Brigitte Mars, Herbalist, Raw Food Chef, Author
Save the date! Boulder’s own Brigitte Mars is coming to the BBCC (Boulder Birth Community Classroom) for a book signing and herbal talk.
Herbs for Pregnancy, Birthing, Nursing and Infants
Learn the properties of a few great plants that can be used safely and effectively for conditions such as morning sickness, anemia, threatened miscarriage, labor, expelling the placenta, recovery from childbirth, colic, teething and increasing milk supply. Learn how they work and the best methods for their administration.
When: March 19th, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Cost: 10.00/ per person
Register: please email: martman@boulderbirth.com for registration or call 720-352-5316
Where? 4800 Riverbend Road Suite 100, Boulder CO 80301
Reminder: go to boulderbirth.com for classroom schedule
Brigitte Mars is an herbalist from Boulder, Colorado, with over 35 years’ experience in natural medicine. She lived for two and a half years on solely wild edible plants while living in a teepee in the Ozarks in the early seventies. She is the author of Addiction Free Naturally, Sex, Love and Health, The HempNut Cookbook, Rawsome!, and Healing Herbal Teas.
Brigitte teaches at Naropa University, Esalen Institute,Kripalu, and many other locations. She has a nutritional and herbal private practice, works as a practitoner for Pharmaca and has a local weekly radio show called Naturally. She is the mother of Sunflower Sparkle Mars, with whom she leads Herb Camp for Kids, as well as Sunflower’s sister, Rainbeau Harmony Mars. Rainbeau is an actress, model and yogini, living in Santa Monica (www.rainbeaumars.com).
Brigitte has been happily married for thirty years to human design analyst, Tom Pfeiffer with whom she teaches raw food workshops.
By Kiersten Konikowski, RN, MSN, HCHI
Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis is a complete childbirth education program that eliminates the fear of giving birth, and instills confidence in its mothers and their birth partners. The Hypnobabies program teaches expectant women how to naturally reduce or eliminate any pregnancy discomforts, and how to give birth comfortably while remaining awake, mobile and in control using eyes-open childbirth hypnosis techniques.
Hypnobabies is a revolutionary method of preparing for natural birth based on master hypnotist, Gerald Kein’s highly effective “Painless Childbirth” program. Mothers learn easy self-hypnosis techniques to automatically produce a natural anesthesia throughout their bodies, using only the power of their own minds. These are the same medical hypnosis techniques that some dentists and doctors use to create natural anesthesia for pain-free dental work and surgeries, for their patients who cannot tolerate drugs!
What Options Do Hypnobabies Mothers Have to Prepare for That Joyful Day?
Hypnobabies mothers, fondly referred to as Hypno-moms, may choose to attend classes taught by a certified Hypnobabies Instructor, or may opt to do the Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis Home Study Course on their own. The Hypnobabies class consists of one 3-hour class per week that meets for 6 weeks. The classroom experience gives couples the wonderful opportunity to meet other moms that are expecting around the same time and to create a community where birthing naturally is valued. Birth partners attend classes with Hypno-moms so that they can become involved with the pregnancy and in the preparations for childbirth.
How Does Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis Work?
Hypnosis is not being asleep or under anyone else’s spell or control, as many would mistakenly believe, rather it is a state of hyper-awareness and focus. Hypnobabies childbirth hypnosis is “eyes-open” or waking hypnosis. Moms learn to enter deeply into relaxation and hypnosis, and create hypnotic anesthesia, with the “drop of her finger”, literally. She then learns to “center” and strengthen that anesthesia in the middle, birthing part of her body. Then with practice, mom is able to open her eyes, and walk and talk and change positions as her baby’s birth process dictates, all while remaining completely comfortable, and still deeply in hypnosis.
It is very easy, and actually quite pleasant to practice the Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis method. Mom simply listens and follows suggestions during a deeply relaxing thirty-minute script on CD, or while listening to the scripts that her birth partner reads to her. She alternates one or the other each day until baby comes. Mom also practices entering deeply into “eyes-open childbirth hypnosis”, and creates a natural anesthesia and profound relaxation with the “drop of her finger” 5 times each day for just 30-60 seconds at a time. Hypnobabies mothers still experience all the powerful, guiding sensations of childbirth, but they experience them as “pressure” sensations and not “discomfort” because they are actively producing a powerful natural hypno-anesthesia throughout their bodies during their babies’ births.
Can Hypnobabies Be Used Effectively by Single Mothers?
Single mothers or those whose partners will not be participating in the birth process can also, very successfully, use the Hypnobabies program. All of the hypno-anesthesia techniques can be easily learned, practiced and used alone, or with a birth partner. The birth partner can be the father, partner, doula, friend or a family member. A birth partner is not necessary to learning or practicing the program, but is a welcome participant if the mother chooses.
Childbirth Education
Along with all of the hypnosis techniques couples will learn to use, they will also learn everything they need to know about having a healthy pregnancy, the physiology of birth, newborn care, and the postpartum period. The Hypnobabies program covers topics such as:
- Creating Positive Expectations of Childbirth
- Staying Healthy & Low Risk – nutrition and exercise for pregnancy & birth
- Your Choices/Planning for Your Beautiful Birth – information about the risks and benefits of common procedures, and other consumer issues
- Your Birthing Time Begins, Late First Stage & Birth – explains the entire birthing process
- In-Depth Birth Rehearsal – practice as if this was baby’s birth day, also postpartum recovery, new baby care & breastfeeding information
Helping Mothers Make Informed Choices in Childbirth
I discovered the Hypnobabies program when I was pregnant with my second child. I had previously given birth in a very medical-focused labor and delivery unit via an induction and an epidural. With this second pregnancy I wanted a different experience for my baby and myself. The result was a very fast birth using Hypnobabies that was intervention free and completely comfortable with only some manageable discomfort at the very end. I was so impressed that I became a certified Hypnobabies instructor so that I could teach other expecting moms how to have a comfortable and easy birth.
Kiersten Konikowski has been a labor and delivery nurse since 2002. She currently practices at Boulder Community Foothills Hospital and teaches Hypnobabies classes at the Boulder Birth Community Classroom. You can find out more information about Hypnobabies and Kiersten’s upcoming classes by going to http://www.coloradobeautifulbirth.com or by calling 720-440-BABY.
Is “cake” the first thing you think of when you hear the word placenta? Me neither. Cake is the Latin word for placenta, but envisioning a forkful of placenta cake after the birth of my little girl was the last thing on my mind. When our midwife asked me what I wanted to do with my placenta and suggested having it encapsulated, I shrugged and agreed. At the time, I had no idea what encapsulation was, or even what to do with it. A couple days later she showed up with a bottle of capsules, just like any other supplement, and gave me dosing instructions for an optimal transition and balanced postpartum period. I looked at her, looked at my partner, opened the bottle, and popped two pills like Flinstone vitamins as a child. I shrugged again and thought, “What could it hurt?”
At the time, I didn’t realize how much I benefited from the goodness of my placenta pills. Now as a professional of the birthing community, I can easily reflect on my speedy recovery. I only had to wear those goofy mesh panties for a few days, and my bleeding had completely stopped in less than two weeks; I had cantaloupe sized breasts with enough milk to feed a small village; The word “migraine” seemed to have gotten lost in translation; I became a master of the Scrabble board and didn’t need to sleep until I defeated those who were up for the challenge; And most importantly, with a history of depression and anxiety, I cherished ever moment of my new family without any trace of the “Baby Blues” or panic attacks. I was inspired to learn and share this profound discovery in hopes that all families would be blessed with a similar transition to what I experienced.
Just like every person, every birth is different, as well as every placenta. Even though there aren’t specific clinical statistics around the benefits of human Placentophagy (consuming placentas), clinical research teamed with theoretical studies offer much reassuring evidence. The placenta’s hormones have been known to release higher levels of bonding chemicals, increase milk supply and quality, boost the Mother’s immune system (and if she’s breastfeeding, immune boosters are also passed to the baby), help the uterus return to its pre-pregnancy state, and minimize pain from the labors of giving birth. Many of these hormones that are present in the placenta, when ingested, are naturally reintroduced without side effects for the Mother or risks to the tiny, vulnerable baby.
The process that I use to encapsulate placentas is based on practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). According to the Chinese, much of the body’s heat or “Chi” (our life force) is stripped during pregnancy and labors of birthing, and needs to be replenished in the postpartum period. To restore the “Chi” I use practices of TCM to gently clean, steam, dehydrate, and powder the placenta in preparation for consumption. In addition to these beliefs of restoring the “Chi”, the purpose of the mother ingesting supplement-like placenta is to reintroduce the beneficial vitamins, minerals, hormones, proteins, and other nutrients to her body following labor and birth. Each placenta produces approximately 70-150 capsules, which are taken 3 times a day for the first two weeks or until a feeling of balance is attained. Because it is dehydrated for preservation, it can be stored for many years and taken in times of transition, loss, imbalance, or even menopause. This medicine is created specifically for that mama only, and individual results may vary.
In addition to making medicine, time is taken to honor the allure of this organ by creating one-of-a-kind keepsakes that go along with it. Placenta prints are a way for families to see the size and shape of the placenta, and why it is often referred to as the “Tree of Life”, and the umbilical cord keepsake is another unique complement. They are all presented as a gift of health, courage, and beauty.
There varying thoughts and opinions around the purpose of the placenta after a birth – whether it be considered infectious waste by medical practitioners, or the Tree of Life by earth loving hippies, it is still capable of providing many benefits to Mothers and babies after the birth. This all leads me to ask one question – Who wouldn’t want a “piece of cake” transition into parenthood?
For more information visit: www.yourearthbirth.com or contact Nichole Johnson at info@yourearthbirth.com.
Diastasis Recti is the cause of the mummy tummy and the Tupler Technique® is the only research-based program shown to heal diastasis recti.
Course description:
This is a 6-week course broken up into 3 meetings and 7-hours of instruction. We meet 3 x over the course of 6 weeks. Students will have daily exercises to do when we are not in session.
This class is for mothers of any age from 3 weeks to 40 years postpartum. It does not matter when or how you had your baby.
You will learn:
In class 1 you will learn what diastasis recti is, it’s effect on the body, basic abdominal and pelvic floor anatomy, exercises to avoid, theory of the Tupler Technique®, how to wear the Diastasis Rehab® splint, and the first two Tupler Technique® exercises. We will also take before measurements and photos.
In class 2 you will review anatomy and the first two Tupler Technique® exercises. You will also learn exercise progressions. We will also take week 3 measurements. This class meets 3 weeks into the program.
In class 3 you will learn a full body workout addressing the unique needs of the woman’s body. This workout pays close attention to the structural needs of the pelvic floor, abdominals, glutes, and upper back. We will also take week 6 photos and measurements. This class meets 6 weeks into the program.
This class is right for you if:
-You are experiencing low back pain, digestive distress, or urinary incontinence
-You want to learn how to effectively strengthen your abdominal muscles
-You have been diagnosed with diastasis recti
-You are not happy with the appearance of your abdomen following pregnancy
-No matter how many abdominal exercises you do, you cannot get rid of the abdominal pooch or distended look
-You have an umbilical hernia or are at risk for other types of hernias
For more information:
Please visit www.PeainthePodFitness.com/tupler-technique for more details and to register
You may also contact Abby Kurtz directly at:
303-351-2348 or Abby.Kurtz@PeainthePodFitness.com
When planning ones birth, many questions have to be considered. Expectant mothers and fathers often come up with a “birth plan” anticipating questions that may arise during the birthing process. One question that has recently emerged is how long to wait before clamping the umbilical cord. Currently there is not one well-accepted standard for when to clamp the umbilical cord. In most labor and delivery wards, once the baby is delivered, the cord is immediately clamped, stopping the blood supply from the placenta to the baby, and then cut, separating the baby from the mother. This process is usually done quickly allowing either necessary medical intervention, or immediate bonding between baby and mother. Delayed cord clamping, an alternative to this standard process, is when the delivering caregiver waits more than 30 seconds before clamping and cutting the umbilical cord. This way, the baby remains connected to the placenta for a longer time, and more blood is allowed to flow towards the baby increasing its reserve. The suggested time for delayed cord clamping is between 1 to 3 minutes, but up to 10 minutes has been shown to be safe.
Current literature about delayed umbilical cord clamping suggests that it is safe and beneficial for some births. One such benefit is the prevention of anemia (low red blood cell count) in the first six months of life. It has also been shown to be beneficial for premature infants. Reducing the rates of two common complications of pre-maturity, intra-ventricular Hemorrhages (brain bleeds) and severe life threatening infections.
There are also some concerns discussed in the literature regarding delayed umbilical cord clamping. One of these concerns is that the baby may develop polycythemia a condition where the blood is too thick and can clot inappropriately. Polycythemia can be very dangerous, causing breathing difficulties and even stroke in newborns. There are several medical circumstances where delayed cord clamping in not suggested. These include maternal bleeding or fetal distress including slow heart rate, meconium staining, or breathing difficulties. In addition, if you are thinking of banking your cord blood for stem cells, early clamping can increase the yield for a better sample.
Currently there is not enough definitive information to suggest delayed cord clamping for all births. If as a parent you do decide to delay umbilical cord claming, here are a couple of suggestions. Ask the delivering caregiver to keep the baby at the level of your belly prior to clamping the umbilical cord. This will allow blood to flow from the placenta to the baby naturally. Another suggestion is to not delay clamping for more than 10 minutes.
A little info on the practice :
Mindful Pediatrics is the general pediatric office of Roy Steinbock MD, a board certified pediatrician, seeing children from birth through adolescence for all their wellness care, sicknesses and general health guidance.
“At Mindful Pediatrics, I have created a practice that promotes the highest quality of care in a supportive and nurturing environment. I practice evidence-based western medicine with a holistic approach. I believe that each child is unique and has to be understood from a biological, psychological, spiritual and social perspective. Using my knowledge of general Pediatrics, nutrition, mindfulness, and holistic medicine, I guide my patients and their families in both well care and illness. From nutrition to exercise, mind-body, homeopathy, herbs and pharmaceutical drugs, I use the most appropriate and mildest combination to achieve the best outcome. Taking the time to gain this greater understanding, I believe is the key to an accurate diagnosis and treatment.”
“Wellness is our ability to respond to challenges and stressors effectively, and return to a state of balance. I focus on the root cause of a problem, and aim to support my patient’s natural resources for healing.”
-Roy Steinbock M.D.
Ashley Crutchfield, L Ac.
Acupuncture is a great option for those of you who may experience nausea during pregnancy. It is quite normal for women to feel nauseous first thing in the morning during their first trimester of pregnancy, commonly called ‘morning sickness’. Eastern philosophy explains that the mother’s energy ‘qi’ and blood go to nourish the fetus which can take away from the mother’s own stomach qi. Normally the stomach ‘qi’ descends downwards, but if it is too much or too little it can start ascending, counter flowing upwards causing symptoms of nausea and vomiting.
Japanese acupuncture is very gentle, safe and effective for nausea during pregnancy. Using a highly refined palpation system for diagnosis and treatment, we use thin silver needles to balance your body’s energy, including strongly descending the stomach qi to relieve nausea and vomiting. Most women will feel relief after their first treatment. We recommend a series of four treatments depending on the severity of the nausea as each one adds to the cumulative effect of balancing the mother’s body. The earlier you are able to come in for treatment the more quickly we are able to adjust your qi and relieve your symptoms.
We also see and treat severe cases of nausea in the clinic. This includes persistent nausea that lasts all day every day for months well past first trimester. Anti-emetic medications can be helpful and most women respond to them, however they can have side effects such as headaches and constipation. Sometimes women prefer not to use medication. Some women have already tried anti-nausea medication such as Zofran three times per day since the onset of their nausea with little effect and have lost significant weight and body fluids due to not being able to keep anything down. They end up having to go to the hospital for intravenous hydration and nutrients. Acupuncture is very helpful for these difficult cases. In addition to the acupuncture treatment we might send you home with tiny inter-dermals on the anti-nausea acupressure points for home therapy. As the nausea dissipates, these women are able to eat and drink again, they gain weight back, become hydrated and as a result the fetus also receives better nutrition and can grow and develop.
If you have never tried acupuncture before, it is normal to feel nervous. I can assure you we are very gentle and explain everything to you. Most women say that it is so relaxing they fall asleep during the treatment. Let us know how we can support you through your healthy pregnancy. We are conveniently located right across the hall from the Boulder Nurse Midwives, so please come and ask us questions!
Pregnancy is amazing- it is true. In preparation for baby the body twists and turns in an endless series of surprise and wonder. Cue the curves, larger breasts, stretched skin, and expanding belly. These changes are essential- a gift even- and yet most women have moments where they wonder when the pounds will subside. For some there is a number that is a threshold; for others it is a game of “catch up” where they attempt to adjust their body image to match the new self.
This adjustment process is not linear, nor simple. As the body changes, many mothers-to-be begin to feel disconnected from their growing bellies and develop negative feelings related to their new bodies. Some women describe cyclical thoughts of the likes of: “As long as I lose the weight by…” or “My friend is 8 weeks ahead of me and looks 8 weeks smaller…” or even… “If Heidi Klum can…I should…”
Normal, but not helpful.
Exploring the emotional/cognitive changes that accompany the physical changes of the body can help women let go and even shed some of the unhelpful thoughts that get in the way of connecting with baby and preparing for a life/body that may look different than expected. Again, not linear or simple, but still important. This process looks different for every woman. For some it is a matter of focusing on the new life brewing within- visualizing and celebrating the expanding space for growing baby. For others it is a more arduous process of changing unhelpful body thoughts- or more profoundly- changing your relationship to said thoughts. There is no manual, but some steps might include:
- Labeling thoughts to defuse them from the self (e.g., “I am too fat” becomes “I’m having the thought that I am too fat”). Thoughts are thoughts. They can be pesky. They can be painful. But they are thoughts. Just thoughts. Labeling thoughts can create the needed distance to shift your self-image.
- Practicing mindfulness activities can also help to connect to the growing body instead of engaging in an unspoken war to meet a standard that is both slippery and silly. Mindfulness, whether breathing or yoga, can help to erase the “rules” and create internal cues for a more balanced body image.
- Giving the self permission to grow/fall/zig-zag is essential in becoming a mother. Pregnancy and parenting can be messy. There is little room for perfection, so the sooner mothers/mothers-to-be learn to give themselves permission to make mistakes, the more effective (and fun) their journey can be.
- Keeping good company is also a way to help build a positive body image during pregnancy. Throw out the magazines. Nobody needs to know how much weight Penelope Cruz gained and/or lost. This is not your story, your body, or your baby. Find compassionate women who do not engage in “fat talk” and who make room for your growing belly and brewing thoughts.
- And if these steps do not make sense or are not helpful, consider talking to a therapist. Going to therapy can provide a safe, confidential place to examine and “catch up” to the changing self and to learn more about how to build a positive self-image for pregnancy and beyond.
Pregnancy is amazing, but in order to capture (and hopefully celebrate) the fleeting moments of this journey, brooding over bellies needs to shift to nurturing the brilliant bond with baby.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns you may have.
Samantha Strife, Ph.D.
(720) 675-8185
Bio: Samantha Strife has a 10-month old daughter and is a psychologist, practicing in Boulder. She works primarily with women’s health issues (e.g., pregnancy/postpartum concerns and eating disorders). Dr. Strife is also part-time faculty in the Psychology Department at University of Colorado, Boulder.
by Heather Lyn, A Mellow Mood Mama Spa
I would arrive for my massage appointment hurried and out of breath. On the verge of tears. As soon as I would settle in on the massage table, I would feel the anxiety melting away. It felt good to spend time with my belly and feel my baby move. I felt safe and taken care of. In the 3rd trimester, I was surrounded by advice, stories and comments about my body and upcoming birth. The stress settled in my body and filled my mind with questions. Massage enveloped me, like a hug from my mother would make me feel. Before being pregnant myself, I only imagined the benefits of prenatal massage. I used my training and education as a prenatal massage therapist and my instincts to care for the pregnant bodies on my massage table. I now realize massage not only calmed my body and baby, but also my fears and anxiety about birth and what the heck was happening to my body.
Benefits for Mamas – for their own experience in Prenatal Massage
- Reduces stress
- Promotes relaxation
- Offers emotional and physical nurturing
- Reduces swelling and muscle strain and pain
- Fosters nurturing and confident touch to baby
Massage can be a way to pause while pregnant. A time to be still for mom and baby.
Stress activates the sympathetic branch of the nervous system also known as our fight and flight response. Chronic sympathetic arousal provoked by worries and anxieties can negatively affect childbearing and development. Moms can experience increased maternal heart rate, reduced blood supply to the uterus and prolonged labors. Moms postpartum can experience increased infant irritability and digestive disturbances. Support can counteract the negative effects of stress. (Carol Osborne-Sheets, Pre-and Perinatal Massage Therapy, Nurturing the Births of Mothers and Their Babies)
Massage is support for the growing prenatal body. Moms in all stages of pregnancy can benefit from stress reduction and the power of touch therapy.
~A peaceful pregnancy for you and your baby is our mission at a Mellow Mood
Find us across the hall from the Boulder Nurse Midwives ~ 303-444-0919
Postpartum Depression and Anxiety are usually the last things you are thinking about
when you both muddle and dance through the 9 or so months of your pregnancy. You’ve
heard about PPD before in the news or perhaps your midwife or OB has mentioned it to
you, but my guess is that, for the most part, the idea of these very unfortunate happenings
kind of go in one ear and out the other. There are myths about PPD that we all know and
quiver at anyway: If you have PPD it means that you want to hurt yourself or your baby;
If you say you have PPD someone will take your baby away; If you are not happy in
early motherhood you must be a terrible mother; If you are depressed or anxious during
pregnancy or early motherhood you should just plow through and get over it. And with
these myths (and yes, they are all myths but more on that later) who, on earth, would
want to consider being affiliated with anything like postpartum depression?
But here is the thing, Perinatal Mood Disorders (occurring during pregnancy and/
or postpartum and including PPD) are pretty darn common- In fact, about 1 in 5 new
mothers will struggle with some form of depression and/or anxiety sometime during
pregnancy or the first 12 months after having a baby. And, guess what, these moms are
really no different than you and me. . These women are professors. They are artists.
They are lawyers. They are athletes. They are students. They are cooks. They are
writers. They are labor and delivery nurses. They are pediatricians, obstetricians, and
midwives. They are accountants. They are mothers. They are wives. They are partners.
They are friends. They are human. They are creative. They are witty. They are wise.
These women are thinkers. They are dreamers. They love to laugh. They often cry.
These women are bold. They are brave. And they are beautiful.
As my colleague William Meyers at Duke University so eloquently notes:
These are mothers in strained relationships with the baby’s fathers, or those dealing with
the added stress of an unconventional life style. These are the mothers with careers who
always wanted to be mothers but now, at home, miss the challenges and adult stimulation
of their former employments. They are the working mothers who out of necessity had
to return too soon to work and had to leave their babies in less-than-optimal child-care.
They are the relocated mothers who just moved to the area due to their partners’ job
transfers and find themselves alone in an unfamiliar city. They are the anxious mothers
of hard-to-soothe babies. They are the perfectionist mothers who have always held
themselves to impossibly high standards and now as new mothers feel they are failures.
They are the mothers who were used to having a fair amount of control over their lives
until they had early deliveries, unexpected c-sections, or babies with special needs.
They are the giving mothers whose babies have colic, won’t sleep, won’t take the breast
and won’t be consoled. They are hard on themselves, sleep-deprived, and even food-
deprived.
These are women who are highly competent and well loved. They just also happen to be
struggling at a time when they least expected or wanted to.
We now know that PPD is the most common complication of childbirth and it’s the one
that most of us don’t expect. Perinatal Mood Disorders are primarily a physiological
issue- meaning that they are caused by biochemical changes that occur in a woman
after she gives birth. Because of the major hormone shifts that take place immediately
following delivery, sleep deprivation that manages to come right along with having
a newborn, and common nutrient depletion that results from pregnancy, childbirth,
and breast feeding, many women (again, about 20%) are more vulnerable to other
psychological and social stressors that might occur with the addition of a new baby. And
so, Moms at risk may become depressed and/or anxious because they are simply less
resilient to stress than they might otherwise be. Psychological and social stressors that
might team up with the physical stressors mentioned above include but are not limited
to: a personal or family history of mental illness including depression/anxiety, negative
thinking patterns including perfectionist thinking and high expectations of self, a history
of abuse, trauma, or family conflict, major life changes during pregnancy or postpartum,
lacking social support, a sick or colicky newborn, and a traumatic birth experience. The
biggest take away from this? PPD is not a woman’s fault and has absolutely nothing to
do with the kind of mother that she is or wants to be.
But it is important that these Moms get the support that they need and deserve. Because
while PPD does not mean that you are a terrible mother, it does make it difficult to enjoy
the early weeks and months of parenting and may interfere with your ability to bond and
attach with your baby.
So, lets get back to those myths:
1. If you have PPD it means that you want to hurt yourself or your baby.
Most women who are struggling with depression and/or anxiety are not at risk for hurting
themselves or their children.
1.Feeling badly is a normal part of being a new mother.
Although becoming a parent is overwhelming and exhausting for most, it is not normal to
feel down for a long time or continuously after a baby is born.
2. If I tell anyone how I am feeling, they will take my baby away.
Having PPD is not a reason for anyone to take your baby away. In fact, women who seek
help are doing so not just for themselves but also for their families.
3.I should just pull myself together.
Depression and anxiety are real illnesses and you are really suffering. It does not mean
that you are weak and lazy and usually this is not something that mom can conquer on
her own.
4. If I feel this badly, I am not meant to be a mother and I am a bad mother.
PPD is not a reflection of a mom’s love for her baby or desire to take care of her baby,
but it does interfere with her ability to enjoy pregnancy or the first weeks and months
after childbirth.
5. There are no safe treatments, so why bother getting help?
There are many excellent, safe, and effective treatments for PPD. Each and every
Perinatal Mood Disorder is treatable, and women who seek out and follow through with
appropriate support and treatment DO GET BETTER.
The raw truth about it is that having a new baby is not easy for anyone, no matter what
kind of “perfect” they appear to be from the outside. We all struggle, each and every one
of us. But those of us who’s struggle out weighs the happiness and hopefulness need not
feel this way. There is help. Asking for it is usually that hardest part.
Kate Kripke, LCSW