Forever Postpartum, In A Good Way
Written by: Elise Ziemendorf, RN
Expert insights provided by Dr. Emily Guarnotta | Co-Founder, Phoenix Health
It “takes a village to raise a child” is the infamous saying about how teamwork makes a difference for families. Today, it's common for a new mother's support tribe to live far away or have their own busy lives to keep up with.
Thankfully, technology has created new ways to be supported. Telehealth therapy brings the help you deserve to you.
Telehealth therapy belongs on a ‘Postpartum Essentials’ list
Dr. Emily Guarnotta is a board certified psychologist who trained and specialized in maternal mental health. For Dr Guarnotta when she became a mom, she reflected that “driving in the car and going somewhere was just not going to happen.” An in-person therapy appointment was unrealistic. Telehealth therapy is her solution.
No matter where or when in your postpartum journey, Dr. Guarnotta encourages that “it’s never too early and it’s never too late to reach out for mental health support.”
“Sometimes people will come in while they’re still pregnant, because they know they have some risk factors for perinatal mental health conditions… and other times people come when they’re postpartum.” Dr Guarnotta continues “We also work with a lot of moms that are navigating the transition back to the workplace and that’s a whole nother thing. There’s even less time for an in-person appointment, and yet you need the support most then.”
Telehealth therapy is available to you at any stage in your motherhood journey.
Postpartum Depression Survivor
Not every mom needs the support for a specific reason or diagnosis. But some moms do need that specialized support. A common mental health diagnosis for moms is postpartum depression.
From Dr. Guarnotta’s experience, “I find a lot of people seek help around 8-ish months postpartum and that’s actually when I sought help myself.” Dr Guarnotta openly says “I am a postpartum depression survivor.”
If you have symptoms of postpartum depression, now is the time to reach out for help. You can ask your doctor, midwife, or a therapist for support. If it’s easier, you can ask your loved one to make that first phone call on your behalf.
Bonus Postpartum Tip from Dr. Guarnotta
What are other small steps moms can take towards improving their mental health? Dr Guarnotta talks about how to implement mindfulness in the moments of motherhood.
Mindfulness, simplified
“When you have a new baby, you don’t have to be meditating for 20 minutes to get the benefits of mindfulness,” Dr Guarnotta encourages. Instead, it “could be that while you’re nursing your baby or feeding your baby, you’re taking a couple deep, intentional breaths. That’s completely mindfulness.”
Mindfulness doesn’t have to take a lot of your time and energy. Instead, it can be a mental pause that puts you in the moment with your baby.
Forever Postpartum, In a Good Way
Dr. Guarnotta encourages self-care to continue “even post-postpartum, because I kind of feel like you’re kind of always postpartum, forever.” With telehealth therapy as part of your supportive village, you can make it so that you’re forever postpartum, in a good way.
