This week, Lauren shares her story of antenatal and postpartum depression. Lauren is the mother of two girls, ages 3 years old and 10 months. She did NOT experience a mood disorder during her first pregnancy and postpartum period. When she got pregnant three months after a miscarriage, Lauren then went through pregnancy hell. Her traumatizing pregnancy was followed by a traumatic birth. For the first two weeks after delivery, Lauren felt euphoric but then she experienced severe postpartum depression. She had PTSD from her pregnancy, intrusive thoughts, panic attacks, disassociation, and suicidal ideation. She is now finally emerging from the postpartum darkness. Thanks, Lauren, for opening up and sharing your story on the show. Show notes are available at PPDadventures.com. My memoir is now available on Amazon in both paperback and ebook, and this month, you can also download your free copy of the ebook. (Link at PPDadventures.com). Email Courtney@PPDadventures.com if you would like to share your story on a future episode. The intro music is "Cute" by Bensound.com. Thank you for listening and I hope you have a lovely week.

68 Lauren's Story

Postpartum depression is the most common pregnancy complication but it is still highly stigmatized. All to often, moms with postpartum mood disorders feel alone and ashamed of their symptoms when in reality, thousands of moms across the world are experiencing this illness at the same time. By sharing stories, this show seeks to end the stigma and help women kick postpartum depression in the ass.

Health & Fitness

It's Maternal Mental Health Week 2021! Maternal mental health is a cause near and dear to my heart. When I talk and write about maternal mental health, I end up focusing on postpartum depression. That's an important subject that needs attention, but maternal mental health does not end with the postpartum period. We deserve excellent mental health our entire lives, not just when we have a little baby at home. 

In other news, between May 5 and May 9, 2021, my memoir Adventures With Postpartum Depression is free on Amazon. Happy downloading! 

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.

Episode 68: 87 Maternal Mental Health Is A Journey, Not A Destination

This week, I wanted to drop in and say, "Hello!" because the e-book of my memoir, Adventures With Postpartum Depression, is free now, December 8-12, on Amazon. It's my early Christmas gift for all the mamas struggling right now. And while I was saying hello, I thought I would give a pep talk for all the postpartum mamas because sometimes, you just need someone to tell you, "You can do this. Yeah, this is tough. But I believe in you." Because seriously, mamas, I do believe in you and I know how tough newborns are - and in 2020, sweet mercy, there's a whole extra dimension to the toughness. 

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. My memoir is available on Amazon. You can also follow me on IG @Courtney.Novak. Questions? Comments? Email CourtneyHenningNovak@gmail.com.

I love you and please, please, please remember: You are not alone.

Episode 67: 86 Postpartum Pep Talk

This episode is Episode 17 from my new podcast, Adventures With My Forties. But the things I had to say for that show are just as relevant - possibly more! - for mamas with a maternal mood disorder. I talk about the upcoming 2020 holidays. Spoiler alert: the holidays will be a bit different this year because hello, #pandemic. I am trying my best to lower/change my expectations so my family can still enjoy this time of year. I talk about the mindset I am trying to embrace so I do not drive myself crazy. (Or at least, crazier than usual.)


Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. While you are there, sign up for my newsletter! You can also follow me on IG @Courtney.Novak. 

The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

85 A Very Pandemic Holiday Season

This week, I am sharing Episode 10 from my new podcast, Adventures with My Forties, because I think it is also helpful for any parent. When I had PPD, my recovery focused on managing my worst symptoms like insomnia, anxiety and OCD rituals. But I was also struggling to find my footing as a new parent. In this episode, I talk about the "Jedi mind tricks" that help me thrive as a parent, before and now during the pandemic. 

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

84 Pandemic Parenting

I started a new podcast called Adventures With My Forties. It is now available on iTunes and the usual places for podcasts. For that show, I did an episode about my anxiety during the pandemic. (Spoiler alert: I'm back on Zoloft.) I am sharing that episode here because anxiety is often a big part of postpartum depression. 

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

68 Lauren's Story

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