Baby Blues are NOT Postpartum Depression
The Postpartum Stress Center
by Karen Kleiman
1y ago
Full disclosure: I absolutely LOVE Motherly and all it stands for. Motherly has been an enduring and reliable resource for supporting, educating, and enlightening maternal issues. I should mention at the outset that I am not interested in splitting hairs here, but… I do feel the need to respond to a recent article called “It’s time to retire the term ‘baby blues’: It’s a form of postpartum depression” written by Chelsea Robinson, LCSW for Motherly for the purposes of clarification. My single objective is to educate and make sure readers are informed.  Let’s start with the title. “It’s ti ..read more
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7 Things I Love About Women With Postpartum Depression
The Postpartum Stress Center
by Karen Kleiman
2y ago
… that they probably do not love about themselves I am privileged to be trusted by women who seek support during one of the most challenging times in their lives. I have come to know many very well and often, see aspects of them they can barely acknowledge while they are busy tending to the necessities and demands of daily life. So I pause and think about who they are and wonder if, when they recover well, they will see what I see. While I cannot say that there are many upsides to depression and distress, these are some of the attributes of a postpartum woman I see in  ..read more
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The Magic of Connection in Meaningful Relationships
The Postpartum Stress Center
by Karen Kleiman
3y ago
Image from The Mighty @GettyImages   I was stunned and embarrassingly heartbroken when I posed the ridiculous question to my well-informed virtual group of over-worked psychotherapists: “As long as we are discussing self-care strategies during these unprecedented times, just curious… how many of you are watching Outlander?” Silence. I was shocked. (Perhaps their computer audio was not working. Was I muted?) I double-checked, then repeated my question: “Anyone watching Outlander?” Nothing. I’m pretty sure my eyes popped open as I froze on the spot, equally dumbfounded and mortified ..read more
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Tokens of Affection: The Book You Might Need For Your Relationship
The Postpartum Stress Center
by Karen Kleiman
4y ago
INTRODUCTION I love being married. I am the self–proclaimed master of all things relationship–oriented, while my husband, well, he does everything else. We each surrender to the other’s area of expertise. Like everything else in life, our marriage has its good days and cranky days, and days when the relationship simply must take a back seat to everything else. Now that our children have grown and moved out of the house, we have the luxury of looking back at the early days through the filter of long–gone precious moments and hindsight. While I acknowledge my comfort with my role as our relatio ..read more
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Finding Joy
The Postpartum Stress Center
by Karen Kleiman
4y ago
There’s a sweet saying that has been plucked from the chamber of anonymous authors and found its way into popular culture and right into my heart: Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over… it became a butterfly.  I just adore it.  The large blue square-shaped magnet that displays these words is posted at home and at work, as an ever-present reminder to myself and to those around me, that good things are going to happen. I love the image it conjures up and the message is particularly important to someone who is besieged by despair.  The implication that change does not come to p ..read more
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When Being a Maternal Mental Health Expert Doesn’t...
The Postpartum Stress Center
by Karen Kleiman
4y ago
When Being a Maternal Mental Health Expert Doesn’t Help Much: OCD, My Daughter, and the Pandemic I thought I knew what postpartum anxiety was. Until my daughter with a history of OCD gave birth to a premature baby the day the pandemic was broadcast. I have been studying, researching, practicing, writing, and interviewing about maternal mental health for over 30 years. For some time now, my work has been acknowledged as “groundbreaking” as it has been instrumental in getting the conversation about prenatal and postpartum depression/anxiety started. I have been honored to be recognized as a tr ..read more
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Why Postpartum Moms Need to Talk About How They Are Feeling: Shamed into silence
The Postpartum Stress Center
by Karen Kleiman
4y ago
    New moms shouldn’t have to explain, justify, defend or substantiate the reasons they do things or the way they are feeling. But we live in a culture that demands that they do so, usually indirectly, but sometimes, blatantly. Do this. Don’t do that. Feed this way, not that way. Go here, not there. Wear this, not that. It’s mind-boggling, even for the most stable and well adjusted mommy-brain. Mothers are constantly put in an untenable position where they must stand their ground and assert with clarity and conviction, what they are doing and why. And then we wonder why they hesitate to tell ..read more
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Finding a Therapist to Help
The Postpartum Stress Center
by Karen Kleiman
4y ago
Are you trying to find a perinatal therapist? • A personal recommendation from someone you trust is one of the best places to start. • The following organizations have searchable lists of therapists in the U.S. and outside the U.S. who are trained as postpartum specialists. The Postpartum Stress Center Postpartum Support International Postpartum Progress Postpartum Resource Center of NY • If you’re searching on your own, Below is a partial list of questions and considerations: Are they licensed to practice in the state you live? Do they have specialized training in perinatal mood and anxiety ..read more
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Afterword Lives On…
The Postpartum Stress Center
by Karen Kleiman
5y ago
Below is the Afterword writted by the late Ilyene Barsky, pioneer in the field of maternal mental health. We will not forget her professional influence and her personal grace and fortitude. As Amy and I proceed to work on the second edition of “Dropping the Baby and Other Scary Thoughts”, I feel compelled to bring Ilyene to the forefront of this process. She always did, and will continue to, provide inspiration for all of us in this specialized field. This book is dedicated to Ilyene Barsky Whose words, wisdom, and infinite presence continue to inspire and heal postpartum women. For the la ..read more
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A Pledge to My Postpartum Self
The Postpartum Stress Center
by Karen Kleiman
5y ago
I will listen to my body and my good instincts to determine whether I need help or not. I will be prudent when listening to the well-intended but sometimes misled suggestions from others. I will spend less time on the Internet, on my phone, on social media media, and any other place or temptation that increases my anxiety when I compare myself to others or expose myself to misguided information. I will surround myself with people and things that make me feel cared for. If I tell my healthcare provider that I do not like the way I am feeling, and I feel dismissed or unheard, I will find ..read more
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