Parenthood is a journey filled with immense joy and love, but it can also be fraught with challenges, particularly when it comes to maternal mental health. It is during these challenging times that individuals like Heather Toeppner shine as rays of hope. We are thrilled to introduce Heather Toeppner as the newest President of Postpartum Support Charleston's (PSC) Board of Directors. Executive Director, Elaine DeaKyne and Board President, Heather Toeppner. A Dedication to Maternal Mental Health Heather has been volunteering with Postpartum Support Charleston since 2019 as a Mom Mentor and assi ..read more

You’re struggling. This motherhood thing has you in a spot where you just don’t know what to do anymore. The people closest to you are noticing a change in you and are concerned. Your days seem to last forever and every moment is a struggle. You know that it’s getting to the point where you might need some extra support. And getting to this place of realizing you need professional support is not easy. It’s hard to know when you need to take the next steps to finding professional help. You think to yourself, “I can push through this” or “I will fine if I just get through this phase.” But someti ..read more

When you think of gardening, what comes to mind? Dirt. Sun. Colors. Nature. Growth. You may think of certain things you have tried to garden in the past. Maybe tomatoes, or flowers. Or maybe just some simply house plants that never seem to survive. (We’ve all been there.) Maybe gardening reminds you of a specific person in your life. Or maybe you equate a certain smell to gardening - that earthy, fresh smell of the sun baking the dirt. Gardening reminds me of motherhood. Many women in my life love being in the garden, and it makes me think. Is motherhood like gardening? What are some ways that ..read more

Three months after I had my daughter, postpartum depression and anxiety hit me like a ton of bricks. I had dealt with anxiety and depression throughout teens and young adulthood and I felt like I had a handle on it, but unfortunately I was wrong. The anxiety was worse than it had ever been. I felt something was really off was when I got my period twice in one month even though I was still breastfeeding. “Aren’t I supposed to not get my period while breast feeding?” was the thought in my head “let alone get it twice?" To add to it all I had started back at work with this new raging anxiety whic ..read more

It’s not an easy discussion, and often one that gets swept under the rug because “we don’t want to talk about suicide.” But, we have to. We need to. In order to help other moms who are struggling, we have to speak up. For me, I think about how the world views mothers and motherhood. How our culture sees us. The supermom, the soccer mom who does it all - works, cleans, cooks, read books and helps with homework, changes all the diapers and does the grocery shopping. In our world, moms do it all. But we are not immune. We are not safe from all of the mental health concerns that are out there. In ..read more

We know you might be nervous about joining a group. We hope this blog will ease your mind and remind you of how helpful support groups can be. So, you have come to the realization that this motherhood thing is hard. So hard. Does everyone have this much anxiety/depression/rage? Does every mother feel this isolated? You may be struggling with a variety of different things - but you know for certain that you need some kind of support or help. Support Groups First, let’s look at some research about support groups and how helpful they are with the mental health of their participants. One of my per ..read more

New moms, older moms, EVERY mom experiences Mom Guilt. Those feelings that you aren’t doing enough, that you don’t have enough, that you aren’t there enough. And as a new mom, these feelings can feel so intense and debilitating. Guilt that you want to spend time by yourself Guilt that you don't play enough with baby Guilt that you work or don’t work Guilt that you get frustrated with your baby The list could go on and on. And on some more. Because as moms, we try our best to be everything we can possibly be for our family. We want to be a good provider, a good nurturer, a good wife ..read more

Being a mom is a unique experience that is near impossible to explain. And adding on mental health concerns can make it even more complicated to understand. I remember when I was struggling after my first son, one of the most frustrating parts about the situation was that my husband didn’t understand. And how could he? I had never had any mental health problems prior to my postpartum depression, so my husband and I had never had to talk about our mental health before. I didn’t even know where to begin, especially because I wasn’t even sure what I was going through. But why did he not understan ..read more

Have you ever heard of the Wheel of Emotions? As a lover of all things related to the mind (psychology student, here!), I remember learning about the wheel of emotions in college, but have only recently brought it back into my daily practice. Ok, weekly practice. I strive for daily, but come on, we are moms. I give myself some grace (and so should you). Back to the topic, the wheel of emotions is a two-dimensional image that helps us dive deeper and name the specific emotion that we might be feeling. There are lots of different versions, so you can choose one that resonates best with you. I’ve ..read more

By Postpartum Support Charleston Group Leader, Amber Weakley As I sat on the floor of my bathroom, crying for the fourth time that day, I felt so alone.  So alone in my own house.  This house that included my loving husband. He would do anything for me. He loves me so much, but he doesn’t understand.  Not only was I a new mom trying to maneuver my way through a maternal mental illness that was rendering me unavailable, but my own marriage was suffering. How could I help him see what I was going through so that he can help me out of this depression.  I need him to understa ..read more