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

We are all familiar with morning sickness that is a common part of pregnancy, but have you heard of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG)? It is a very significant medical issue that is very different from “normal” morning sickness, yet it’s been minimized even in the medical community, and the expectant mothers who suffer from this condition have not been treated with the care and respect that they deserve. Knowledge is power, so I hope with today’s show comes the education to help people empower themselves in this extreme condition that affects 1-2 out of 100 pregnancies.   Kaleigh Mancha is a licensed mental health therapist, certified full spectrum doula, body positive yoga teacher, and mother. She runs her business, K.a.y. & M.e., offering various wellness services in the Las Vegas Valley. Advocating for underserved and underrepresented populations has been a lifelong passion of hers and is what brought her into the mental health field ten years ago. She has also been heavily involved in advocating for equitable a

Are there experiences in your life that you just can’t “get past”? We all have those memories that seem to crop up again and again, bringing anxiety, depression, and other effects. What if these memories are tied to a pregnancy or postpartum experience? You can see how this might be difficult for a woman to work through on her own. Even traditional talk therapy is not always effective at clearing through these feelings. Today we are discussing the benefits of using a therapy model called EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to help women. Bethany Warren has been interested in this modality as a treatment for some time and has a passion for women’s mental health issues. She has worked in this field for 20 years, specializing in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders, also working with women who experienced birth trauma, pregnancy loss, infertility, adoption, and surrogacy. She is certified in EMDR and the trauma processing lens and attachment model guides most of her work with clients. She is pas

Have you ever dealt with pregnancy loss? Unfortunately, it’s more common than we think and the topic is one that we just don’t talk about. Dealing with one miscarriage is difficult enough, but when you have the pain of multiple losses, it can be almost unbearable. How does a couple get through these times? How do you offer support to each other and keep your relationship strong? These are the questions addressed in today’s episode, in which we talk to a husband AND wife together about their experience with loss. Shane and NaKaisha Banks are a couple who dealt with loss, birth, loss again, and birth again. They share about their two rainbow babies, the anxiety and depression that came after, and how they have navigated all of this as a couple. In this powerful episode, NaKaisha and Shane share their story in hopes of increasing awareness about loss as a couple of color. Although this is one couple’s story, it’s a great catalyst for us to think of the family as a system. While we tend to focus on what happens w

When it comes to sex after having a baby, what’s normal? If we’re honest, we have had these questions and probably been afraid to ask. After all, who do we ask? How do we improve the communication between partners about sex and sexuality? These topics are very important, both during the pregnancy and during the postpartum period. We talk primarily about heterosexual relationships in this episode but some of the dynamics affect all sexual relationships.  My guest today holds nothing back! She has a refreshing, honest, and direct approach to everything you want to know about this topic. Elyse Springer, MA, MFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist who practices in the Los Angeles area. She uses a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR Therapy, and psychodynamic modalities to assist people with depression, anxiety, death and loss, relationship conflicts, HIV/AIDS, Perinatal Mood and Anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and trouble with the creative process for artists and writers. Elyse has taug

You may have wondered about the process required for certification in perinatal mental health. There is much confusion around any supplemental certification and in many cases, the process isn’t clear. What is clear, however, is the increasing need for certified professionals to deal with the issues faced by many new mothers and their families.  Birdie Gunyon Meyer is an RN with a Master’s Degree in Psychology/Counseling. She is the Coordinator of the Perinatal Mood Disorders Program at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is a Past-President and Past-Chair of Education and Training for Postpartum Support International and currently is the Director of Certification. PSI is the world’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to helping those suffering from perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Birdie is also on the President’s Advisory Council for PSI and for the International Childbirth Education Association. She specializes in the recognition and treatment of pregnancy and postpartum mood

You may think that postpartum depression covers all aspects of perinatal mental health issues that new mothers face. The fact is that there are other kinds of mood changes, some that are talked about and some that are relatively unknown and uncommon. Today’s show focuses on one specific problem that some mothers experience: it’s called D-Mer, which stands for Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex.  Heidi Koss, MA, LMHC, is a psychotherapist in private practice in Redmond, WA. She specializes in perinatal (pregnancy and postpartum) mood disorders, birth trauma, sexual abuse, and parent adjustment issues. Heidi has been the WA State Coordinator for Postpartum Support International www.postpartum.net, and has volunteered for over 20 years with Perinatal Support Washington www.perinatalsupport.org. She served as past board member for PATTCh – the Prevention and Treatment of Traumatic Childbirth, www.pattch.org. Heidi is active leading trainings for clinicians on appropriate assessment and treatment options for perinatal

You’ve heard of postpartum depression, but have you heard of postpartum psychosis? Do you know the difference and how to recognize the signs and symptoms? We are talking about a very difficult mental condition that can wreak havoc on a new mother, her baby, and her family. Fortunately, there are signs to look for and ways you can help if someone you know might be experiencing this rare condition. In this episode, we are hearing from Tarah, a woman who experienced postpartum psychosis after the birth of her twins. Tarah’s mother, Julie, joins this chat, which is the first mother-daughter duo we’ve had on the show to talk about the postpartum experience. One or two out of 1000 women will experience a postpartum psychosis, and while it’s very rare, it is a serious condition that requires immediate treatment. Most people have been misled to think that postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis are synonymous, but they are not. Psychosis is a break from shared reality and is an emergency situation that looks v

Have you ever considered how the systemic and institutional racism, implicit bias and disempowerment of women might be played out with birth? This is especially true for Black women, many of whom are experiencing discrimination, bias, racism and/or poor care while pregnant, birthing or postpartum. Today’s show explores these dynamics, the findings of a research project and the recommendations that have come out of that research.   We are talking with Professor Chinyere Oparah and Dr. Sayida Peprah, who are part of the Black Women Birthing Justice collective. Today we are discussing some of the research they have done and the report called Battling over Birth. Highlights from our discussion include the power dynamics in the birthing environment for black women, history of sexual survivor issues and how that might impact the birthing experience, empowering Black women in the birth space and some glimpses into what the Battling over Birth report recommends.  Julia Chinyere Oparah is a social justice educator, co

Join us for this very special episode, celebrating 100 episodes of Mom and Mind! In this episode, Dr. Kat takes a look back at some of the most impactful episodes of the first 100!  You also get to hear messages from other listeners. These are messages of encouragement and hope. The first 100 episodes is a huge milestone, but to be honest, we are just getting started! There's still so much more to discuss and so many more people to talk to.  So join us as we celebrate this milestone, and keep coming back week after week because we are just getting started. Share this episode with a friend and if you haven't already joined the Facebook group, what are you waiting for?   For this and all episodes of Mom & Mind, please find us at: www.momandmind.com Facebook: Mom & Mind Facebook Group: Mom & Mind Connection Twitter: @drkaeni Instagram: @momandmind For Sponsorship and Guest Inquiries, please email momandmind@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Maternal Mental Health Month continues and so do we! Hearing real life situations and experience is so important for us. In this episode, Kate Rope talks about her personal experience with pregnancy and postpartum Anxiety. She also shares about her book, Strong As A Mother, which addresses pregnancy, postpartum throughout the first year and pressures that society place on women. This is book is built to be a useable resource for moms to help guide them through the transition to motherhood. Kate discusses: *How having a medical test during pregnancy made her worry more. *How a Pericarditis diagnosis lead to more testing, which lead to increased Anxiety and intrusive thoughts about illness *Exhaustion from Anxiety *Meeting with a Reproductive Psychiatrist for Anxiety and starting to take the medication Sertraline *"Zoloft was sort of like a snooze button for my brain and I was able to rest" *"Keep talking until you get somebody who listens"  *How her book, Strong As A Mother supports women to make the decisions

Kristina Cowan shares her story and her book, When Postpartum Packs a Punch: Fighting Back and Finding Joy. (We discuss sensitive content for birth injury and complications.) May is maternal mental health awareness month and Mom & Mind is dedicated to highlighting the lived experience of moms, partners and families.  Kristina discusses her experience through a traumatic birth experience, a postpartum thyroid condition and her path to healing. She has written an amazing book that includes her experience, others stories of lived experience and great information from experts in the field. She wrote, “When Postpartum Packs a Punch” and we will learn a bit about that today. Kristina touches on: *Birth Trauma *Postpartum Depression *Medication for treatment *Postpartum onset of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis *Healing and recovery *The resources in her new book Connect with Kristina Here! Website: www.kristinacowan.com Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/cowankristina/ Twitter: @kristinacowan Instagram: kcowan88

Maternal Mental Health Week is Here! 4/30-5/4 World Maternal Mental Health day is Wednesday 5/2 We are addressing the myths of motherhood and parenthood while digging a little deeper to see how those myths become the beliefs that we carry about ourselves.  What are these myths? So glad you asked! They basically sound like perfection at it's most perfect... * You will get pregnant easily * You and your baby will be healthy * You will love being pregnant and being a mother * You will know what to do and how to do it  * Breastfeeding will be easy * You will instantly bond with your baby postpartum And so on...What can you add to the list? WELL, what happens when these myths don't become reality???? We feel like failures. We blame ourselves. We think that we did something wrong. We feel like bad mothers.  Let's tear this down and start over. Yes, some people have these really lovely experiences, but for those of us who don't...we are suffering by the pain of these "failures". I say, we say, that's enough. Let's c

Dr. Raja discusses the importance of multidisiplinary approaches to health and wellbeing in pregnancy and postpartum. He shares his rich and global perspective on how care providers can work together across roles to make sure that perinatal mothers are receiving the care they need. Here are some of the topics we touch on: *OB's are one part of the care team for pregnant mothers *There might be different care pathways in different countries but if we are working together as a care team, we can "join the dots" *How the World Health Organization defines health: physical mental and social well-being. *Keep mothers and families in the heart of everything. "If you listen to the mothers and the families, you can never go wrong" *Discussing Maternal Death and thoughts on prevention *Identify and understand your role in the care of women, which includes making appropriate referrals and following up to make sure she gets support. *Acknowledge your limitations as a provider and offer to find out more. * The Internationa

Dr. Alyssa Berlin is on to talk about planning for life after the birth of your child. We often don't consider what happens after the baby comes home, or how our relationship might change. It's important to consider planning for life after you come home with baby! Dr. Berlin uses some really great analogies and examples about our needs during this time. She discusses how to strengthen the couple to be prepared for life with baby, but also normal life after a child.  We discuss what postpartum planning is...real expectations, relationships changes, planning for 'normal and learning what could happen... Connect with Dr. Berlin! http://www.doctorberlin.com/dr-alyssa-berlin-psyd Dr. Alyssa Berlin is a clinical psychologist specializing in pregnancy, postpartum and parenting, a labor support doula and a certified Gottman educator. Dr. Berlin is the creator of The AfterBirth Plan Workshop, a program that prepares couples for what to expect after a baby is born and how to prepare for a physically and emotionally hea

Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett is talking about some essential info on how stress affects postpartum moms and what to do about it! This is a must listen, it's so fascinating. This episode is jam packed with great information and insight. You might want to take notes and pass this along to others. What is so fantastic about this episode is that most people don't have access to this kind of info and education. We aren't reading research articles or even able to understand them half the time. Kathy gives us some education on how our bodies work, which I believe really helps us to take the blame off of ourselves. There are real things happening in our brains and bodies that affect how we feel, think and behave. There are really too many gems to count here... *Depression in pregnancy *Depression and breastfeeding *The stress response: what's normal, what hurts us *The role of inflammation in our illness *WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY to get on the path to reducing stress and inflammation! Connect with Kathy here: UppityScie

Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC is sharing her personal story of dealing with postpartum depression after three of her five children. She then went on to use her professional skills to help and support other moms find balance with nutrition and breastfeeding. Crystal touches on many aspects of her experience that so many moms can relate to: -a past eating disorder of anorexia and worry that she wouldn't be able to get pregnant due to that history -feeling disconnected from her children because of postpartum depression -dealing with the pressure to be happy because she was able to have children -breastfeeding difficulties, feeling the pressure to breastfeed and having the support of a lactation consultant  Crystal shares how her experiences shaped her work and passion to help mothers nourish themselves and nourish their new babies. Please share this episode with other mothers or partners who are struggling with these similar issues. Crystal shares the message that we talk about on this podcast...you are not alo

Dr. Kat gets on her soapbox! Dishing on a few things that get her upset and maybe get you upset too?!?! We have a long way to go to do better for pregnant, birthing, loss and postpartum moms! Here are some of the things she touchs on... *Can we just be supportive to moms? Can we stop with the shaming and guilt? It's hard enough to be a mom...we need a softer approach on how we treat new parenthood in general. *I have some thoughts about the pressure to breastfeed... *My fantasy and utopia of how if we could treat mothers and families well, with the right kind of support that we can lessen the impacts of stress for generations. *Healthcare providers need to do a better job of supporting perinatal mental health. It's a cop-out to say that "we can't screen mothers because we don't know what to do with them". My advise...figure it out. Let me know what you think! What are the topics that get you on your soapbox? Raising our voices to speak to the stigma and disparities for mothers can be productive if it leads to

There are some powerful experiences that new moms go through when coming in to psychotherapy. Moms who are pregnant, experienced a loss, birth trauma or postpartum are often transforming in to a new version of themselves. Here's what we reflect on... *These moms are brave and strong. *New motherhood is a mirror. Sometimes a magnifying glass. *Motherhood makes your heart open and can make you a deeper sense of vulnerability, anxiety, be in touch from deeper feelings. That can happen for partners too. *Working through some of the pain leads to healthier lives. *Therapy helps you understand that it's not "you" it's what you're going through. *You can heal through past events that are impacting you now. *You are not alone and you can feel better! For this and all episodes of Mom & Mind, please find us at: www.momandmind.com Connect with us! Facebook: Mom & Mind Facebook Group: Mom & Mind Connection Twitter: @drkaeni Instagram: @momandmind For Sponsorship and Guest Inquiries, please email momandmind@gmail.com   Le

Dr. Kat goes solo in this episode and talks about self care and the process of healing. Self care is a complicated topic for motherhood and parenthood. It's pretty straight forward as a concept, but it can be hard to actually do. I'm on here to break down some of those barriers to understanding what self care looks like for you. We talk about how self care is part of the healing process. It's something that you can do for yourself, today. It's not going to fix everything, but it does help over time. Listen in and share with a mama in need! Let's support each other into wellness! For this and all episodes of Mom & Mind, please find us at: www.momandmind.com Connect with us! Facebook: Mom & Mind Facebook Group: Mom & Mind Connection Twitter: @drkaeni Instagram: @momandmind For Sponsorship and Guest Inquiries, please email momandmind@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Birth planning is very important. Postpartum planning is essential. Arianna Taboada talks about so much, including some of the reasons we need this kind of support in the US specifically or places where maternity leave is not well supported. More specifically, these plans are very supportive for mothers who have any history or risk of perinatal mental health challenge, such as postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety. We touch on: What is a postpartum plan and why do we need it? What's in a postpartum plan and what should be on there? "Who's your crew?" getting the support of others. This is the resource that Arianna discussed... Postpartum eco-map(for anyone) Postpartum eco-map for entrepreneurs Connect with Arianna: Instagram: @ ariannataboada Facebook: www.facebook.com/ariannataboadaconsulting/ Twitter: @ ariannataboada website: www.ariannataboada.com  Arianna is a maternal health consultant who works with experienced entrepreneurs who are becoming first time mothers, helping them customize their ma