7 Comments
May 31, 2023Liked by Dr. Cara Goodwin, PhD

Thank you for sharing this important information. The statistics you share are unbelievable, but I know because you wrote it they are evidenced-based! This is such a crisis but does not get the media attention that it deserves because it is considered a women's issue. I would love to see a huge investment in doula's and universal newborn home visiting programs to provide support for both the birth trauma issue that you wrote about in a previous newsletter and postpartum mental health.

Expand full comment
author

I agree that doula programs and universal newborn home visiting programs with staff trained in what to look out for and for enough mental health professionals available to take the referrals are needed! Thanks for reading. Please share the newsletter to those who might need to read it!

Expand full comment

This is so important! In my upcoming book on postpartum health I've a whole lengthy section on postpartum mental health--you've identified so many of the important facets of it, so many of the things we rarely discuss, anger being first among them. I have a sense that what we call postpartum rage is the symptom of the modern underresourced mother--ironic given how much "stuff" we all have, how many things we buy to support baby, and yet how little support we ourselves are given. I love that you recommend skin-to-skin--yes, yes, and more yes. Pausing, breathing, being in that intimate space is so so crucual. It slows everything down. It's a somatic reminder about what is actually necessary.

Expand full comment
author

I am trying to pause and take deep breaths as well. I tried the app on my watch but it always reminded me at the worst times! Please remind our readers of the title of your book and the release date.

Expand full comment
May 31, 2023·edited May 31, 2023Liked by Dr. Cara Goodwin, PhD

It's The Whole Mother: A Practitioner's Guide to Developing Awareness in Service of Postpartum Healing. Estimated publishing date is Feb 2024--I turned in a very long manuscript and am now trying to figure out where to cut! Readers can also join me on my substack where I write about parenting while walking a spiritual path: juliaromano.substack.com ... I don't consider any religious orientation necessary for seeing parenting through a spiritual lens. Spiritual work is, as I see it, simply a recognition of one's connection to that which is greater than one's self--and that's also a pretty good definition of parenthood!

Thank you for all you're doing!!

Expand full comment
author

Thank you for sharing that information! We could interview you for our newsletter and podcast in 2024!

Expand full comment

Would love that! I'm at julia@empoweryogatherapy.com if you'd like to get a conversation started. BTW--your post inspired me to publish an excerpt from my upcoming book on the subtler aspects of postpartum mental health: https://open.substack.com/pub/juliaromano/p/identity-grief-rage-disappointment?r=2b1l56&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Expand full comment