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

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and we are trying to honor each and every one of those losses. Each one has brought significant pain to many people, including grief that is most difficult to acknowledge and navigate. Today’s show focuses on one such loss that has led to the creation of a specific kind of support for thousands. Lindsey Henke is the founder and Executive Director of Pregnancy After Loss Support. She is a clinical social worker specializing as a reproductive mental health therapist with a focus on the grief and trauma that happens after a perinatal loss and the pregnancy that follows. She is also a writer, wife, and, most importantly, a mother to two beautiful daughters and one sweet boy. Tragically, her oldest daughter, Nora, was stillborn after a healthy full-term pregnancy in December 2012. Lindsey’s second daughter, Zoe, was born healthy and alive in March of 2014. Her writing about life after loss has been featured in Listen to Your Mother, Scary Mommy, Healthline, and

Today’s show is another moving, personal story of the journey from pain to healing, and all that happens in the middle. My guest tells the story of how cultural challenges added yet another layer of complexity to her postpartum depression and anxiety experience. Esmeralda Cardenas is a bilingual Licensed Professional Counselor in San Antonio, Texas. She is the owner and provider at Pillars of Life Counseling. Besides being a mental health provider, Esmeralda is a wife and mother of two sons, ages 6 and 8, with both pregnancies bringing her postpartum depression and anxiety. After working with children in different settings for many years, Esmeralda became an advocate and provider for parents experiencing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. She realized that she needed to own her story and overcome the many fears that came with it. Taking this step has allowed Esmeralda to serve moms and dads in her community with an effort to decrease stigma and help parents know that they are not alone. Show Highlights: T

Today’s show is a personal story of postpartum anxiety and depression that led to a voluntary psychiatric hospital evaluation. My guest will share how she got to that point, along with the signs and symptoms that went unnoticed for a long time. We will also hear about her journey to healing and how she’s helping other moms now. I believe that hearing the details in others’ experiences can help us recognize these signs in ourselves and our loved ones. Celeste Chapko lives with her husband and three children in Northwest Indiana. She is the founder of Childbirth Melodies (soon to be the Northwest Indiana Center for Maternal Wellness), offering individual and group peer support and music therapy to moms dealing with postpartum depression and other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Celeste is a survivor of severe postpartum depression and anxiety and is passionate about supporting moms on their journey to wellness. She is also a volunteer state coordinator, online peer support group leader, and Climb Out of t

Today’s show is an interesting look into how postpartum issues were dealt with, or not dealt with, in the past. We are looking from the perspective of a daughter who has been on a quest to discover the truth about her birth, her unusual childhood, and her mother’s illness. Nyna Giles is the author of The Bridesmaid’s Daughter, a deeply personal memoir about family, mental health, and revisiting the past. We’ll hear her perspective about growing up with a mother who had mental illness, and how she now knows that her mother had untreated postpartum psychosis. Back then, there was not much knowledge or support for mothers going through any perinatal crisis. We get to hear from Nyna’s perspective what it was like to grow up in that environment and what she reflected on as an adult that she shares through writing The Bridesmaid’s Daughter. Nyna is the youngest daughter of Carolyn Scott Reybold, a Ford model best known as one of Grace Kelly’s bridesmaids. Nyna has worked with leading media organizations and is the

One aspect of postpartum depression and anxiety that doesn’t get much attention is the rage that comes along with these issues. People who experience this rage can feel overwhelmed and confused, and it can be a scary scenario. Today’s guest shares her story of how she came through postpartum depression, anxiety, and rage, and how she uses her healing process to help other moms today. Jen Gaskell is a quality professional who works full-time outside the home. She and her husband live near Milwaukee with their two daughters, ages 8 and 11. Jen used her writing and her blog to help navigate her journey through postpartum depression and anxiety. She was a former co-producer of Listen To Your Mother Milwaukee, where she was part of the inaugural Milwaukee cast telling her story of PPD. Jen has written for Postpartum Progress and was a member of their editorial team for three years. Jen was a Climb Out of the Darkness team leader for Milwaukee for four years. She helps lead a Facebook group of local moms who’ve bee

Today’s show is a fascinating discussion about the law and postpartum psychosis. My guests helped usher a new law through the Illinois legislature, and the bill became law in January 2018. It’s the first criminal law in the nation to recognize the effects of postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis, so we’re digging into what it took to get the legislation passed and what steps you can take to get the law changed in your state. Dr. Susan Feingold is a licensed clinical psychologist, perinatal legal advocate, and author. She’s a member of the President’s Advisory Council and Postpartum Psychosis Task Force for Postpartum Support International. Susan wrote Happy Endings, New Beginnings: Navigating Postpartum Disorders, and has specialized for over 26 years in women’s mental health issues related to reproduction. She’s an advocate and expert witness involved in legislative efforts for women with postpartum depression on the state and national level and served as the President of the Board of Trustees for D

If you’ve ever had to be on bed rest during pregnancy, then you know it’s not as simple as it sounds. It takes intention to get through it with your mental health intact. Today’s guest, Jessica Vanderwier was on bed rest and she’s here to share how this experience impacted her, along with her best advice about how we can better support moms on bed rest. Jessica Vanderwier is a registered psychotherapist from Guelph, Ontario, who is passionate about supporting families. She is known online for Our Mama Village, a platform where she shares daily pieces of encouragement and support for moms and families. Jessica started this page after she went through a difficult transition into motherhood, and saw the need for a supportive community that moms would access anytime they needed. In her therapy work, Jessica supports families from preconception to working with children with mental health concerns. In her private life, Jessica loves her role as a mom and wife and spends her time with her husband and two-year-old da

Dealing with perinatal mental health issues is a difficult enough task, but the problem is compounded for Muslim women living in the US. My guest today helps us understand the issues and how we can best support these moms. Dr. Venus Mahmoodi specializes in trauma and reproductive mental health. More specifically, in today’s show, she’ll tell us about perinatal mental health for Muslim women, including the rates of depression for the Muslim community in the US, what makes them particularly vulnerable to perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and how we can support Muslim women in a culturally competent way. Dr. Mahmoodi completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Palo Alto University in California, with an emphasis on women’s neuroscience and health through collaboration with Stanford University. Her clinical training included working with refugees and torture survivors, veterans, and perinatal women in a specialized, intensive outpatient program. Her dissertation focused on the perinatal experience of Muslim

Everyone eagerly anticipates becoming a grandparent, right? Think again. There are various reasons why you might be apprehensive about achieving this milestone in life. The truth is that it’s not socially acceptable to admit these feelings. People may shrink away in horror if you dare to confess being hesitant about what you are supposed to embrace with unbridled joy. In today’s show, we are diving deeper into this hush-hush topic. Dr. Shoshana Bennett was the very first guest on the podcast for Episodes 1 & 2. She very graciously came on when I was new at this, and she tolerated my fumbling around and my poor sound quality, too! I’m so grateful to have her back as the first guest to kick off the 3rd year of the Mom & Mind podcast. This time, she’s bringing the perspective of being a new grandmother with her own history of postpartum mental health challenges. This is such a necessary conversation, especially as the field of perinatal mental health grows, and we are recognizing and treating the conditions more

Today’s show is a bonus episode as we celebrate our 3rd anniversary! It’s been an adventure and a learning process along the way. I’ll admit that I had no clue what I was doing when we started, or what was involved in doing a podcast, but I knew we needed to get information and resources out there to moms and families. So now, after 152 episodes, I’m proud of how far we’ve come on the journey---and we’ll keep going to get the word out to even more moms and families in the future! Show Highlights: The incredible details of the podcast’s reach: we’ve had 240,000 downloads in over 75 countries! The facts that show the need: 20% of new parents will experience perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, so we still have a lot of work to do How I got started without knowing anything about podcasting The rewarding feeling from the feedback, knowing the show has helped listeners The benefit in sitting and sharing with each other The intensity of our heavy topics and episodes Why I don’t want anyone to feel alone in

I first heard today’s guest when she appeared on Rebecca Scritchfield’s Body Kindness podcast, and I couldn’t wait to get her on the show! We’re talking about body image in the perinatal period and why we should be talking more about it. We’ll discuss her research, the roles of self-compassion and mindfulness, and some wonderfully helpful resources. Dr. Jennifer WEbb is an associate professor in the Department of Psychological Science and a core member of the Health Psychology Ph.D. program clinical faculty at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She received her baccalaureate degree in Cognitive Neuroscience from Harvard, went on to complete her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychologist at the University of Southern California, and did her postdoctoral fellowship training in Clinical Health Psychology at Duke Integrative Medicine. Her research program is informed in culturally and body diverse groups. Her particular emphasis involves the enhancing of the integration, dissemination, and accessibility of eviden

As we approach the 3rd anniversary of the podcast in June, I’ve been doing lots of reflection about the journey we’ve taken and what we’ve accomplished. Your feedback has been vital in letting me know that the show has a positive impact and is meaningful to many people. The underlying message in everything we do is that no one is alone on their parenthood journey---and that message will continue. Show Highlights: How the podcast was born out of my suffering and healing process with postpartum depression, anxiety, and OCD The reality: no one is immune from these postpartum problems---even a therapist like me Why normalizing postpartum mental health issues is important for every mom and dad How depression and anxiety lie to us in sneaky ways How you’ll try to bargain with yourself, convince yourself that nothing is wrong, and blame other stressors in your life Why depression screening questionnaires don't’ always work, because we often refuse to come to terms with our condition How a connection to others

Postpartum psychosis is a sensitive topic that we’ve talked about on the show, but today we are taking a deep dive into the legal ramifications of the journey for a mother. The more we understand, the better foundation we have for advocacy. George Parnham is a soft-spoken attorney who once trained for the priesthood, and was thrust into the national spotlight through representing such high-profile clients as Andrea Yates and Clara Harris. Parnham has practiced law for 43 years in Houston, Texas, specializing in criminal defense. He has become an expert on the defense of individuals with mental illness and a passionate advocate for legal reform of their treatment in the criminal justice system. Parnham is called upon frequently by local and national news media, as well as state bar organizations, to render an opinion on mental health. George has an unmistakable passion and concern for these mothers and their families. Show Highlights: How George was drawn into the postpartum psychosis field with the Andrea Ya

Struggling to conceive, enduring a pregnancy, giving birth, and caring for a new baby are all parts of a challenging process. Inevitably there are hiccups along the way for almost every mom, but living with a chronic illness makes things even more difficult in the process of motherhood. My guest is here to discuss the unique dynamics and challenges a mother might face and some common misconceptions we may not understand. Jenna Daly is a clinical social worker with certifications in Perinatal Mental Health, and she works in private practice in southern Maine. She primarily works in perinatal and parental mental health, as well as perinatal loss and grief. Her interest in perinatal and parental mental health was fostered by her work as an oncology social worker at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, known for its cognitive-existential and motivational approaches. She also promotes articles and other information regarding perinatal mental health and all aspects of parenting. Show Highlights: How a medical c

We are taking a closer look at the cultural aspects of maternal mental health for Asian Indian mothers. There are barriers to finding and receiving mental health care that bear similarites to many Asian cultures. We also hear how culture impacts the motherhood experience. How can we best support them and to seek the help that’s available to them? We’re covering these topics and more in today’s show. Dr. Deepika Goyal is a Professor of Nursing at San Jose State University and a family nurse practitioner who is passionate about maternal mental health, specifically for women of Asian Indian descent. Dr. Goyal’s research adds to the postpartum mental health narrative regarding Asian American women’s experiences, mental health help-seeking behavior, and preferred management of postpartum depression. Her research findings provide clinicians with the information they need to provide culturally-informed care to promote optimal maternal-child well-being outcomes. Show Highlights: Goyal’s research from 2001-2002 on po

We’ve talked a lot on the show about postpartum depression, but there’s another condition that new moms experience that carries much shame, and no one talks about it. It’s called postpartum regret, and it’s that feeling of dissatisfaction and unhappiness with the demands of motherhood and the changes that come with this life transition. We’re talking about how to identify this condition and what to do to pull yourself through it. Marissa Zwetow is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in prenatal and postpartum counseling. Marissa became passionate about helping mothers prepare and adjust to a new baby after experiencing postpartum depression. She understands what it takes to be on a healing journey to find acceptance, meaning, and happiness in the role of motherhood. Show Highlights: Marissa’s personal journey as she struggled with the transition into motherhood and knew she needed help How she identified postpartum regret as the feeling of regret at becoming a mother, but no one was tal

The pressure that new moms feel is tremendous. Sometimes they are working so hard to just get through the day that they don't notice (or don't want to notice) how bad they really feel. They are working so hard to manage everything that they might not notice what's going on for themselves. Such was the postpartum experience of today’s guest, Darcy Sauers. She suffered for a long time without realizing that what she felt was a common experience for most new moms. This is all too common and I know that a lot of us experienced this too. Let’s jump into this conversation about how we can offer better support for new moms! Darcy Sauers is The Doula Darcy, a postpartum doula offering in-home postpartum doula services to the moms in her local area. She also provides on-demand postpartum doula support for new moms everywhere so moms can get they help they need---when they need it. Darcy co-hosts the Your Birth, Your Worth podcast. She had three babies in four years, and her experiences fueled her decision to quit her

Postpartum depression---and comedy. You might be surprised that anyone can join the two, but my guest today has a passion for women who are suffering as she did, and she hopes to raise awareness and erase the stigma around postpartum depression (PPD). Because of what she has been through, she is committed to using her talents to help change the outcomes for others. Angelina Spicer is a comedian, actress, social media influencer, wife, and mother. A cum laude graduate of Howard University, Angelina has smartly delved deep for comedy that’s authentic, transparent, and relatable. By using her social media platform, she became an outspoken advocate for maternal mental health after she was admitted to a psychiatric facility for treatment of PPD. It was then that her journey to remove the stigma of the shame and guilt associated with PPD began. She became the 2018 Spokeswoman for The Blue Dot Project, lobbied on Capitol Hill, helped pass three new pieces of legislation for new moms in California, and has been featu

Today’s show takes a look at the difficult topics of postpartum psychosis and infanticide through the eyes of the filmmakers of the documentary, Not Carol. The film covers the story of Carol Coronado, who was convicted of the 2014 murders of her three young daughters in CA while highlighting the desperate need for education and services for mothers and fathers in recognizing and treating postpartum psychosis. Join us for a conversation with the producers and directors of Not Carol, Eamon Harrington and Veronica Brady. Eamon Harrington has co-owned Planet Grande Pictures since forming the company in 1993 with John Watkin. During that time, he has produced and directed hundreds of hours for all the major broadcast and cable outlets, winning seven Emmys along the way. Other industry honors include a Peabody Award and a DuPont Columbia Baton. Before forming Planet Grande, Eamon spent three years as Head of Production at VH1 in New York. Eamon has directed dozens of documentaries and unscripted series. His Emmy aw

We know that a NICU stay makes for a difficult postpartum period, but what are the profound and long-lasting effects from this experience? In today’s show, we’re taking a close look at the experience of parents AND babies who go through a stay in the NICU. My guest brings a wealth of information based on her personal and professional experience. Dr. Mara Stein is a clinical psychologist in private practice who specializes in the emotional aspects of coping with crisis around pregnancy, parenting and medical crisis, child development, and relationship-based developmentally-supportive care to babies and their families. She’s a Certified EMDR therapist, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, and an EMDRIA Approved Trainer for the Insitute for Creative Mindfulness. She’s certified in other modalities, like Emotion-Focused Family and Couple Therapy, is a Gottman Certified Therapist, and continues to pursue training in Clinical Hypnosis and Ego-State therapies. She brings a wealth of clinical expertise and insight along with