Mom & Mind Podcast | Postpartum | Birth | Pregnancy | Maternal Mental Health |

Whether you are a parent or hope to be a parent someday, we all have assumptions about what pregnancy should be like. What we can’t control is how it will go in reality and how we will feel during the process. Today’s show explores how the journey can be navigated when unexpected circumstances creep in and sabotage our well-crafted plans. Leora Rozin felt blindsided and lost when welcoming her first child in 2012. She wishes she had someone with her background as an occupational therapist to help her navigate pregnancy and postpartum. After having a second child in 2014, Leora was expecting another child in 2019 when a fetal diagnosis at the 21-week anatomy scan rocked her world. This experience ultimately became a source of motivation to become certified in Perinatal Mental Health. Today, Leora is passionate about helping moms when their pregnancy and postpartum journeys feel off course. She lives in New York with her family and is the proud mom of three busy kids. Since April is Occupational Therapy Month,

Are you ready for my big announcement? I wrote a book! I’m so excited to tell you all about it in today’s show. The Pregnancy Workbook: Manage Anxiety and Worry with CBT and Mindfulness Techniques is out on May 4, and it’s available for preorder now! The book is written in a relatable tone that will help you feel supported in your pregnancy journey. It’s full of usable tools to help deal with anxiety during pregnancy and over 60 skills that you can implement right away. Each chapter includes useful information, techniques, and coping strategies to ease anxiety during pregnancy and help you find peace and calm with proven therapeutic methods. The goal of the book is to help you feel guided and supported through pregnancy and the postpartum. Show Highlights: Why the writing process was a new and fascinating experience for me Why the book is dedicated to my daughter, the one who has taken me on the growth journey into motherhood Why it was a big challenge to decide what to include and what to leave out of the

Today’s guest shares her personal story of recurrent pregnancy loss, including early miscarriage and multiple ectopic pregnancies. She shares how her mental and emotional healing journey led to the writing of a book. Kim Hooper is the author of several novels; her latest is No Hiding in Boise, which comes out this June. She and her co-authors wrote All the Love: Healing Your Heart and Finding Meaning After Pregnancy Loss as a mix of personal stories plus information and awareness from the clinical side. The book covers topics like reconnecting with your partner after loss, considerations for LGBTQ couples, trying again after loss, coping and healing, and racial, cultural, and socioeconomic issues. I’m thankful for Kim’s willingness to share her story of multiple losses, healing, and what it was like to finally give birth to a healthy baby after her long journey. Show Highlights: Kim’s complicated journey to motherhood: 1st pregnancy in 2015 ended as an ectopic that required emergency surgery 2nd pregnancy

It’s always helpful to hear someone’s personal story because it will resonate with many more people than they might think. My guest today shares her experience with postpartum depression, which was made even more shocking because it occurred several months after the birth of her second child. Join us to hear Emily’s story. Emily Adler Mosqueda has become a fierce advocate for mothers since experiencing postpartum depression several months after her second daughter was born. It’s different with a second child because a mother receives much less support than with her firstborn. Emily talks about how she realized the signs of her postpartum depression, along with how her profession has been affected. She is a bilingual pediatric speech-language pathologist, Associate Clinical Professor, and Lead Clinical Supervisor at the Young Child Center with the Communication Disorders and Sciences program at the University of Oregon HEDCO Clinic. Emily is the mother of two young daughters who teaches graduate students about

Do you identify as a perfectionist? Do you feel like things need to be a certain way and if they aren't, you feel unsettled? How did that affect you when you were trying to conceive, during pregnancy, birthing or postpartum? This is one of those things that really impacts the early stages of motherhood and parenthood (and all stages really). In this episode, I talk about the dynamics that I see with the mamas that I help...and one that I struggled with in my postpartum...and still work on managing. I touch on how it even impacted the recording of this episode. Some of the things we address on this episode... *The struggle with feeling the need to be perfect *It seems that perfectionism often comes with a high sense of morality and conscientiousness - I believe that this makes intrusive thoughts even more unbearable. *Perfectionism often develops as a way to cope and manage life. But that way of coping goes head to head with the challenges of new parenthood. *The stress of perfectionism, can make getting help

How are you? Sometimes it’s hard to check in with ourselves in the busy-ness of daily life, especially in these pandemic days when our self-care options are limited. High stress, depression, and anxiety tend to feel like personal failure. In today’s show, I want to offer you perspective and encouragement. Show Highlights: How to interpret your feelings during moments of stress How to approach the new considerations brought on by the pandemic: masks, social distancing, virtual connections, etc. Why life is hard in many ways right now for most people Tips on how you can feel better: Remember that you are resilient Getting help is NOT failure Honor your exhaustion by taking a break and setting boundaries Check in with your sleep, eating/hydration, hormones, and stress Turn “What’s wrong with me?” into “What’s going on for me?” Take time to reflect and allow space just to BE Resources: Check out the Mom & Mind Online shop at Mom And Mind.      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/

Today’s episode is packed with helpful information about taking medication during pregnancy and the postpartum period. We’ll also take a closer look at COVID-related issues and the vaccine as they relate to perinatal mental health. Join us to learn more. Dr. Sarah Oreck is a Columbia University-trained psychiatrist who focuses on women’s mental wellness. In addition to her expertise in general and addiction psychiatry, Dr. Oreck is one of very few doctors with specialized training in reproductive psychiatry. She runs a private practice in which she combines the most up-to-date medical treatments with talk therapy, meditation, and a whole-body complementary approach. Dr. Oreck is passionate about teaching, and she regularly lectures at Cedars Sinai Hospital, UCLA, and The Providence Hospital System, in addition to her media work. She is actively involved in advocacy work and is a member of the Board of Directors of Maternal Mental Health Now. Show Highlights: An overview of the field of reproductive psychiatr

Today’s topic is important, but it is hugely stigmatized in our culture. You may not have even heard about paternal postpartum depression, but my guest today shares what he experienced with the births of his two children.    Dr. David Levine is a pediatrician in New Jersey. He was blindsided by postpartum depression because, like most of us, he thought it only happens to women. He shares the struggle of having to talk to his wife about it and how he found help. Even more surprising is that he experienced postpartum while working as a pediatrician. He completed his undergraduate degree at Rutgers College Medical School at NYU and his residency in pediatrics at Yale. Dr. Levine is not on the board of Postpartum Support International (PSI), where he works in professional outreach as a staunch advocate for fathers’ mental health. He’s written a book about his experience, which will hopefully be published soon to get the message out to fathers that they are not alone.    Show Highlights:   Why so little is known

We all know that the challenges of new motherhood can be many--and overwhelming. If you are an HSP (highly sensitive person), then those challenges may be magnified---and you probably aren’t focusing on any self-care. This topic resonates deeply with me and intrigues me in the way the trait interacts with motherhood and its challenges. Julie Bjelland is an LMFT, an HSP psychotherapist, and the author of Brain Training for the Highly Sensitive Person: Techniques to Reduce Anxiety and Overwhelming Emotions. Julie’s mission is to help sensitive people reduce the challenges and increase the positives.Through her website specializing in highly sensitive people (the trait also known as Sensory Processing Sensitivity), she offers many valuable resources for both HSP’s and parents of sensitive children. Julie has a mission to spread awareness and education about the trait of high sensitivity and believes the world needs the gifts of sensitive people.   Show Highlights: High sensitivity is a trait and not a disorder-

Welcome to Mom and Mind, I’m your host, Dr. Kat. Anxiety is at an all time high with covid, political stress, social justice stress, holidays and collective stress. So we are re releasing this episode from 2 years ago, as it is one of the most commonly downloaded episodes. We are talking about Postpartum Anxiety today and more specifically,  We touch on the ever present guilt and shame that runs its course through motherhood as well as some ways to cope and manage postpartum anxiety. About Carly Snyder, M.D. Dr. Carly Snyder is a Board Certified reproductive and perinatal psychiatrist with a unique approach that combines traditional psychiatry with integrative medicine-based treatments. Dr. Snyder received her medical degree from NYU School of Medicine and completed general psychiatry residency at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center with additional reproductive psychiatry elective training at the Payne Whitney Women’s Program at NY Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she remains voluntary facu

Today’s show covers a topic of great concern and high stress for many parents. Many of us don’t understand colic and how to soothe a colicky baby. Today’s guest shares how her experience raising her colicky newborn daughter affected her life and her mental health. Jacqueline DelVecchio is a licensed mental health counselor in Salem, MA. She works in a private practice setting and specializes in perinatal mental health, certified through Postpartum Support International. She’s a wife, mother of two, and doggy-mom to a chocolate lab.  Show Highlights: In 2016, Jacqueline’s first child was born after a great pregnancy and birth experience; the all-day crying began immediately and lasted about seven months Even though her daughter was a good eater, with every bottle came the intense crying that lasted for hours The only soothing for her baby came from bouncing on a yoga ball, running the vacuum, and Justin Timberlake’s song, “Can’t Stop the Feeling” How Jacqueline’s daughter would cry for two hours after ever

Even though there is much variation in the stories that women share here on the podcast, it’s amazing how many similarities they share. In today’s conversation, like so many others, we see a commonality in both the suffering, the isolation, and the path to healing. Leila Tualla is an author and poet. She journaled her bouts with pregnancy anxiety, postpartum depression, and preeclampsia in a memoir titled Storm of Hope: God, Preeclampsia, Depression and Me, as a way of healing. Leila is a mental health advocate and is part of 2020 Mom as a Mom Ambassador. She is currently volunteering as a peer support provider for organizations such as International Association of Premenstrual Disorders (IAPMD) and as a mentor for Postpartum Support International (PSI). She hopes that by sharing her maternal mental health and birth stories that moms know they are not alone in their postpartum and premenstrual dysphoric disorder journeys. Show Highlights: How Leila was diagnosed with preeclampsia during her first pregnancy i

Weight-loss struggles, eating disorders, endless dieting shame--we all know what it feels like to be stuck with these issues. None of these contribute to mental wellness, joy, and contentment. The problems are compounded for women during pregnancy and the postpartum period. If you’re stuck in the shame cycle about your body shape and dieting failures, join us for today’s show. Catie Lynch is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in eating disorders, body image, and the postpartum period. She has two daughters, a three-year-old and a ten-month-old. She has made it her mission to help women stop dieting and find food freedom for themselves and their children. Show Highlights: Catie’s personal story of her struggle with body image, dieting restrictions, and eating disorders How Catie coped after her wedding with weekly therapy, dietitian appointments, and group therapy Catie’s first pregnancy and the body changes that felt to her like two years of weight gain How Catie felt pressure in the postpartu

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Having a high-risk pregnancy and being put on bed rest brings many challenges to a woman already in a heightened emotional state. These emotions carry a lot of anxiety and worry about the health of the mother and the baby. Join us to hear Shenee’s personal story.  Shenee Bend experienced a high-risk pregnancy that required her to be on hospital bed rest for a month. It was shortly after this time that she decided to focus her counseling work on pregnant and postpartum women. Shenee Bend is from California and now resides in Georgia with her husband and their two children. She is a licensed professional counselor who is trained in perinatal mental health. Shenee has an online practice serving pregnant and postpartum women in Georgia and Florida. Shenee will be sharing her bed rest pregnancy story along with coping skills to use if you are currently experiencing a high-risk pregnancy. Show Highlights: Shenee’s pregnancy story of her second pregnancy with he

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month. Mom & Mind honors all of the loss families who are grieving the loss of a child. There is no timeline and no right way to grieve, so we hold your loss with tenderness and love. In this episode, Sarah Arcotta talks about the loss of one of her twins from Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome, a condition we haven’t yet covered on the show. Sarah shares the difficult grief from her experience and shares her healing and supportive message for other families. Sarah is an artist and educator who lives just north of Boston. You can find her exploring tide pools with her two young children or making art. She advocates for arts education while earning her Master’s degree in Leadership in Education. Sarah shares her story of loss, postpartum depression, and recovery to bring awareness to a serious condition affecting twin pregnancies. Show Highlights: How Sarah’s story begins 14 weeks into her second pregnancy, when she found out she was having identical twins At 16

Hearing personal stories gives us a unique insight into the nuances of the journey into parenthood, which differ from one person to the next. Today’s guest details her experience in ambivalence about whether having kids would be part of her life story. She shares how her journey into parenthood has shaped and grown her into the person she is today. Dr. Elise Sanchez is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, speaker, coach, and educator who lives in CA with her husband and toddler. She provides coaching, mentoring, and consultation regarding life transitions, education, sexuality, love, friendship, mental health, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dr. Sanchez is the founder of Speak the Secret, an online platform created to provide community, connection, and collaboration with people who have a passion for growth and healing. As a new mom, Dr. Sanchez realized there was a long way to go in her healing journey. She created a group on Facebook, #MomLivesMatter, to provide resources, support, and community for moms. Sh

The journey into motherhood can be filled with many challenges. The situation is worsened if one grew up with a difficult relationship with one or both parents. Such is the personal story you’ll hear in today’s show. Join us. Jaimi Martin came from a very difficult childhood with a mother who suffered from mental illness. Jaimi shares some of the dynamics that played out with her and her mother, carrying over to shape her own journey into motherhood. Jaimi discusses sensitive topics, like suicide, so use your discretion in listening. Since Jaimi is a therapist specializing in perinatal mental health, she is able to give insight into how her early experiences have impacted her. Jaimi now lives in San Diego with her husband and sensitive four-your-old son. After a career devoted to children and adults with emotional needs, Jaimi changed gears after the birth of her son, since she found herself without support or knowledge about what she was experiencing. Once she learned about postpartum depression and anxiety,

Today’s show is about an important topic that isn’t talked about very often. We’ve all heard of morning sickness, but there is a much more severe condition called hyperemesis gravidarum. It brings all-day nausea and vomiting and can result in significant physical and emotional effects. Lauren Harris is a married mother of three kids who lives in western Massachusetts. She’s a licensed mental health counselor who owns the Center for Perinatal Wellness. Lauren is also the Western Massachusetts Regional Coordinator for Postpartum Support International. In today’s show, Lauren shares her story of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) through three separate pregnancies. We’ll hear how she learned of her condition and dealt with for a very long time with little support. Lauren also shares about her struggles with postpartum anxiety, along with how her experiences propelled her into the field of perinatal mental health. Show Highlights: Lauren’s story of her surprise pregnancy at age 22 with her daughter, Natalie, now 13 At

In many ways, our life experiences around reproduction impact us and our mental health significantly. Today’s show focuses on the story of adult sexual trauma and how our guest was affected as she became a mother. **The nature of this topic of sexual trauma and differing birth experiences prompt a sensitivity warning for some listeners. Use your judgment in listening now or at a later time. Emily Finomore is a mother and clinician who couldn’t find information on what to expect with a pregnancy and childbirth experience after adult sexual trauma. Emily wants people to know that each person’s birth experience can be different and yet bring healing. Emily is a child and adolescent therapist as well as outpatient clinic manager for WVU Medicine in Behavioral Medicine. Her previous work includes more than ten years working in various capacities in child welfare systems, clinical work in family treatment drug court, implementing a large scale research project at the Air Force Academy, and working in private practi

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorder can leave you feeling lost, alone, and confused by the symptoms. This is why it’s so important that we hear personal stories of others that show us we are not alone. Alisa Pastecki is a Sales Executive for a network equipment and services provider that works with telecommunications companies all over the US and Canada. She lives in Batavia, NY--just outside of Buffalo--with her husband Doug, two-year-old daughter Gloria, and their dog Lily. The family spends as much time outdoors as possible, enjoying hiking and camping. After the birth of her daughter, Alisa suffered from postpartum depression, anxiety, and OCD. She has since realized just how important it is to raise our voices in the fight against maternal health stigmas, and she wants to help normalize PMADs for moms in her community. Show Highlights: How depression and OCD tendencies began for Alisa even before she was pregnant Trying to conceive, an endometriosis diagnosis, surgery, and plans for IVF An unexpected