In Honor of Fathers By Jane I. Honikman, M.S. Founder of Postpartum Support International We honor men who are fathers each June with expressions of appreciation and love. It is a centuries old global tradition. Father’s Day is about celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds and the influence of fathers in society. It marks the historic recognition…
International Fathers Mental Health Day 2019 A blog by Dr Andrew Mayers As we mark another International Fathers Mental Health Day, it’s a good time to reflect on what we have achieved since June 2018 but also reinforce what still needs to be done. I have been working in perinatal mental health for 16 years….
Amanda Yeaton-Massey, MD Assistant Professor of Maternal-Fetal Medicine Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco Tell us a little about yourself outside of your work. Since becoming a mother, most of my time outside of work has been focused on spending time with my two wonderful children. I have an…
Postpartum Psychosis: I Didn’t Know Motherhood Could Have A Dark Side, Until I Saw Demons Threatening To Kill My Baby Olivia Siegl It makes my blood run cold that I went into motherhood unaware of what could happen to my mind after having a baby. Postpartum Psychosis plummeted me into a darkness that had…
“It wasn’t till I tentatively Googled ‘Why do I think about hurting my baby’ that I found that I was far from alone.” Susannah Birch Giving birth to my first daughter was the most empowering thing I’ve ever done, and afterwards I felt as if I could do anything. I’d had a natural drug…
MOM CONGRESS 2019 Jessica Thomas, PSI Support Coordinator for Eastern NC No matter your view of life I believe we can all come to the consensus that “mommin’ ain’t easy”. I have been pregnant and or nursing for the past 7 years and with that comes an emotional toll that I was not prepared…
“If This Is So Common, Why Haven’t I Ever Heard of It?” Jenny Schermerhorn “I think you might have Postpartum Depression” was something a close friend said to me at my first child’s 1-year-old birthday party. I remember thinking “That’s what bad moms get”. I blamed myself, and I pushed it aside. I had no…
Perinatal OCD Part II Catherine Benfield We’re at a point now where parents are beginning to talk openly about the impact of becoming parents on their mental health. Postnatal depression is often in the media, an awareness of postpartum psychosis is finally starting to build. But what if you start experiencing worries about deliberately harming…
Elizabeth Gillette, MSW, LCSW Heirloom Counseling PSI Volunteer: Coordinator (North Carolina Mountains Region / Asheville area) Certificate from PSI in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders: Components of Care Tell us a little about yourself outside of your work. I live in Asheville, North Carolina with my partner and our fur babies, Maia and Mercutio. I…
Understanding Perinatal OCD Part I Catherine Benfield In order to recognize Perinatal OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), it’s important to understand the way OCD works and that can sometimes be easier said than done. When people ask me what OCD is, my first instinct is to ask them to pull up a chair so I can…