First-Time Mom Survival Guide (5 of 10): Creating a Postpartum Care Plan That Prioritizes YOU
The postpartum period is a time of immense change, both physically and emotionally. As you adjust to life with a new baby, it's easy to forget to take care of yourself. You’ve likely spent months focusing on the well-being of your baby, but now is the time to focus on you too. Creating a postpartum care plan that prioritizes your needs is essential for your mental and physical health, as well as for your ability to show up as the mom you want to be.
First-Time Mom Survival Guide (4 of 10): First-Time Mom Must-Haves: Essentials for a Peaceful Postpartum
Becoming a mother for the first time is a seismic shift - the kind that shakes your soul, your schedule, and your sense of self. And, while the internet is full of baby gear checklists and nursery must-haves, what often gets left out is the truth: you are the one who needs the most support. This guide is about building the kind of postpartum experience that honors your healing, your mental health, and your whole humanity.
First-Time Mom Survival Guide (3 of 10): What New Moms Really Need (That No One Talks About)
When you're pregnant, everyone has something to say about what you need - Diaper Genies, Baby Wipe Warmers, the "perfect" stroller… But, once the baby arrives, the things you truly need—the ones that don’t fit in an Amazon box—are nowhere on the registry. In Blog 3 of 10 of the First-Time mom survival series, we’ll talk about what really matters: the emotional and psychological essentials that can make or break a new mother’s postpartum experience.
First-Time Mom Survival Guide (2 of 10): How to Protect Your Mental Health in the Fourth Trimester
The fourth trimester — the first three months after birth — is often a time of intense change, adjustment, and self-discovery for new moms. This is a time when many new moms experience overwhelming feelings, anxiety, or sadness. The physical and emotional recovery after childbirth can be a lot to navigate, but with the right support and coping strategies, you can protect and nurture your mental health. In the second blog in the First-Time Mom Survival Guide Series, we’ll explore practical ways to prioritize your postpartum mental health the fourth trimester so that you can thrive.
First-Time Mom Survival Guide (1 of 10): What No One Tells You About the First Week Postpartum
The first week postpartum is often a blur of emotions, recovery, and leaning into your new role as a mom. In Blog 1 of 10 of the First-Time Mom Survival Guide Series, I’ll share the behind-the-scenes reality of the first week postpartum, from physical recovery to the emotional roller coaster, and offer tips on how to manage it all with a little more ease.
When Does Birth Trauma Go Away?
After a traumatic childbirth some women find themselves haunted by distressing memories, struggling with anxiety, or feeling detached from their baby. This may leave them wondering: When does birth trauma go away? The answer varies from mother to mother. Understanding the healing process and seeking appropriate support, such as birth trauma therapy can help facilitate recovery more quickly.
Is Birth Trauma the Same as PTSD?
Following a traumatic childbirth, some mothers are left with overwhelming fear, helplessness, and intrusive memories. This can leave them wondering: Is birth trauma the same as PTSD? The short answer? Yes and no. While birth trauma can lead to PTSD, not everyone who experiences a traumatic childbirth will develop the diagnosis. Understanding the difference is crucial for mothers seeking support.
Postpartum Mental Health: What Every New Mom Needs to Know
New motherhood is often accompanied by joy and excitement, but it can also bring challenges. Understanding postpartum mental health is crucial, as it can help normalize your experiences, reduce stigma, and ensure you seek help when needed. Whether you’re struggling to understand postpartum depression vs baby blues or simply trying to adjust to your new reality, this guide is here to support you.
Mom Guilt: What It Is, Where It Comes From, and How to Let It Go
Mom Guilt is that nagging feeling that you’re not doing enough, not doing it right, or somehow failing your child. It’s an emotional undercurrent that can affect even the most confident moms. This blog explains where this guilt comes from, and how you can move past it to embrace motherhood with grace and self-compassion.
Overcoming Perfectionism in Motherhood for High-Functioning Moms
The pressure to meet impossibly high standards—both self-imposed and societal—can leave moms feeling overwhelmed and ashamed of their perceived shortcomings. As a postpartum therapist and maternal mental health therapist, I’ve seen how these unrealistic expectations can lead to shame and perfectionism. This blog discusses ways to overcome perfectionism in high functioning moms.
Why Isn’t This Magical? When Motherhood Doesn’t Feel Like You Expected
Are you struggling because the reality of motherhood does not line up with your expectations? Let’s talk about why motherhood might not feel as magical as you’d imagined and how working with a postpartum therapist can help you navigate these feelings.
Coping Strategies for Managing Postpartum Intrusive Thoughts
Intrusive thoughts are incredibly common. They’re often the brain’s way of responding to stress, hormonal changes, or heightened vigilance—a natural byproduct of the postpartum period. These thoughts are not indicators of your character or intent; they are fleeting mental events. Understanding this can help you detach from the guilt and shame that often accompany them. Having a new baby is a time of great vulnerability. Your brain in trying to manage keeping a tiny human safe. The magnitude of this task can create difficulties for an overwhelmed mind.
Mom Rage: Understanding What It Is and How to Cope
Struggling with mom rage? You're not alone. This blog explores the causes of mom rage, from hormonal shifts to emotional exhaustion, and highlights how postpartum therapy can help. Learn how a postpartum therapist can support you in managing anger, breaking the shame cycle, and reclaiming balance in motherhood. Read more and find the tools you need to thrive!
Postpartum Depression vs Baby Blues: Understanding the Differences
Struggling to tell the difference between the baby blues vs postpartum depression? While the baby blues are common and often resolve on their own, postpartum depression can linger and impact your well-being. A postpartum therapist can help you navigate these emotions and provide tools for healing. If you’re searching for a postpartum depression therapist in CA, know that support is available.
The 5-5-5 Rule for New Moms: What It Is and Why It’s Important
As a postpartum therapist, I often see new moms who feel overwhelmed and unsure about how to prioritize their recovery. One concept that can be extremely beneficial during this period is the 5 5 5 rule. This simple guideline is designed to support physical recovery, emotional well-being, and maternal mental health. Let’s explore what it means and why it’s essential for new moms.
What Causes Postpartum Depression?
Are you struggling with postpartum depression? Discover some of the possible causes and learn how therapy can help in our latest blog at Shameless Mama Wellness. Learn how hormonal changes, sleep deprivation, and birth trauma can contribute to PPD. We specialize in compassionate, evidence-based postpartum depression treatment in CA aimed to empower new mothers.
What Does Postpartum Depression Feel Like?
Like many other mamas, bringing your baby home may not have been the experience you had imagined. It may have been accompanied by feelings of overwhelming sadness, guilt, and confusion. These emotions are not a sign of failure or a lack of love for your baby—they may be symptoms of postpartum depression.
Birth Trauma: The Role of Shame and How to Heal
Experiencing birth trauma is deeply challenging, and for many mothers, the emotional aftermath is compounded by a powerful and often misunderstood emotion: shame. This shame can intensify the pain of trauma, making healing feel even further from reach. In this blog, we’ll explore the connection between birth trauma and shame, why it’s so pervasive, and practical ways to move forward and heal.
Birth Trauma: Myths and Misconceptions
Do you wonder if your birth experience could be considered traumatic? Birth trauma is a personal and often misunderstood experience that affects many new moms. Despite growing awareness of maternal mental health, misconceptions about birth trauma still impact understanding and recovery. If you felt that your experience was traumatic, then you are likely experiencing birth trauma and its impact.
Intrusive Thoughts in New Moms
Intrusive thoughts are not a reflection of your character or intentions. They are a sign that your brain is on high alert, trying to protect you and your baby from potential harm. While this heightened vigilance can be useful, it can also backfire, causing your mind to fixate on worst-case scenarios. There is no feeling more vulnerable than new motherhood, and it can leave you feeling a sense of powerlessness that your brain has a hard time processing.