Things Aren’t Going the Way You Expected
You thought this would be an exciting and joyful time in your life. Instead, you often find yourself irritable, scared or sad. There’s so much change and it’s difficult to adjust, especially when you feel exhausted a lot of the time.
Your emotions feel all over the place and it seems like the tiniest things annoy you or bring you to tears. You notice you feel lost or overwhelmed more often than not and you just want to feel like yourself again.
Why Am I Feeling This Way?
Your body, mind, relationships, and daily life undergo major changes throughout the perinatal period. Hormonal shifts, lack of sleep, and the pressures of adjusting to a new life with your baby can lead to feelings of sadness, anxiety, anger, guilt or detachment. The presence of these emotions doesn’t make you any less of a mother. They make you human.
Many moms experience a wide range of emotions and mental health difficulties during this time of their lives. You’re healing from birth while trying to navigate shifts in relationship dynamics and figure out your new role as a caregiver for a newborn. No wonder you feel overwhelmed!
More Than Just the Baby Blues
Many women experience the baby blues which impact their emotions and mood for a few days to two weeks after childbirth. Postpartum depression (PPD), anxiety (PPA), OCD, and mood disorders last longer and have more significant impacts on your health and well-being. They affect your ability to bond with your baby, care for yourself, cope and enjoy this new chapter of life.
Facing any perinatal mental health challenges is not a reflection of your capabilities or love for your child, but rather a response to the complexities of motherhood and often a lack of community support for moms.
They’re a sign that your body and mind need care and support —just like you care for your baby.
- A history of mental health conditions
- Previous postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD or psychosis
- A difficult pregnancy or traumatic childbirth
- Lack of social support
- High levels of stress
- Financial difficulties
- Relationship problems
- Significant life changes
- A child with disabilities or other medical condition
Book Your Consultation
Risk Factors for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs)
How We Can Help
We understand that every woman’s experience with pregnancy, infertility, labor and delivery, and postpartum is unique. Our team of Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C) therapists is here to support you with compassion and evidence-based therapies tailored to your specific needs. Whether you're feeling constant worry, sadness, or simply not feeling like yourself, we're here to help you find balance and regain your sense of self.
In-person appointments are available at our cozy office in the heart of NYC. Online appointments are available to residents of New York and Florida.
Compassionate Support For
- Intrusive or scary thoughts
- Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, anger or fear
- Sense of detachment from yourself, your baby or loved ones
- Pregnancy/postpartum depression
- Pregnancy/postpartum anxiety
- Birth trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Grief and loss (e.g., infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss)
- Adjustment to parenthood
- Relationship issues
- Parents of premature or medically fragile infants
Therapy for Moms by a Mom
Meet Raydale Blaylock, LCSW, PMH-C
As a perinatal therapist and a mom, Raydale has a deep understanding of the unique struggles of motherhood. She gets what it’s like to try to care for yourself as a new mother when you feel pulled in all different directions.
She’s equipped with specialized training to support pregnant and postpartum parents and address the mental health challenges that can arise from difficulties adjusting to parenthood, medical complications, infertility, birth trauma or infant loss.
Let's Navigate Motherhood Together
Whether you’re already a mom, pregnant, or on a path to parenthood, you don’t have to face this time of your life on your own. Perinatal mental health therapy can help you reconnect, heal, and grow. Reach out today for a free consultation.
