On the Couch with Carly

Birth trauma can occur after baby is born. Nothing is quite as frightening as experiencing your newborn baby going into NICU but knowing the thresholds and protocols around this event will help. In this episode I unpack how I believe we need to educate ourselves in pregnancy for some of the more scary things that can go wrong. With the help of a doula you can be informed and empowered through this process.

In this episode I speak to the pandemic facing most families: the unequal division of labour in the home! Moms are carrying the mental load of parenting in disproportionate amounts. I look at the various factors that contribute to this reality and give some suggestions for how to navigate this and strive for a more equitable system.

Today's episode is a departure from the pregnancy and postpartum theme as I have an exciting announcement. I have just qualified as an integral coach! In this episode I discuss why I have chosen to become a coach, how coaching is different from therapy and what kinds of questions/problems you should bring to coaching.

Sleep training is not for everyone but for this sleep-deprived mom it was the key to surviving postpartum with her mental health intact. In this episode we talk about the need to center the mother's mental health as a necessary means to build secure attachment.

This is a follow up episode to the sleep training episode. I am 6 months down the line and this is what I have figured out about sleep and I offer my take so that you can feel empowered to make choices for you and your family that take into account everyone's needs.

What do you do when you feel anxious? In this episode I talk about how we need to not only manage the symptoms of anxiety, we need to understand what our anxiety is telling us and actually make structural changes to bring ease to our lives. In particular, I unpack why we are seeing such high rates of Postpartum Anxiety and what we should be doing about it.

Choosing to be a parent isn't for everyone. Today I unpack some of the things to consider when deciding whether to become a parent

This is a short episode where I discuss my experience of dealing with sibling rivalry and some advice for helping your children manage their big feelings around their siblings.

To sleep train or not to sleep train, that is the question? Meg and I unpack the thorny topic of infant sleep. Can babies learn to self soothe? Does this impact attachment to the caregiver? What should you do as a parent to help your baby sleep better so that everyone in the family benefits? Or should we accept to be sleep deprived throughout the period of infancy?

In this episode I reflect on what I have learnt through having a second baby that I wish I had known as a first time mom. I also share what others have offered as advice for first-time moms now that they have a second baby.