Mom and Mind

I'm joined today by Dr. Katrina Furey, a board-certified adult psychiatrist in women’s mental health and reproductive psychiatry. We are diving into understanding how hormones impact mental health in the perinatal period and at other times in a woman’s life cycle. Join us to learn more!

Dr. Furey is a clinical instructor at the Yale University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and has Sound Psychiatry, a private practice in Guilford, Connecticut. She is a consultant for Connecticut’s Access Mental Health for Moms Hotline, offering psychiatric expertise and consultation to medical providers treating women for mental health or substance abuse issues. She also co-hosts the Analyze Scripts podcast, which analyzes the depiction of mental health in fictional TV shows and films. Dr. Furey just launched Repro Psych Academy, a comprehensive series of online courses designed to empower all healthcare providers to feel more confident in diagnosing and managing women’s mental health conditions related to hormonal shifts from menses to menopause. 

Show Highlights:

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Katrina Furey: Sound Psychiatry, Analyze Scripts podcast, Repro Psych Academy, and Instagram

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visit cdph.ca.gov

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services. 

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.  

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

If you are a California resident looking for a therapist in perinatal mental health, email me about openings for private pay clients!

We are exploring a topic that pops up frequently in therapy sessions. Relationship issues are often an underlying factor of other challenges that prompt women to seek therapy. They are looking for problem-solving solutions to help with the pain they are experiencing in their relationships. Let’s take a closer look in today’s episode.

Show Highlights:

Resources:

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visit cdph.ca.gov

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services. 

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.  

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

If you are a California resident looking for a therapist in perinatal mental health, email me about openings for private pay clients!

Today’s guest shares her experiences through a difficult postpartum journey. Her story covers anxiety, psychosis, and alcohol dependence, but she turned things around to empower women and coach them to be their best selves. Join us for Andrea’s story.

Andrea Owen is an author, global keynote speaker, and professionally certified life coach who helps high-achieving women maximize unshakeable confidence, master their mindset, and magnify their courage. She hosts the wildly popular podcast, Make Some Noise, and her books include How to Stop Feeling Like Shit, Make Some Noise, and 52 Ways to Live a Kickass Life. With multiple certifications, Andrea is a She Recovers coach and a Daring Way facilitator. 

Show Highlights:

Resources:

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visit cdph.ca.gov

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services. 

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.  

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

If you are a California resident looking for a therapist in perinatal mental health, email me about openings for private pay clients!

Connect with Andrea Owen:

Website, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Make Some Noise podcast, and (books) How to Stop Feeling Like Shit, Make Some Noise, and 52 Ways to Live a Kickass Life.

We often mistakenly think physicians are immune to postpartum challenges, but nothing could be further from the truth. Today’s guest shares her story of pregnancy loss, traumatic birth, and intense postpartum difficulties. From feeling shamed and unsupported, therapy helped her find a place of forgiveness and a healthy mental space for herself. Join us to learn more!

Dr. Phindile Chowa is an emergency-trained physician currently practicing in Georgia. She attended the University of Pittsburgh for her undergraduate studies and medical school, completing her residency at Harvard. With several years of experience in a large academic hospital, she swiftly ascended to an administrative role within the emergency department, focusing on enhancing the patient experience. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she witnessed transformative changes in healthcare delivery, motivating her to redefine her medical practice. Determined to restore dignity to patient care, she established the concierge medical practice, EMCare2U, where she provides personalized healthcare services to individuals and families. With a particular emphasis on postpartum care, she wrote the book What to Expect Next, a postpartum guide to assist mothers planning for a healthy postpartum journey. Dr. Chowa also hosts the podcast, Fourth Trimester Voices, where she creates a platform for meaningful conversations surrounding postpartum challenges, maternal health, and healthcare advocacy. The podcast amplifies the voices of mothers, healthcare professionals, and advocates to share their stories, insights, and support for navigating the postpartum experience. 

Show Highlights:

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Phindile Chowa

Website, Instagram, Facebook (Join the postpartum support group, Beyond the Fourth Trimester.), and Fourth Trimester Voices podcast

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visit cdph.ca.gov

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services. 

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.  

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

If you are a California resident looking for a therapist in perinatal mental health, email me about openings for private pay clients!

SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP!

We are talking about a very important topic…SLEEP! We’ve all heard that new moms and parents don’t sleep when they have a baby, but its actually a pretty huge deal. Lauren DePaola is going to give us the information we need to know about how it Impacts us and why we need to be taking a closer look on protecting our sleep as much as possible.

We cover stages of sleep, how much sleep you really need and what kind, what can happen when you don't get enough sleep and why its so important!!!!

Lauren DePaola, LCSW is a wife, mother of two boys and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Florida. She owns a private mental health practice with a focus on reproductive mental health: Postpartum Wellness & Family Counseling, located in Gainesville, FL.

Lauren is the founder of the Alachua County Perinatal Mental Health Coalition, the President of the Florida Chapter of Postpartum Support International and Co-Chair of the newly formed Florida Maternal Mental Health Collaborative.

Resources:

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visit cdph.ca.gov

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services. 

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.  

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

If you are a California resident looking for a therapist in perinatal mental health, email me about openings for private pay clients!

 Alachua County Perinatal Mental Health Coalition website:

 http://ppwandfc.wixsite.com/acpmhc

You are in for a treat as we hear from someone who is fully committed to the advocacy and activism it takes to make a difference in the lives of new moms. She is relentless in her fight and the scope of her work is far-reaching. I’m excited to be joined by Paige Bellenbaum for today’s show. 

Paige Bellenbaum is a social worker, founding director, and Chief External Relations Officer at The Motherhood Center of New York. This place is doing phenomenal work in the field of perinatal mental health, helping push the dial forward on the kind of care that new moms who are suffering should be receiving. She’s been able to put forth legislation in NY to help mothers by mandating hospitals to provide education and encourage screening for all new and expectant mothers. Paige has worked in public policy, advocacy, community organizing, and in direct practice with disadvantaged communities. Paige shares her experience as a mom and how it brought her into this work. After Paige’s first child was born, the postpartum depression and anxiety she experienced nearly ended her life. When she began to heal, her relentless fight began for education, screening, and treatment so that no one has to suffer. She continues to work closely with multiple NYC agencies on maternal mental health best practices and policies, and she was a member of the NYC Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee as well as currently sitting on the NYS Maternal Mental Health Working Group. Paige has appeared on numerous TV news shows and major media platforms in an ongoing effort to get the word out about maternal mental health. She helps us understand the importance of education, treatment, and screening, and why higher levels of care are essential for those experiencing moderate to severe perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. 

Show Highlights:

Resources:

Connect with Paige Bellenbaum and The Motherhood Center: Website and Instagram

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visit cdph.ca.gov

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services. 

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.  

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

If you are a California resident looking for a therapist in perinatal mental health, email me about openings for private pay clients!

I’m happy to welcome back a previous guest on the podcast. Lynn Wilhite is a licensed clinical social worker who joined me for Episode 263, Coping with Treatment-Resistant Depression. Things have changed for Lynn since she has recently been diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and PTSD. She shares the impact of her diagnoses and how she’s making connections about why things were so difficult for her in the past. Her insights help us understand how the many layers and factors of ADHD and autism have complicated her journey. Lynn has paused her work in therapy and social work to focus on her healing, understand her diagnoses, and learn more about her son’s autism diagnosis. She feels passionate about bringing neurodivergence into the postpartum conversation, along with normalizing and destigmatizing autism and other forms of neurodivergence for new moms. She is currently writing a book about her postpartum and parenthood journey. Join us to learn more from Lynn’s story!

Show Highlights:

Resources:

Connect with Lynn Wilhite: Instagram

Lynn Wilhite’s other Mom & Mind episode:  Episode 263

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visit cdph.ca.gov

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services. 

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.  

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

If you are a California resident looking for a therapist in perinatal mental health, email me about openings for private pay clients!

In my therapy practice, I meet with moms at all stages of their reproductive journeys. It is a consistent thing that perinatal mental health conditions sneak up on people. Many new moms don’t know when to be concerned and when to seek help for perinatal depression, which can happen at any point in the reproductive journey and worsen in the postpartum. It’s important to notice the signs and symptoms. Let’s take a closer look!

Show Highlights:

Resources:

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visit cdph.ca.gov

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services. 

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.  

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

If you are a California resident looking for a therapist in perinatal mental health, email me about openings for private pay clients!

Join us for this episode with my guest, Dr. Jasmine. She is a mom of one, a clinical pharmacist, and she holds a perinatal mental health certification. As a survivor of severe postpartum depression, anxiety, and insomnia, she has also served as a peer mentor volunteer for Postpartum Support International (PSI). A fierce maternal mental health advocate and second-generation Taiwanese-American, Dr. Jasmine hosts a podcast called Healing the Tigress, which features conversations around Asian American Pacific Islanders’ (AAPI) maternal mental health. Her newsletter, blogs, and Instagram focus on motherhood, mental health destigmatization, and gentle parenting. Her writing has been featured in Mother.ly, Psyched Mommy, and she was interviewed last fall about her PPD story by Women’s Health. 

Show Highlights:

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Jasmine: 

Blog

Instagram

Healing the Tigress podcast

Connect with Dr. Kat:

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be a better support in offering services. 

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.  

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

If you are a California resident looking for a therapist in perinatal mental health, email me about openings for private pay clients!

Today, Dr. Kat hosts Dr. Marlena Fejzo, an expert on hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), a severe form of pregnancy sickness. Dr. Fejzo, affiliated with the University of Southern California and the HER Foundation, discusses HG's debilitating symptoms, its long-term health impacts, and the challenges within the healthcare system. She emphasizes the need for better awareness, research, and treatment protocols, including the importance of thiamine supplements and support groups. Dr. Fejzo also highlights her ongoing research on genetic factors and potential treatments, advocating for improved care and support for HG patients.

Join us!

Bio: 

Dr. Marlena Fejzo is a women’s health scientist and expert on severe pregnancy sickness. She is a researcher at the University of Southern California, Research Director of the HER Foundation, and Chief Scientific Officer of Harmonia Healthcare. Fejzo found the first genes for uterine fibroids and for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. In March, Fejzo was honored as one of Time’s Women of the Year, in May she was named one of Time’s 100 Health Catalysts, and in July she was awarded the 2024 Victoria J. Mastrobuono Award in Women’s Health by the National Organization for Women. 

Show Highlights:

Resources:

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be a better support in offering services. 

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.  

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

If you are a California resident looking for a therapist in perinatal mental health, email me about openings for private pay clients!

Connect with Dr. Fejzo

Twitter - @DrFejzo

LinkedIn 

HER Foundation  

International HG Conference on November 6th and 7th, 2024 in Ventura, CA international colloquium Hyperemesis gravidarum https://www.hyperemesis.org/ichg2024/

To Donate to Dr. Fejzo’s research efforts: bit.ly/fejzo