Mom and Mind | Pregnancy and Postpartum Depression & Anxiety

Today’s show focuses on how Black birthing people and mothers might experience trauma in the healthcare system that impacts them during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. There is great complexity in the emotions that people feel during the transition to parenthood, and today’s guest is dedicated to providing support, resources, and healing. Join us to learn more! I’m joined by Chetina Guadalupe, a...

Today’s episode sheds light on the truth that we never know what someone has been through, especially regarding the journey to parenthood. It’s so easy, and often inaccurate, to assume that another person’s path has been somehow easier than our own. My guest’s story includes many elements, including infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and the decision to use a surrogate, also known as a gestati...

Sadly, many moms fall through the cracks in the field of perinatal mental health because healthcare providers don’t have the proper knowledge about perinatal mental health conditions. Today’s guest is a doctor dedicated to making a difference in the lives of women and families. Join us to learn more! Dr. Jessica Vernon is a mom who experienced a perinatal mental health condition. As an Ob-gyn, she...

I’m joined today by Abla Benyahia, a Moroccan, London-based postpartum doula and birth educator. She is the mother of two children under two years of age, and she’s a postnatal depression survivor. Passionately supporting women during their postpartum journey, Abla helps them navigate through mental health challenges and mom’s guilt to reclaim their true identities. Abla experienced postnatal depr...

One of the best ways to help moms with various postpartum difficulties is to let them know they are not alone. Helping to do that is what Mom & Mind is all about, and today’s guest wants to help shed light and understanding on intrusive thoughts and OCD. We hope many people will benefit from hearing Jenn’s story. Please join us! Jenn Holmes lives in Mississippi with her husband and two-year-old so...

We already know that the perinatal experience can be multi-layered and differently nuanced for each person. The story we’re hearing today brings several conditions into the spotlight of our attention and highlights the need for awareness and sound treatment around the world. My guest shares her experience with tokophobia, a term that may be unfamiliar. It refers to “a pathological fear of childbir...

We have a very special episode today, as we’re hearing from two guests about their important work through Postpartum Support International that is based on their lived experiences through perinatal mental health conditions. They are working tirelessly to help others access the resources they could have used, and they share how community support and other types of healing have helped them. We hope...

Today, we are highlighting the importance of mental well-being for fathers worldwide. Today’s episode features a devoted father who shares his personal journey through postpartum depression after the birth of his child. Kevin Seldon is the founder of a leading social-impact consultancy with clients ranging from award-winning artists and Fortune 500 companies to world-renowned non-profits. However,...

Fathers are often overlooked in the conversation around perinatal mental health, and that needs to change. June is not only the month of Father’s Day but also International Fathers’ Mental Health Day, celebrated on June 19. Fathers, and men in general, have been conditioned to look past their feelings in most cultures, but we know men have complex emotional responses to the challenges of fatherhoo...

We all can learn from the stories others share about their struggles. Perhaps the most important benefit of that kind of sharing is to let people know that they are not alone. Today’s guest shares her experience because she wants people to understand what it’s like dealing with perinatal mental health issues and why it is vitally important to see a mental health professional. Her memoir, A Dance i...

There is an overall lack of information and education about pelvic health in the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum world. A new mother’s ability to care for her newborn has everything to do with her mental, physical, and emotional health, but modern medicine and our society have lost touch with this message. Our systems are designed to nurture the infant, neglecting to empower mothers with dignity,...

Maternal mental health has a profound impact on individuals, couples, families, children, and our society as a whole. It’s important that every parent, regardless of race, color, or ethnicity, has access to resources and support when they need it most, and that just isn’t the case in our country. Today’s conversation focuses on maternal mental health in the Black community, and our perspective com...

Today is a very special episode because I not only have the pleasure of hosting this podcast, but I am also the guest. Yes, that's right! Today, in honor of Maternal Mental Health Month, I'm opening up my heart and sharing my postpartum story with you once again; I last told my story way back in Episode 1 in June 2016. I want all of you who know me as Dr. Kat professionally to understand why I am...

We continue in the month of May, Mental Health Awareness Month! We always need more awareness and advocacy for mental health in general, but for far too long, maternal mental health has been underrecognized and underdiagnosed. So many people have suffered without good resources and the proper support in place. Today’s guest has vast experience with perinatal mental health, and it allows her to see...

Sabemos que 1 de cada 7 mujeres (1 de cada 10 padres) experimenta síntomas de depresión y ansiedad durante su etapa posparto. Los Trastornos del Estado de Ánimo Perinatal (PMD) durante el embarazo y dentro del primer año después del parto, pueden manifestarse en las personas de todas las edades, niveles de ingresos, raza y cultura.   En este episodio, me acompañan Karla Cardoza, LMFT, PMH-C, y Mar...

The conversation around parenting in non-traditional families needs to be expanded and better understood in today’s world. More and more families are being created with dynamics that make them non-traditional in some way, and support on the path to parenthood for EVERYONE is crucial. Join us to explore this topic in today’s episode!  Marie Sloane is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certifie...

What happens to a person’s nervous system during times of stress, specifically in the transition to parenthood? The impacts of this stress on an individual’s nervous system are also felt in the entire family system. My guest has spent 25 years specializing in physical and neurological recovery in children with challenges and working with the entire family to recover “the family nervous system™”. I...

Today’s episode is a replay of one of my most popular episodes that I’m sure you will enjoy. Please tune in and share with your friends. We, as women, have absorbed much history into ourselves over time regarding our bodies and our health. We wonder why we feel unheard and dismissed, and the more we learn, the more enraged we should become about how modern Western medicine has treated women with m...

The message of today’s conversation is that postpartum depression and anxiety don’t always have simple, easy fixes. Medications, therapy, and other supports don’t help some as quickly as others. In these cases, suffering mothers need to know that they are not alone and that others are going through the same challenges that come with lingering depression. Today’s guest shares her story to bring awa...

My guest today shares her personal story of severe postpartum anxiety and depression while appearing in a high-functioning state to those around her. It is important for us to hear real-life accounts from those who look like “everything is fine.” Join us for a closer look from this unique perspective. Caitlin Shadek is a mom of three boys, ages 3, 6, and 8. She is a lawyer who has practiced as a c...

Hearing that your child has a medical diagnosis throws a new kind of stress and strain into the parenting arena. Whether the diagnosis is transient or severe, increased parental anxiety is a common issue that presents many twists and turns. Today’s guest shares a pediatrician’s perspective on supporting parents’ mental health through this process. Join us to learn more! Dr. Kelly Fradin is a pedia...

Perinatal mental health is important for every new mom, but there are extra challenges for moms who are immigrants living in a country and culture that are unfamiliar. Such is the story of today’s guest. Join us to hear how she overcame many difficulties to turn her trauma into her renewed purpose to help others! Eszter Kalman is a mom of two who struggled with postpartum depression and anxiety. S...

We know that family building can happen in many different ways. Today’s show highlights one of the most harshly judged routes to having a child. Let’s take an insightful look at the beautiful process of surrogacy, also known as gestational surrogacy. This family-building option can be something that brings out the best in us as humans! Join us for the conversation! Today’s personal story comes fro...

Postpartum psychosis is a topic we have highlighted on the podcast before, but the need for more information about this devastating condition always increases when it is mentioned in a tragic news story. There are so many questions and concerns when this condition turns up in the national spotlight because many people don’t understand what a mother might be going through as a result of postpartum...

Understanding culture is extremely important, especially in the field of perinatal mental health. The cultural context has everything to do with how someone experiences the world and manages their mental health. Join us in this episode to learn more! Kalena Kaopuuokalani Lanuza is a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) and a doctorally prepared, fully-certified family and psychiatric mental health nurse...