Beyond Postpartum

CW: Pregnancy loss/miscarriage.

In this Episode of Beyond Postpartum I interview Shealagh, who shares her postpartum story, how and where she finally found a group of other mothers she could relate to, and how and why CBT can help (and what it is). 

In this episode I talk with Danette Jubinville (she/her/hers), who belongs to the Cyr family from the Pasqua First Nation. Her ancestry is Cree, Saulteaux, and mixed European.  She is an Indigenous doula, one of the founding members of the Ekw’í7tl Doula Collective, a PhD student, and a health researcher. She shares about her pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journey, her experience with a condition called D-MER, how important it was (and is) to have culturally safe health care, and many other things. Our conversation was really awesome and I hope you enjoy listening to it!

In this episode, Juno Rinaldi shares her story of recovery from Postpartum Anxiety and Depression, and we talk about how going through PPD/A has influenced her work as an actor, writer, and creative. You might know Juno from her role as Frankie Coyne on the CBC show Workin' Moms. Thank you Juno for sharing your story with us!

CW: Intimate partner violence and abuse. In this episode, Anna and I talk about her journey through postpartum anxiety, and leaving an abusive relationship. One in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime, and over half of folks who are trans, two-spirit, or non-binary will as well. It is a topic we need to talk about and bring out of the shadows as it likely touches us all in one way or another. 40% of cases of domestic violence and abuse begin during pregnancy. If this is something you are experiencing, you are not alone.

In this episode, Evan and I talk about his struggle as a new dad, why he didn't reach out for support, the internal struggle when societal norms conflict with our personal choices and circumstances, the stigma and shame surrounding mental illness, and other fun things.1 in 10 partners will experience depression after the birth of their child (and up to 1 in 2 partners will experience depression or anxiety when the birthing parent is also experiencing perinatal mental illness), so if you are struggling, please know you are not alone. At the end of the episode I go over some of the common signs and symptoms of perinatal mental health challenges in partners, and share some ideas of where to go to get support. 

In this episode, Brandy shares her story about losing herself in motherhood, and how this led her to the ask the question 'is motherhood broken, or am I?' Luckily for us she answers that question in this podcast AND in her brand new book, a darkly comedic novel about modern motherhood called 'Adult Conversation: a Novel.' In addition to her book, we also talk about burnout, birth trauma, and how rigid parenting beliefs can be problematic.

In this episode Zoe and I talk about her postpartum journey, the dangers of over-researching, the harm that can come from having unreasonably high expectations, the difference between postpartum depression and regular depression, how choices around how you feed your baby can impact your mental health, and many other things - including how she is handling the current covid-19 pandemic. This is an episode that you won't want to miss!

In this episode Miranda and I talk about how weaning can affect mental health, her journey to becoming an Indigenous Doula, and the importance of spiritual and cultural practices in her healing journey. You can find show notes and the links to the resources she shared at http://postpartum.org/beyond-postpartum-ep-3.

In this episode Clare shares her story and we talk about postpartum RAGE. RAGE! We also talk about how to tell the difference between intrusive thoughts and psychosis, and how extreme sleep deprivation negatively impacted her mental health. Clare shares how she is coping with the current global pandemic - and it might not be what you would expect. You can find the show notes for this episode at: http://postpartum.org/beyond-postpartum-ep-2.

Our first episode of Beyond Postpartum! Woot! Listen to me stretch my 'wobbly-brand-new-baby-podcast-host-legs' (it can only get better from here, right?) as I interview Sheila, who is the fabulous director of the Pacific Post Partum Support Society. Sheila shares her story and we talk about intrusive thinking - what it is, who gets it, and what do about it. Check out http://postpartum.org/beyond-postpartum-ep-1/ for the show notes and more resources and info.