Let’s keep it real- whether pregnancy is planned or unplanned the journey of bringing a baby into the world can feel exciting, daunting, scary, and stressful for couples.

First, I want to normalize these emotions because they can come with feelings of guilt and shame. People generally don’t bring up postpartum depression at the baby shower. So of course, we don’t prepare for it and feel so isolated in our emotions. I am a mother who has experienced postpartum twice. I struggled but got through it.

Proper perinatal and postpartum support is important for birthing people and couples. However, with so much focus on the new baby, parents can often feel forgotten about. There is a shift in your relationship, less attention to one another needs, and the focus is now on the baby. Intimacy decreases, and you feel yourself drifting from each other.

Many couples come to me during their pregnancy or within one year of giving birth. They tend to express issues with sleep, restlessness, fears, intrusive or scary thoughts, irritability, or changes in appetite. These symptoms are having some negative impact on their day-to-day functioning. It’s negatively impacting their interactions with their partner or other children.

With my advanced training in perinatal mental health I can assess and treat those experiencing a spectrum of perinatal mood disorders, such as postpartum depression and anxiety. I help new mothers and parents become anxiety-tamers and help them remember their strengths even when Anxiety and Depression make them feel shame and guilt. I extend my focus past the mother/birthing person to encompass the couple and the WHOLE family as they transition with a new baby.