Best Labour + Postpartum Prep? Therapy
If you’re in therapy already, you know the magic I’m talking about so keep doing what you’re doing.
If you’ve done therapy before but not currently working with someone or if you’ve never done it, this would be an amazing time to start or restart. Why? I think our mental health is the number one way to prep ourselves for birth + postpartum.
So I went ahead and Googled ‘ways to prepare for birth’ or ‘best birth prep’ and these were the kinds of things I found.
And yeah, I guess sex is cool and red raspberry leaf tea is fine and as a former yoga teacher myself I think that’s aiight but I think therapy is where it’s at.
With so many changes happening during pregnancy, birth and postpartum I personally think that a social worker or therapist or psychologist or whoever you decide to consult with and share with is an integral part of a support team. The visual I like to use is those big trampolines – having a baby is kind of like freefalling, and the people on your support team are at the bottom holding the trampoline. The more people who are around, pulling that trampoline tight, the more supportive and strong that trampoline will be, and maybe the whole experience can actually be both a little scary and fun and exciting and okay and good.
To me, walking every single day is great but if while we’re doing that we’re thinking or talking about how hard and difficult birth is going to be is, then I don’t know that walks are also that useful. Packing a hospital bag and being ready with stuff is great, but if we have some stuff that we haven’t worked through then the stuff isn’t really going to help that much. And in the postpartum, same kind of idea, but probably a lot more obvious – most folks are expecting the postpartum period to be extremely difficult and exhausting, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. With the right folks to help you manage stress, work through hard feelings, adjust expectations, set boundaries… it can actually be like I said above, maybe a little scary but also fun and exciting and okay and good.
So when to get started? Whenever you want. Some suggestions:
And talk about what? Whatever you want. Some suggestions:
I especially love when folks are connected to a prenatal and postpartum specific mental health professional because I find they extra get it, but this is not necessary if you’ve got someone you already know and trust. I’ve got some recommendations down below, and if there’s any way I can help, you know where to find me.
If you’re in therapy already, you know the magic I’m talking about so keep doing what you’re doing.
If you’ve done therapy before but not currently working with someone or if you’ve never done it, this would be an amazing time to start or restart. Why? I think our mental health is the number one way to prep ourselves for birth + postpartum.
So I went ahead and Googled ‘ways to prepare for birth’ or ‘best birth prep’ and these were the kinds of things I found.
And yeah, I guess sex is cool and red raspberry leaf tea is fine and as a former yoga teacher myself I think that’s aiight but I think therapy is where it’s at.
With so many changes happening during pregnancy, birth and postpartum I personally think that a social worker or therapist or psychologist or whoever you decide to consult with and share with is an integral part of a support team. The visual I like to use is those big trampolines – having a baby is kind of like freefalling, and the people on your support team are at the bottom holding the trampoline. The more people who are around, pulling that trampoline tight, the more supportive and strong that trampoline will be, and maybe the whole experience can actually be both a little scary and fun and exciting and okay and good.
To me, walking every single day is great but if while we’re doing that we’re thinking or talking about how hard and difficult birth is going to be is, then I don’t know that walks are also that useful. Packing a hospital bag and being ready with stuff is great, but if we have some stuff that we haven’t worked through then the stuff isn’t really going to help that much. And in the postpartum, same kind of idea, but probably a lot more obvious – most folks are expecting the postpartum period to be extremely difficult and exhausting, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. With the right folks to help you manage stress, work through hard feelings, adjust expectations, set boundaries… it can actually be like I said above, maybe a little scary but also fun and exciting and okay and good.
So when to get started? Whenever you want. Some suggestions:
And talk about what? Whatever you want. Some suggestions:
I especially love when folks are connected to a prenatal and postpartum specific mental health professional because I find they extra get it, but this is not necessary if you’ve got someone you already know and trust. I’ve got some recommendations down below, and if there’s any way I can help, you know where to find me.