Perinatal mental health is having a long-overdue moment in the news. Recent coverage has highlighted what therapists, birth workers, OB providers, and parents have known for years: the weeks and months surrounding pregnancy, birth, and postpartum are emotionally intense, medically vulnerable, and still far too unsupported. A recent report from Axios spotlighted a new postpartum care app designed to support mothers in the gap between hospital discharge and the first postpartum follow-up visit....

Elizabeth Stallone-Lowder MSW, LCSW Sage Tree Therapy This blog post from the perspective of a maternal mental health therapist explains Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex (D-MER) in a compassionate, clear way to highlight an often confusing and mysterious - and often ignored - postpartum condition. As a maternal mental health therapist, one of the things I hear most often from newly postpartum moms is: “I didn’t know this was a thing…” — especially when it comes to Dysphoric Milk Ejection...

Elizabeth Stallone-Lowder MSW LCSW How to Support Someone Struggling After Birth (And What Actually Helps) The postpartum period is often a time when you’re “supposed” to feel grateful, bonded, and happy. Cherish every second right? And sometimes that’s true. But for many parents, postpartum is also intense, confusing, and sometimes comes with frightening emotions that can make everyday life feel unmanageable. Roughly 1 in 4 parents experience a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder (PMAD) ,...