New Mothers

Welcome to motherhood! This is one of the toughest journeys in life. Being a mother is having mixed emotions and feelings daily. Babies do not come with a manual and as mothers we don’t talk about the difficult aspects of this journey. We tend to only focus on the good parts.

Difficulty with Conception

Getting pregnant was a struggle and took a long time. There were fertility treatments and endless needles… So much anticipation and so much dreaming of the possibility of a baby… Monthly disappointments with negative pregnancy tests…excitement over the pregnancy to be replaced by the unimaginable loss… and now baby is here, yet the sadness lingers… and the anxiety rises… when will I find joy in all of this?

Unplanned Pregnancy

The pregnancy was unplanned…there was no time to prepare. There are so many mixed emotions that make each day very hard. There was not much time to think or figure out how it would all work. There are times that I wonder what it would be like if this didn’t happen…. There is no sense of me, or who I have become… will I ever regain of sense of who I am?

Anxiety & Depression

Feelings of anxiety or depression increase... Everyone expects a new happy mom, excited about the baby… On the outside, everything is fine and joyful for others to see. Yet, on the inside, it is scary, there is anxiety and sadness, and even irritable. Can this be done? There are fears of not being a good mom. There are too many changes happening way too fast. No one understands and these feelings and thoughts are too scary to share with anyone, including partners and doctors. The thoughts keep getting pushed away, but they don’t leave. They keep coming back and may even get more intense. When will I feel like myself again?

Overwhelm

Having a baby feels overwhelming. There is constant anxiety, sadness and concerns of not bonding with baby. Will friends, family, partner or the doctor judge me? Or worse… will they think I can’t handle being a mother or think I will harm the baby? It is hard to eat and sleep. The fatigue and exhaustion keeps getting worse. Help is needed, but where to start? There is too much to do and there is no help. Sometimes the tearfulness starts and it seems to never stop. Sometimes anger rises and it feels like it is out of control.

Traumatic/Difficult Labors

It was never supposed to be this way. The labor took days…. the labor and delivery were traumatic and what happened hasn’t been processed. Everyone seems to focus on the baby and they think mom is fine—but maybe not. The trauma is there and it impacts everyday life and were does one go from here?

You are not alone

I am so glad you are here. You have come to the right place. Know that you are not alone. The most common complication of pregnancy is perinatal/postpartum anxiety and depression. If you are ready to get support and come to a place where you will not be judged but offered support, contact me for a consultation to discover what therapy can do for you.