So having a baby hasn’t quite turned out the way you had envisioned.

Despite what you have heard from friends, read about in books, and see all over facebook, this has definitely not been the “happiest time of your life.”

You have never felt so tired in your entire life. Quite frankly, you feel like a shell of who you once were. You’re beginning to wonder if you’ll ever get the “old you” back.

You walk around in a daze, like your head is in a fog. The simplest decisions have become difficult, and you can’t count how many times you have misplaced something or walked into a room and forgotten why you were there.

The feelings of guilt and ‘I’m not good enough’ just won’t go away. No matter how hard you try, you feel like you can’t get anything right. You may have had these feelings before, but now that you’re taking care of this tiny, helpless being, the responsibility feels like it’s just too much. 

You worry… about everything.

“Why can’t I be more like all the other happy moms?”
“Is my baby okay? What if she gets sick?”
“What if something bad happens and I can’t protect her?”
“Am I a good mother? I feel like a terrible mother. My baby deserves better.”

You may have even started to wonder or actually believe that your family would be better off without you.

The unsolicited advice from family members, friends, and complete strangers hasn’t helped either. The ‘friendly suggestions’ are making you furious. You sometimes wish they would just leave you alone. 

You’ve tried sleeping when the baby sleeps; you just can’t. Your mind won’t allow you to relax, and as soon as you do finally fall asleep, the baby is up is crying for you. You feel like your body isn’t even yours anymore.

You just want a break. You want some rest. You want some time to yourself. Then you feel selfish for thinking those things.

You may be suffering from postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety. Maybe even both.

The truth is that postpartum depression and anxiety- referred to together as perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, or PMADs- occur in about 1 in 5 women. That makes them the most common complication following childbirth- more common than gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and preterm labor. You were screened for each of these issues; remember that sickeningly sweet concoction you had to drink? Bleh. Yet many times our mental health goes unchecked.

Women who have struggled with depression and/or anxiety in the past are more likely to experience these symptoms both during and after pregnancy as well.

The good news is that PMADs are highly treatable. Help is available, and healing is possible.

Unfortunately, only 15% of moms will receive proper treatment, and 25% will still be depressed after one year! Don’t wait.

I work with new moms who are struggling with these thoughts and emotions to help them get back to feeling like themselves again so they can bond with their babies, reconnect with their partners, and find joy again.

I understand that being a new mother is tough and finding a babysitter to come in for counseling once a week can be nearly impossible, especially if you’re a nursing mother. You are welcome to bring your little one with you to our sessions.