Supporting New Mother's Mental Health

Professional Experience Article

Perinatal mental health is finally getting the attention it deserves. Therapists are beginning to get trained in it and it’s becoming a popular specialty. New moms need help. The old adage goes “It takes a village” but for many new moms that village does not exist. New moms are generally only given 6 weeks of FMLA (and most of the time it is unpaid) This is barely enough time for the newborn to begin to loop their sleep cycles If moms don’t return to work, they often feel like they are missing out on opportunities for career growth Many families struggle financially with only one parent working Between a lack of sleep, the care a newborn needs, and the financial burdens placed on new parents, it’s not surprising that new moms experience a wide range of emotions, including overwhelm, sadness, disconnection, depression, and anxiety.

Mental health professionals are uniquely poised to help moms in their roles and to acclimate to the changes that have occurred in their lives As a mental health professional, look for ways for care to be accessible for new moms Some examples include allowing for a flexible scheduling pattern, accepting insurance, allowing mothers to bring their newborns to sessions, and being understanding of late cancellations. Many new moms will want to use their health insurance for therapy because they have often met their deductible with childbirth.

My son was born in 2021 and I took a 4-month maternity leave. During that time, I took a break from seeing my individual therapist It was interesting because while I was screened at 6 weeks for post-partum depression, there was no additional follow-up from my OB-GYN about my mental health It was good timing for me to return to therapy at 4 months because my son went through a massive sleep regression and everyone in our household got very little sleep. Prior to having a child, it was imperative that I get eight hours of sleep. At 4 months, we were up every 1-2 hours for several nights Going back to therapy helped me work through my feelings of despair with my son’s sleep patterns

Luckily, my therapist was very understanding and allowed me to move freely as needed through my therapy sessions. As a therapist, I am always mindful of late cancellations but there have been times when I had to late cancel because the baby needed to go to the doctor (last minute of course). My therapist didn’t mind if I went walking and talking for our therapy session because that was the only way to keep the baby calm. In several sessions, my son was an active participant by being on video with my therapist My therapist showed me a level of compassion and flexibility that I needed and appreciated during those first few months of adjusting to my new life

My experience as a new mom has helped shaped my private practice, both in working with clients who are new moms and having staff members that are new moms. Empathy is one of the strongest ways we can support our clients. Sit with them in their feelings about parenthood. Validate that some days are going to be really hard. Acknowledge the ambivalence they feel about loving their children but also feeling overwhelmed with the demands placed on them Review your policies and procedures to ensure you are supporting your clients in their time of need

As mental health professionals, we are in an intimate relationship with our clients and being able to monitor them in a way that other healthcare professionals do not and cannot. Check-in with your new moms, and all your clients that are parents, by sharing that you are a part of their village and you are here to support them. As a new mom, hearing that people supported me and understood my struggles was validating and comforting.

Written By: Amanda Landry, LMHC, CAP, NCC

Amanda is a Licensed Mental Health Coun Certified Addictions Professional, Nationa Certified Counselor and private practice consultant She’s the owner of a group pra Caring Therapists with several locations in the author of Guided Journal for Women w Amazon and wherever books are sold Am My Private Practice Collective, an online co therapists in private practice Amanda is a member and active board member of FMHCA