether it be perinatal mood disorders, postpartum depression, or even how freaking difficult it is to keep the kitchen clean after having a child, the lifespan of motherhood is hard enough without the high expectations we humans have of moms everywhere. I am joined by Kate Ferguson to discuss reproductive mental health, the United States' mentality around motherhood, and what NOT to do at Disneyland. 

Parents, if you have experienced any form of trauma leading up to, during or in follow up to giving birth, we're going to be discussing how to care for your mental health. What a lonely and intense experience it can be, and Rita is going to help us all understand what birth trauma experiences are like, reassure you that not only are you not alone, but there are real ways through the pain.

As an adoptive parent who has never given birth, I can't even imagine what you brave parents have experienced. It seems so vulnerable, fraught with risks and variables, and there's so much at stake. I wish for you all, the best possible outcomes and ongoing mental health and wellbeing, and if you've gone through traumatic experiences, may you find true relief and healing from the real pain you've been living with.

If this topic hits home for you, please practice self-care before, while and after listening to this episode. Notice what comes up for you in your body, thoughts you might have and fears that linger in your bones. Know that there's help available to you if you need it, and that your lived experience is legitimate, however it was imprinted on you. If you know someone who might find themselves in the stories told in today's episode, please consider sharing this with them.

Rita created a custom postpartum care guide for you, which you will receive in your inbox by subscribing here. And spoiler alert - she'll be back for a second conversation next episode on Postpartum Depression & Anxiety.

Here to hold space for you on your journey,
Karen

P.S.
If you'd like to learn more about our guest, you can follow Rita Girn on Instagram @rkmggroup and find her profile on Psychology Today here, or in the Postpartum Support Directory here. We'll promote this episode again during Birth Trauma Awareness Week from July 19-25, 2021.

If you'd like to do more reading or access further support, check out these resources:
Postpartum Support and birth trauma resources out of Vancouver, BC.
Healing after traumatic birth or prevention/treatment or birth trauma association.
If you'd like to access the printable resources out of Australia, go here for the guides. Birth trauma recovery resources can also be found here.

And here are some suggested reading materials on the subject:

Traumatic Childbirth by Cheryl Tatano Beck(2013)

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk M.D. (2015)

The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment: Norton Professional Books (Hardcover) by Babbette Rothschild (2000)

Há dois anos, uma amiga de infância passou por um luto perinatal após a morte de sua pequena Stella, na 33ª semana de gestação. Na época, me fiz presente da forma que pude para aquela amiga. Mas eu não era mãe e só podia imaginar a dor da morte de um filho. Hoje, tenho um filho de oito meses e essa mesma amiga, a Andrezza Duarte, teve também um outro bebê, o Oliver, que está com 7 semanas de vida. Recentemente, li uma reportagem dela e de outras mães que perderam seus bebês durante a gestação e decidi que gostaria de convidá-la para conversar comigo aqui no podcast. Colocando este assunto em pauta, minha intenção é contribuir para quebra de tabu e dar voz para milhares de pessoas enlutadas que sofrem isoladas. Conversei também com a Beatriz Kesselring enfermeira obstetra, psicanalista em formação e sócia-fundadora do "Núcleo Cuidar" que reúne grupos de pais lidando com o luto. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode I talk to Heather, who is a mom of 4, a twin mom, an RN, and one of the newer staff members here at Pacific Post Partum! Heathers shares her 3 different experiences with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, her birth stories, what helped in recovery, and the healing journey she has been on since then. CW: Heather shares her experiences with pregnancy loss, and she shares some intrusive thoughts that might be upsetting to some listeners. 

 For this episode of Beyond Postpartum I had the honour of having the lovely Robin Gale as my guest. Robin is a mom of 2, a full spectrum doula, a breastfeeding counsellor, and a staff member here at PPPSS. She shares her journey with PPD and PPA, her experience having a newborn with a heart condition, what helped in her recovery, and the skills and tools that she has carried with her from that experience.