Navigating the Postpartum Period

As a mother myself, the transition to motherhood was more than I could've expected. I remember people trying to explain to me how I would feel and, at the time, thinking people were either overreacting or being “dramatic.”

What I know now is that the transition to motherhood, also know as matrescence, has the same impact on the brain that adolescence does.

It’s a period of tremendous change, growth, and malleability for our brains. It is also a period during which women and birthing parents are at their most vulnerable. It’s estimated that 1 in 5 birthing parents will develop a Perinatal Mood and Anxiety disorder (PMADs) at some point during their pregnancy through the first year postpartum. This is a higher rate than other pregnancy related complications!

It’s estimated 1 in 5 birthing parents will develop a Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder