The Birth Lounge Blog

Continuing the Conversation: Perinatal Mental Health with Jess Vanderwier Part 2!   (This is a two part episode! To catch up and check out Part 1, click  here !) Hey TBH Village! This week, we’re back to continue our super important conversation with mental health therapist Jess Vanderwier about postpartum mood disorders. Let’s dive back in! When it comes to treatment, it all loops back into the risk factors that cause  postpartum depression  and  anxiety  issues in the first place. A professional can help you evaluate all the aspects of your postpartum life that can contribute to these issues. For example, in terms of biology, it would be important to get a physical checkup, especially concerning your thyroid, to make sure there is not an underlying issues causing symptoms.  Sleep  is another important factor to look at it, as lack of it can both cause and exacerbate issues - yo...

(This is also an episode of The Birth Lounge Podcast, listen here  for part 1 of this series!) The transition to motherhood is an exciting time, but what’s often not talked about in our culture is how scary and lonely that transition into the unknown can be. In this two part series, we’re going to be going into the nitty of gritty of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders in hopes of erasing the stigma and increasing your awareness of these postpartum possibilities.   Jess Vanderwier is a mental health therapist and mother who experienced a pretty rough transition to motherhood herself. She had a pretty normal pregnancy until about 22 weeks, when she started feeling some really strong cramping. In the emergency room, she found out she was at high risk for preterm labor and her life quickly transitioned from one of a busy, working woman finishing up graduate school to someone stuck on bed rest. While she thankfully carried the b...