Beyond Postpartum

My guest for this episode of Beyond Postpartum is Dr. Walker Ladd, Ph.D., who has just released the 2nd edition of her book Transformed by Postpartum Depression: Women's Stories of Trauma and Growth, which is based on her groundbreaking research about how untreated perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) impact new parents and families in deep and significant ways. In addition to being a researcher and an author, Dr. Ladd is also a mom of two and a full-time faculty member at Saybrook University, among, of course, many other things. Her own lived experience with birth trauma, postpartum depression, breast cancer, and major depressive disorder has deeply informed her work. 

In this episode Clare returns to interview me!  In it I share my journey of becoming a mom, living through a severe perinatal anxiety disorder, and what the long process of recovery was like. 

In this episode I was honoured to have the lovely Janelle Hanchett as my guest. Janelle is a mom of four beautiful kiddos, the creator of the blog Renegade Mothering, and in 2018 she published a memoir, ‘I’m Just Happy to Be Here,’ which is a beautifully written and powerful book about her journey through addiction and recovery. She is also a writing teacher and editor, and hosts the most amazing writing retreats and workshops. Her blog and her writing courses have been a big piece of my own journey, and I am so grateful to be able to share this conversation with all of you.

My guest for this episode of Beyond Postpartum is the lovely Olivia Scobie, who is a mom of two, a Registered Social Worker who supports individuals and families in her private counselling practice, the founder of Postpartum Support Toronto (PPSTO), and the author of an amazing and soon-to-be released book called 'Impossible Parenting: Creating a New Culture of Mental Health for Parents.' And of course, so much more! I absolutely loved her book and am so incredibly honoured to share this conversation with you. 

I'm so excited to share this episode of Beyond Postpartum with all of you. Our guest for this episode is Allie Brite-Hamel who's journey through postpartum anxiety and depression inspired her to write her first book 'If Mommy's Being Honest.' It's a children's book about perinatal mental health, but it's just as much for parents, as she explains in our conversation. She also shares about her own story, grieving the recent loss of her younger brother, and the role her faith played in her healing.

CW: Discussion of suicidal thoughts and ideation

In this episode of Beyond Postpartum I had the honor of speaking with Jennifer Norris-Hale who is (among so many other things) a mom of 3, TEDx speaker, and the founder of Mission: Motherhood. It was such a joy to talk with Jennifer, and we touched on so many important topics including birth trauma, being true to your own needs, and the importance of social support. She also tells us all about about Mission: Motherhood and why she took on this important project.

Have you ever had upsetting thoughts or images jump into your head seemingly out of nowhere? Those are called intrusive thoughts! If you have had these random unwanted thoughts before (and most of us have!) this episode is for you. In this episode of Beyond Postpartum, I chat with Dr. Nichole Fairbrother, who is a psychologist, clinical associate professor with the UBC Island Medical Program, and the director of the Perinatal Anxiety Research Lab. Included in her many different areas of expertise are intrusive thoughts and postpartum Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

In this episode Janessa shares her story and journey through postpartum depression, and how sharing that story has helped her feel less alone on her parenting journey. This experience led her to start her own postpartum support group and pursue training as a postpartum and infant care doula so she can support other local families in her small, rural, community. It was a supper fun conversation and I hope you enjoy listening!

In this episode of Beyond Postpartum I had the opportunity to chat with Mary Gillis. Mary is a Registered Clinical Counsellor who works with families experiencing infertility, pregnancy loss, infant loss, and birth trauma. In this episode she shares about her own journey through 9 years of infertility, the things that were integral to her healing journey, and the common struggles and emotions that come up for those experiencing infertility and loss.