The Overlooked Realities of Motherhood

I can’t overstate the importance of today’s episode. This conversation will literally change lives. Today, we shine the spotlight brightly on maternal mental health. Far too many moms have said, “I wasn’t familiar with postpartum mood or anxiety disorders, until I experienced them.” Family members and friends have said, “I had no idea what they were going through.” It doesn’t need to stay that way! If you’ve lived through perinatal mental health challenges, or you know someone who has, you know just how important this conversation is. In this empowering discussion, I’m joined by author and national advocate Teresa M. Twomey, social worker and parent educator Jennifer Vendetti, and social worker and perinatal mental health clinician Dr. Natasha Welz. Come and learn critical information that each of us should be familiar with. If there are women in your life who are expecting, who’ve recently had children, or who hope to have children, this episode is for you. And this is certainly relevant if you’re an expectant mom yourself. You’ll hear moving stories and reflections of lives impacted by transformative programs, and by the power of authentic and intentional relationships. My guests share practical tips to help each of us recognize the signs of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. We address myths and misconceptions, and the importance of normalizing the fact that postpartum mental health challenges can and do occur. We also talk through the ways moms can navigate and thrive with effective support, care, and intervention. This is a truly life-giving conversation. Listen in and share it with others! You’ll be glad you did. Additional Resources Postpartum Support International www.postpartum.net CT Chapter of Postpartum Support International www.psictchapter.com New Mom Health https://newmomhealth.com/ UConn Health Parenting https://health.uconn.edu/parenting-program/ ACCESS Mental Health for Moms https://www.accessmhct.com/moms/ Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance www.mmhla.org What is Postpartum Psychosis? Bushnell Park TedX Talk by Teresa M. Twomey https://youtu.be/W7gyRpTkSP0?si=KjSZ4JDvF2_7SpY5 Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health https://policycentermmh.org/ CT Office of Early Childhood Home Visiting System https://www.ctoec.org/home-visiting/ CT Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services https://portal.ct.gov/dmhas/programs-and-services/women/womens-and-childrens-programs Hope after Loss https://www.hopeafterloss.org/ The Addy Hour is recorded at the Yale Teaching Studios, with engineering support from Ryan McEvoy, edited by Orlando Suazo, and hosted by Dr. Nii Addy. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and follow our podcast page, to help us grow this podcast and our community.