Are you a mom-to-be or a new mom feeling overwhelmed?
Are you an expectant or new mom feeling overwhelmed or unsure about motherhood? I am here to support and guide you on this transformative journey.
Are you an expectant mother struggling with feelings of depression and anxiety or perhaps a new mother feeling that motherhood is not how you expected it to be?
We’ve all seen the pictures of the glowing new mother holding her newborn baby, who is nursing without difficulty as he drifts off into a peaceful sleep. Although that idyllic representation of motherhood is lovely, it is hardly the norm.
To begin, many expectant mothers experience significant emotional changes during pregnancy. Many women fear that these feelings may continue or worsen after the birth of their baby. Some women experience very difficult labors and the experience can have a huge effect on how she feels emotionally in the weeks or months afterwards.
Most new moms are sleep deprived, frustrated and overwhelmed by juggling the challenges of a new baby with their other obligations. Some experience irritation toward their partner for not offering more support and most find themselves wishing for more hours in the day.
First, take a deep breath, give yourself some credit for all you do, and recognize that you are not alone. Between 10 – 20 percent of women suffer from pregnancy anxiety and/or depression and one in five mothers report experiencing some level of postpartum depression (PPD).
It is not only PPD that is common, many women experience anxiety, racing thoughts and even intrusive thoughts that harm is going to come to the baby and in more recent years, the has been a greater recognition that these feelings of over-stimulation and overwhelm can lead to feelings of rage.
Having a baby – whether it’s your first or fourth – requires a significant amount of energy and is a major life transition. Although it may not feel like it (mom guilt is rampant) you are most likely doing many more things right than wrong, it’s just that our brains tend to dwell on the negative.
If you are a new mother and recognize any of these symptoms, please know that, with help, postpartum depression and the other, similar disorders, are very treatable. Women can, and do respond well to treatment. You do not need to continue to feel this way.
By providing therapy remotely throughout Illinois, Florida & UK, by phone or video sessions, I help people access specialist help in the most convenient way. Read more about how remote sessions work Video & Phone Sessions.
What Can I Do Right Now That Will Help
I am very passionate about being an advocate for women’s mental health as this time in a woman’s life is when she is most vulnerable. As a mental health counselor with 25 years of clinical experience working with pregnant and postpartum parents, and as the Director of a not-for-profit organization that supports women and their families, I am hoping my knowledge can be of help to you.
When you are feeling overwhelmed it is hard to spend time looking all over the internet for answers so I have written a guide and screening tool that can point you in the right direction.
Section 1 – discusses the types and symptoms of pregnancy and postpartum mood disorders.
Section 2 – discusses professional treatment options
Section 3 – highlights self-help strategies and things you can do to start to feel better.
If you feel that you may be experiencing pregnancy or postpartum mood disorder, or worry that you may be at risk of developing it, please download my free booklets below.
My free booklets
I think my booklet can provide a great starting point but if you are experiencing a lot of symptoms, they just don’t seem to be going away, or if the self-help strategies are just not enough, you may want to think about how therapy with a specialist can help.
In addition to 25 years of working with mothers and families, I have also served 20 years as the director of the Postpartum Alliance of Illinois, a statewide nonprofit organization that provides support to pregnant and postpartum women and their families.
My extensive experience will help you create strategies to cope with feelings of guilt, sadness, anger and anxiety, adjust to the life transitions that baby brings, and balance the needs of your family, relationships, career and most importantly, yourself.
Free Screening Test & Guide To Pregnancy and Postpartum Stress, Anxiety & Depression
If you feel that you may be experiencing pregnancy or postpartum mood disorder, or worry that you may be at risk of developing it, please download my free booklets below.
Dr. Sarah Allen has 25+ years of experience helping women to transition to being the mom they want to be. She is also the Director of the Postpartum Depression Alliance of IL, a non-profit she started 20 years ago that offers information & support to pregnant & postpartum women and their families. She has also published research on postpartum depression and traumatic childbirth and presented at conferences.
If you would like to work with Sarah, please phone her at 847 791-7722 or on the form below.
If you would like to read more about me and my areas of specialty, please visit Dr. Sarah Allen Bio. Dr. Allen’s professional license only allows her to work with clients who live in IL & FL & the UK and unfortunately does not allow her to give personalized advice via email to people who are not her clients.
I highly recommend Dr. Allen! She is warm and so easy to talk to. She has lots of knowledge about women’s health.
Kathryn Gardner, LCSW
Excellent Therapist!
Dr. Allen is a colleague of mine and she is an excellent therapist. She is warm, caring, and exceptional at her work. I refer clients to Dr. Allen and I highly recommend her if you are looking for a top notch therapist.
Jodi Petchenik, LCSW
Sarah Transformed Our Family’s Sleep and Sanity
My baby didn’t sleep. She wouldn’t sleep more than a couple of hours at night and no more than 30 minutes during the day. I was completely overwhelmed and my husband and I were at each other’s throats. I was supposed to be going back to work but was barely functioning. Sarah helped us to learn how to get our baby sleeping and then she supported me in my transition back to work. She also helped my husband and I navigate how to share childcare and running the house fairly. She is a very knowledgeable therapist and has really helped us.
Pam. L.
Dr. Allen Helped Me to Feel More Empowered
Dr. Allen has really helped me find my own voice. When I began therapy I would swing between being passive and doing whatever other people wanted me to do to being angry and frustrated. I have been on antidepressants for quite a few years but it wasn’t really working. Through therapy I have learned to listen to my own needs and to speak up. I used to worry that people wouldn’t like me if I didn’t agree with them but when Dr. Allen gave me the support I needed I challenged my fears. I spend a lot less time feeling angry and depressed now and I have really widened my social network. This is how I have always wanted to be but didn’t know how to get there. Dr. Allen has a very reassuring manner and makes you challenge yourself but by using small steps so you feel ready to do it. I have really come out of my shell and would recommend anyone who is feeling depressed to come and talk with her.
Rebecca F.
Trusted & Knowledgeable Therapist.
When I need to refer any of my patients for talk therapy I immediately think of Dr. Allen as she is wonderful at helping people with severe and complex issues really get to the root of their problems. She is very caring and knowledgeable and I have found her extensive experience really helps people to change their lives for the better.
Dr. Teresa Poprawski
Dr. Allen is an expert in treating perinatal mood disorders.
I refer as many patients as I can to Dr. Allen. She is an expert in treating perinatal mood disorders, and a well-trained and experienced therapist who is committed to working with her clients to develop a treatment plan designed for each individual. She exhibits genuine warmth, kindness and compassion for each of her clients. Dr. Allen has been a colleague of mine for more than 20 years, and I have great confidence when I refer patients to her.
Leslie Lowell Stoutenburg
I become empowered and a happier person.
I began seeing Dr. Allen when my first child was around a year old. I had experienced a very traumatic birth, after a difficult pregnancy where I was on bed rest for a good portion of the time. The first year of my son’s life was spent worrying constantly. I also experienced flashbacks to the birth, which was an emergency C-section under general anesthesia. My son was in the NICU for several days following his birth, and I was not given very much information as to why. I remember thinking that he would die, or that something awful was going to happen.
I experienced a great deal of anxiety that first year, and I thought that it was due to being a new mom. I wasn’t sleeping, I wasn’t eating as normal, and I remember being worried about leaving the house or taking my baby with me anywhere. I worried constantly about illness, germs, etc.
The first day that I saw Dr. Allen, she gave me some questionnaires to fill out before we started talking. Then we sat down and talked about my experiences with my son’s birth and the early days of his life, and the year or so since then. I remember to this day the relief that I felt when she looked at me and said that I had PPD and PTSD, which was a result of the trauma I experienced during and immediately after the birth of my son. She explained how my brain had reacted to the stress of these events, and related it to why I was feeling the way that I felt. It made so much sense. Then, she described ways that I could get over the trauma, work through the feelings, and recover from PTSD and PPD. I felt so empowered, and so happy that the way I felt had a name, and that it was treatable. It also made me feel so validated in the ways that I had felt and reacted following my son’s birth. I wasn’t going crazy. My reaction was normal and natural. And with the help of Dr. Allen, and the type of therapy that she uses, I knew I could recover.
It is over five years since that first visit with Dr. Allen, and I still use the tools that she taught me today to deal with stress. I credit her with helping me to become a more empowered, happier person.
Elizabeth
Overcoming PPD with Dr. Sarah’s Support
When I had my first baby I had what I now know was postpartum depression but I didn’t get any help. It did go away after about 18mths but it was a miserable way to begin motherhood. When I was pregnant with my second child I started to become depressed again and this time told my OB/GYN how I was feeling and she referred me to Sarah. By starting to deal with how I felt and change the way I was handling the stresses in my life, I was in a much better place when my baby was born. The second time round my PPD was much less severe and didn’t last as long.
Sarah was also really helpful in teaching me ways to make the transition of becoming a big sister easier for my oldest one too. My husband came with me for some sessions and that really helped our relationship and we started working on parenting issues together. Sarah’s counsel and support really helped our family transition to the good place we are all in today.
