Gaining 37 pounds in One Month

June 2, 2019 Elizabeth M. Johnson, MA

Dr Felitti was stunned. He’s never seen such weight gain that quickly in such a short amount of time. Patty herself blamed it on sleepwalking. But that wasn’t enough. Dr Felitti wondered why now. Patty wasn’t sure. But he kept asking questions. Patty told Felitti that an older man at work complimented and propositioned her. Helpful, thought Felitti.

Your holiday reds...and blues

December 22, 2015 Elizabeth M. Johnson, MA

I mentioned in this week's newsletter (subscribe here) that the holidays can be an especially difficult time of year to manage societal and familial expectations, on top of sometimes feeling the holiday blues. There's so much emphasis on consumption (Starbucks gingerbread is one of my favorite seasonal treats) and comparison ("are their lights better than ours?") that we can lose track of what's really important. Your definition is unique to you but hopefully somewhere in yours you're including you.

With all the holiday reds, gold, silver and glitter, there can sometimes be several shades of blue too. Those blues can be different feelings of grief, as they are for me, since this will be the first year that I won't have my mother. Her usual holiday card isn't coming. All of this makes me incredibly sad, in spite of the joy around me. Maybe for you the holiday blues will come up as anxiety amping up or your struggles with depression rearing its unruly head even more than usual. It's normal to feel overwhelmed and sad at times when we "should" be feeling something else or when "no one else" seems to be upset or having a hard time.

Whatever the blues look like for you (and maybe they aren't there at all which is wonderful!), be good to yourself. Treat yourself with the same kid gloves of love that you use with families, children and partners. Take time over break to be tender to yourself. Hot baths, deep breathes, lazy days in yoga pants. Whatever floats your boat, do it. You are the only you we have.

Work, church, neighborhood potlucks, even sales at the mall will always be there, with or without you. But everything is better with you. Take good care.

~~Note: Following my own advice, I've decided to take next week off from a blog post. Watch this space (or your inbox) for the next post on January 5. My weekly newsletter will not be on hiatus though so if you need a fix, make sure you subscribe to it. You can do that here.

23 Normal and Common Worries During #Pregnancy

May 5, 2014 Elizabeth M. Johnson, MA

Why 23? Because I knew I could name 23 off the top of my hat based on what I hear and read everyday. Here they are in no particular order:

...balancing demands of a crazy job with a new baby;
...fear of childbirth and/or the pain associated with childbirth;
...pregnancy leave from work: is it enough?
...anxiety about sex;
...concerns about ability to breastfeed;
...worry about hurting or harming baby or self because of past personal trauma;
...questioning how partner might act during childbirth and if a birth doula could help;
...doubting decision about choice of OB or hospital;
...lack of confidence in her body to birth a baby;
....wonder about how lack of knowledge about her body will impact satisfaction with the childbirth experience;
....worry about her (or partner's) family & role they might play in new baby's life;
...concerns about when the weight will come off after the baby is born;
...worries about not feeling attractive sexually to partner;
...concern over postpartum mood disorders;
...wanting to "go natural" during childbirth but also wanting knowledge & confidence to choose other options if it feels the right thing to do;
...curiousity about whether she will "need" a postpartum doula after the baby is born;
...nervous about choosing a pediatrician;
...fear about when she will feel "like herself" again;
...worry about being able to tell whether or not she is producing enough milk for baby;
...anxiety about not "liking" baby right away;
...wanting a different kind of _________ and wondering if that was an option;
...wondering about non-pharma pain management options during childbirth;
...worry about how different her body looks and "acts" when pregnant.

And there are so many more! But hopefully this list gives you an idea of some of the normal and common fears that pregnant women have about pregnancy and childbirth.

What would you add to the list? What have you heard friends say? Leave a comment below.

Are you at risk for a postpartum mood disorder?

January 7, 2014 Elizabeth M. Johnson, MA

It's a little bit of a trick question because postpartum depression can affect any new mom. But it's important to note that there are some populations that are at a higher risk for postpartum mood disorders in general. Here are some of those groups:

Women who have had health-oriented /physical challenges in their past:

Survivors of intimate partner violence;
Survivors of sexual assault, rape or childhood sexual assault*;
Women who have suffered / suffer from disordered eating behaviors;
Women with a history of depression;
Women with a history of bipolar disorder;

Women with the following specific social or economic challenges:

Women with limited family support;
Women who are poor or lower income;

Lastly, there are factors related to the baby that put some women at a higher risk:

Special needs babies;
Colicky babies;
Chronically ill babies or babies with life-threatening illnesses.

[Author, IBCLC and speaker Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett talks about all of the above challenges and more in greater detail in her book, Depression in New Mothers. I highly recommend it if you are interested in reading more about postpartum mood disorders.]

I would also add women who have suffered from chronic pain, after reading this article. This is just my opinion but I can't imagine how suffering from constant pain wouldn't make you predisposed to a postpartum mood disorder. Finally there is a new study out that says that women who fear childbirth are also at greater risk for postpartum mood disorders.

With all of these risk factors, I can't help but wonder why more women aren't diagnosed with a postpartum mood disorder. But of course, as we know, postpartum mood disorder screenings aren't thorough, perfect or even often enough. The onus is, once again, on the new mom herself to come forward. But when you're in a haze of confusion, pain, sleeplessness and perhaps anxiety, it can be hard to sort through whether your feelings are normal. Also not helpful is the fact that you don't see your OB until six weeks after you have your baby/babies. That may not be early enough (postpartum depression can happen anytime in the first year) or it may be too late.

Here are three things you can do, if you happen to fall into any of this categories of higher risk:

Make finding a good local new moms group, like mine, a priority for yourself before the baby arrives. Good social support is ESSENTIAL as a new mom. You will need to know that you aren't alone, that you (and your worries) are normal and that many new moms share your fears, wants and concerns. .
Consider hiring a postpartum doula. They have the distance and the expertise to recognize problems before they arise. Postpartum doulas are trained in, among other things, recognizing signs that mom gives...whether spoken or unspoken. Postpartum doulas aren't counselors but they can refer out to a qualified professional.
Speak up. If something is upsetting to you, talk with your partner, friend or another trusted mom about it. If you need something, ask for it. Too many of us suffer in silence, or just as damaging resentment, when it would be better for our physical and emotional health just to talk about it.

A postpartum mood disorder isn't a life sentence or something to be ashamed of. Let's keep the conversation going so we can all stay better informed and in doing so, be better advocates.