Preparing to welcome a new baby into your home can be an exciting and happy experience, but it can be a difficult time of adjustment for older siblings. Older siblings may need additional consideration, support and attention to assist them to cope with this dramatic change in their lives. WHY MIGHT IT BE DIFFICULT FOR […]
The Myth of “The Perfect Mother”
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are the leading birth complication in the United States. (PSI, 2014) Etiologies of perinatal distress are complex and can be traced back to limited social support, loss of social ties, previous histories of mental illness, birth trauma, developmental trauma, and socioeconomic status. However, maternal distress is also often a direct […]
Identity in Motherhood
Take a moment to think about all the parts that make up who you are. Stay here for a bit. And breathe. What comes up for you? What images, stories, memories, words come to your mind? When I think about who I am, I realize that I connect most with the parts of me that […]
Family Resilience After Loss and Adversity
How do individuals, couples, and families navigate life after experiencing loss or adversity? This question has perhaps never been more relevant than in our current time, as we collectively navigate many complex and traumatic losses wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Loss is a powerful experience that shakes the foundation of life and our understanding of […]
Racial Disparities in Maternal Healthcare
Did you know that compared to white women; members of racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to receive preventative health services? Often receive lower quality of care? Have worse health outcomes for certain conditions? African-American Women As high rates of maternal mortality in the U.S. have alarmed researchers, one statistic has been especially concerning. […]
Bringing Sexy Back
Sex is difficult to talk about. Especially when we’re running on empty, trying to keep up with life’s demands, our sex life may hit the backburner. You might not be feeling like yourself or you miss your partner but feel uncertain about how to pursue them. These feelings of uncertainty, unfamiliarity, or even nothingness toward […]
Pregnancy and Infant Loss: A Story Behind the Statistics
“How many children do you have?” “Is she your first?” “When is she getting a brother or sister?” These every day, well-meaning questions, directed towards me and my 2.5-year-old daughter running about, are anything but simple. For anyone who has experienced the loss of a child, like I have, these seemingly innocuous questions are difficult […]
Mindful Self-Compassion
What do you notice when you tune into the voice in your head? How do you tend to talk to yourself? Unfortunately, many of us can be our worst enemies instead of our own best friends. The practice of mindful self-compassion offers us a way out of this negative cycle. Self-compassionate practice teaches us a […]
Understanding Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Before the birth of my daughter in 2017, I had never heard the term ‘pelvic organ prolapse’. I did not know there were physical therapists that specialize in pelvic floor physical therapy and I definitely did not know that as many as 1 in 3 women will develop this condition in their lifetime. I was […]
You Had a Baby During COVID? Me Too
I found out I was pregnant three weeks before the U.S. lockdown. It was far enough ahead that we had heard of this new virus but had no idea that in a short time we would isolate and all our dreams and expectations for this pregnancy would shift. Fast forward 9 months, and I was […]
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