You’ve heard the stories on the news. You may have even thought, “how could someone possibly forget that they had the baby in the car with them?” Then, you have a baby and suddenly your mind turns against you. How can you trust that you won’t do the same thing to your baby? How can you be trusted to be...[ read more ]

You’ve been preparing and planning for months, even years. After enduring the excitement of labor and birth, you are now separated from your beautiful new baby so they can receive intensive medical care. You may be grateful for advancements in medicine which allow this incredible baby to thrive in a safe environment. You may be saddened to miss many of...[ read more ]

Have you heard of postpartum depression? Do you know anyone that struggled with postpartum depression? Unfortunately, the media, movies, and TV news stories do not accurately portray postpartum depression. Therefore, most people mistakenly believe that postpartum depression looks like a new mother, experiencing delusions or hallucinations, and at-risk of harming herself or her baby. PMADs is an acronym for Perinatal...[ read more ]

The officially accepted definition of mindfulness, penned by Jon Kabat-Zinn is “...awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” In my experience it is the non-judgment piece that is critical for success. It’s one thing to pay attention to the present, but to bring a curious attitude to it that does not make value judgments...[ read more ]

Most partners (e.g., husbands, boyfriends, family members, etc.) have good intentions and when they recognize that a pregnant or postpartum mom is struggling, they want to help and alleviate her stress. This is great support! But, often times, these partners don't know what to do. Here's what I run into a lot when I meet with new mothers. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/588137_bac16aa309f142dca7252dae1b702d7c/720p/mp4/file.mp4 TIPS...[ read more ]

As soon as you announced your pregnancy, you started receiving advice from everyone you know…as well as complete strangers! Now that you’ve come home with your baby, who is completely dependent on you and does not care that you have not slept for longer than 1 hour at a time, the advice from people just keeps on coming. You might...[ read more ]

Support groups are powerful!   We routinely recommend pregnancy and postpartum support groups to moms who are dealing with emotional struggles related to motherhood. There are great support groups throughout Northern Virginia. Here are a few benefits from participation in support groups: You are not alone You are not the only mom struggling with your new role. It is very...[ read more ]

The transition into motherhood is challenging! There is rarely any mention of all the changes that occur after arrival of your baby! The first year postpartum is the most difficult for marriages and partnerships. There are significant shifts in relationships at home that require understanding and patience. When there is inadequate social support, then postpartum relationship conflict is one of...[ read more ]

Today, as we observe Memorial Day and remember the people who have died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, let's also honor the sacrifices of military mothers. Motherhood in the military takes on various forms. There are mothers with children in the military. There are mothers actively serving in the military. There are mothers with partners in the military....[ read more ]

You may have written a birth plan to indicate your preferences for the big day, but what happens when you take your baby home? While bringing home a new bundle is one of the most beautiful and emotional experiences in the world, it’s also a period that can be nerve-wracking and destabilizing. But with a little planning and preparation, you...[ read more ]