I don’t mean to blame our hormones here but really, they can be a bit of a pain and issues relating to our reproductive cycles can add an extra layer of stress, usually just when we don’t need it.
When Women Typically Benefit From Some Extra Support:
- When your monthly cycle brings mood swings that make you feel out of control
- When getting pregnant or staying pregnant isn’t as easy as you thought it would be.
- If you are pregnant or postpartum and have anxiety or depression symptoms that makes motherhood not the journey you expected.
- If your labor experience was traumatic. This is more common than you think and can leave women feeling guilty, anxious and/or angry.
- During perimenopause or menopause which can span quite a long period of time and can bring mood swings, insomnia as well as physical and emotional issues.
I really want to encourage you to reach out for support and not feel you have to go through difficult periods of your life alone. The research I did on traumatic childbirth showed women who reached out to more than one source of support recovered more quickly than those who didn’t and my clinical experience leads me to believe that is true for many situations we find ourselves in.
Where To Find Support?
There are many organizations that have wonderful websites that are both a source of information and support. It is good to know you aren’t the only one going through this and I have listed some good resources below. Reach out to your friends and family. They love you and want to help but you have to let them know what you need. Sometimes we also need some professional support. When you make your initial phone call to a psychologist make sure they have experience with what you are going through and most important, you feel a connection and that they are someone you can talk to easily.
Here Are Some Useful Links:
Pregnancy & Postpartum:
www.drsarahallen.com/perinatal moods – information & free screening tool & book
www.ppdil.org – Lists pregnancy & PPD resources in IL
www.postpartumprogress.com – Great blog and information about perinatal mood disorders
www.postpartumdads.org – Information & resources for Dads
www.postpartum.net – Information and help for pregnancy & postpartum
www.mayoclinic.com – Antidepressants During Pregnancy
Birth Trauma:
Click to read PTSD Following Traumatic Birth Experiences article by Dr. Allen first published in the Expectant Mother’s Guide
Birth Trauma: More Common Than You Think – blog post about PTSD childbirth
www.birthtraumaassociation.org.uk – Information about traumatic labor experiences
www.tabs.org.nz – Information about traumatic labor experiences
Menopause & Perimenopause:
www.menopause.org – Information & resources for menopause
www.healthywomen.org – Information on how to look after yourself midlife and beyond.
Infertility:
www.resolve.org – Information & resources for infertility.
www.theafa.org – The American Society for Reproductive Medicine – Information & resources for infertility.
Perinatal Loss
March of Dimes – Comprehensive list of resources for pregnancy and newborn loss.
www.honoredbabies.org – lists many resources for grieving parents.
No matter at what point we are in our reproductive lifespan, support can help when we experience something that is emotionally and physically difficult. We often think that we should be able to figure things out our self but other people have been there before and their experience can help you.
Dr. Sarah Allen has 25+ years experience as a therapist helping women during their reproductive years to look after themselves while they develop practical tools to feel back in control. She helps women after they have experienced a miscarriage, are going through infertility treatment or during pregnancy, postpartum or menopause. We all need a little support sometimes. You don’t need to feel alone.
At the moment she is offering remote therapy via telephone or online counseling. Unfortunately, Dr. Allen’s professional license only allows her to work with Illinois and Florida residents.
If you have questions after reading this article or have any questions about how counseling can be useful to your particular circumstances please contact me at 847 791-7722 or on the form below.
