Perinatal and Postpartum Support
One of the major areas that Psychotherapy for Women specializes in is perinatal and postpartum life transitions and mood disorders. Navigating pregnancy, infertility, infant loss, delivery, and postpartum life can feel isolating. These unique challenges only faced by women can create changes in physical, mental, social, and emotional health. Due to the demands we as women face during and after pregnancy, it is common to see an increased need for support during these times.
One of the MOST effective ways to improve your experiences in pregnancy and postpartum is to have adequate and compassionate support during your journey. Psychotherapy for Women is here to provide just that, from wherever you may be.
Benefits of Our Services
There are numerous benefits that our services can provide you to improve your pregnancy and postpartum journeys. Some ways in which therapeutic support during pregnancy and postpartum can be beneficial include, but are not limited to:
- Having support in your life from someone who is none judgmental or biased
- Learning how to support your moods and understanding what is “normal” versus “concerning” thoughts, symptoms, and stressors
- Monitoring any intrusive or unwanted thoughts
- Planning for pregnancy challenges, body changes, and anxiety before becoming pregnant
- Improving areas of coping, daily healthy habits, and communication patterns before baby arrives
- Learning what you need and how to verbalize this to ensure you are getting adequate support
- Establishing self-care activities and routines that can help you cope in postpartum
- Creating a self-care plan to implement
- Exploring and identifying boundaries to protect your wishes during pregnancy/birth/postpartum
- Addressing childhood trauma, family ruptures, and life stressors before baby arrives
- Learning how to navigate life as a new mom
- Coping with changes in body, activity levels, energy, and moods post-baby
- Enhancing postpartum experiences and motherhood
For a healthier pregnancy and postpartum journey, having support to help you cope with these unique challenges and symptoms can create a lasting positive impact on your and your child(ren). I have helped many women learn how to cope with these stressors, increase their overall health and happiness, improve relationships, and manage their symptoms without further interventions.
Symptoms to Look Out For
If you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or recently post-partum, you may be wondering if it’s “normal” to feel how you’re feeling during this time. In reality, more women struggle with anxiety and depression during and after pregnancy than are reported. Symptoms that indicate you could benefit from support during this time often look like:
- Increased nervousness, feeling anxious, and/or being unable to control thoughts of worry
- Difficulty concentrating and/or completing tasks
- Changes in sleeping habits, including lack of sleep and/or sleeping more than usual
- An increase or decrease in appetite
- A noticeable change in mood
- Negative or poor body image
- Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless
- Easily and/or more tearful (crying) than usual
- Trouble managing and coping with the transition, causing difficulty engaging in day-to-day tasks
- Fear of “something awful” happening
- Difficulty asking for help
- Lack of people in your life you feel you can talk to
- Negative thoughts/feelings about pregnancy
- Current or previous loss of child during or after pregnancy
- Feeling a lack of time to do things for yourself
- Difficulty feeling able to connect with infant
- Intrusive/unwanted/scary thoughts
- Feeling guilt in any way
Pregnancy and postpartum can be wonderful experiences, but they do not come without change, stress, and challenges. Having a therapist in your corner who truly gets what it’s like, as a woman and as a mother, can make all the difference. This is why I specialize in supporting women during these transitions and am ready to help you improve your experience in pregnancy and postpartum. When women seek support during pregnancy and postpartum, they are more likely to:
- Have a better understanding of their needs
- Advocate for themselves more
- Have more confidence
- Know how to challenge and reduce intrusive/unwanted thoughts
- Report a greater sense of satisfaction in pregnancy and postpartum
- Feel less isolated or alone
- Set healthier boundaries in relationships
- Have more effective coping strategies
- Have a reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression
- Feel more confident in themselves
- Have less body image issues
- Feel more prepared for birth and delivery
- Have less severe symptoms of postpartum mood disorders
- Enjoy pregnancy and motherhood
Emphasis on helping women take better care of themselves
Are you wondering if therapy could help support your perinatal and/or postpartum experience? Reach out today to discuss what support may be best for you. Pregnancy and postpartum can be challenging, but that does not mean you have to feel bad or alone.
