The Postpartum Stress Center

11/13/2025

🌺Negative intrusive thoughts are common and universal in the postpartum period.

🌺They are anxiety-driven.

🌺You will feel better if you let someone you trust know what you are feeling and thinking.



Illustration by

11/12/2025

9 Ways Motherhood Can Break Your Spirit (& quick tips)

🦋This isn't what you expected

𝑻𝒊𝒑: Reverse the expectation. Let it go. That's right. Drop it like a hot coal and stop burning yourself. Stay present. Be kind to yourself. And remember, if you are feeling discouraged, 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘆.

🦋You are exhausted

𝑻𝒊𝒑: You've probably heard this over and over, but it bears repeating. Sleep when you are able to sleep. 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥, 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣. Focus on taking care of YOU, especially the physical aspect, eating well, getting sunshine, walking, breathing.

🦋You miss you partner

𝑻𝒊𝒑: Pay attention to your marriage. The postpartum period is hard on a marriage. Check in with your partner. Let them know how you feel. It's more important than you might think.

🦋You miss your old self

𝑻𝒊𝒑: Try to stay focused on the moment or the task at hand. Anxiety will rise when you feel guilty about the past or worry about the future. Stay where you are. You will be back.

🦋You don't recognize yourself as a mother

𝑻𝒊𝒑: Reduce time on social media. Resist the temptation to compare yourself to others. That will only pull you down.

🦋You find yourself surrounded by constant negativity

𝑻𝒊𝒑: It is common for negative feelings to surface during this time, especially when sleep is at a premium and support feels insufficient. Find a safe outlet for negative thoughts (exercise, calling a friend, relaxation, breathing). Try not to be hard on yourself. 𝑺𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒘𝒔. Be kind to yourself.

🦋You spend way too much time worrying about how you are feeling.

𝑻𝒊𝒑: Practice positive affirmations. Really. You do not have to believe what you are saying yet, but repeating it out loud will alert your brain and help you feel better. Repeat this: 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲. 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿.

🦋You wonder if you will always feel this way.

𝑻𝒊𝒑: Seek balance in your life to replenish. Spend time in nature. Too cliche? Studies have consistently shown that exposure to natural environments can reduce stress and improve mood. Take a walk. Sit outside ...

🦋You believe no one understands what you are going through

𝑻𝒊𝒑: Reach out to others, even if it is hard. Isolation is not your friend right now. Let your partner know how you feel. Let your healthcare provider know how you feel. Call a friend. Take the risk and let someone in. It will help you feel cared for and less alone.

**(If you are worried about the way you feel, check with a therapist you trust, or your medical provider).

11/11/2025

11/10/2025

🌻Friday Dec 5th !🌻

Every therapist who supports mothers in distress deserves the skills and confidence to do so.

The 6-hour virtual Art of Holding Core Training, taught by Rachel Brabec, MSW, LCSW, now brings this specialized, transformative training to therapists everywhere - no matter where you live or what your schedule allows.

Our mission is simple: to support every clinician who feels called to hold mothers in distress. If you want to join this training, we will make that possible.

Virtual | 6 hours | CE credit available (+PMH-C)
To Register: postpartumstress.com/registration
Inquiries or scholarship: training@postpartumstress.com

11/04/2025

GOOD MOMS Have Scary Thoughts
Familius

11/04/2025

... Now virtual, making The Art of Holding accessible to clinicians everywhere .. For perinatal therapists in pursuit of clinical excellence

🌟 Friday DEC 5, 2025 9a - 4p ET
🌟 Partial scholarships available
🌟 Discount for PSI members
www.postpartumstress.com/registration
training@postpartumstress.com for inquiries

Note: Completion of this 6-hour training makes you eligible for a special discount on Karen Kleiman’s 12-hour Advanced Art of Holding Training.

While no prerequisite is required, this 6 hr course offers an excellent foundation for those interested in continuing to the advanced level.

11/03/2025

If you work with new moms (and dads!) and haven’t yet heard of Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts, it’s the go-to resource that’s relatable, digestible, and grounded in expert guidance. This little book uses illustrations to say what most parents are too scared to admit out loud - which helps them feel seen and supported.

Still holding strong as the #1 book on postpartum depression on Amazon. 💛

11/02/2025

Feeling overwhelmed and sleep deprived and resentful and angry and trying to be the best mother you can be is, well, exhausting. It can also settle into the fabric of your postpartum overload leaving you with little energy for yourself or anyone else. . .

Take care of your𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓.
It matters more than you might think.

𝑆 𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑝 (𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡)
𝐸 𝑥𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑒 (𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑒)
𝐿 𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ (𝑙𝑒𝑖𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒)
𝐹 𝑜𝑜𝑑 (𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛)

Illustration from the book "What About Us" Familius by and

10/31/2025

𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗖𝗗 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵, 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝗖𝗗 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.

🟣 Examples of Intrusive Thoughts

“What if I drop the baby?”
“I keep picturing myself stabbing him with the kitchen knife - I don’t want to, but I can’t make the image go away.”

“Wha if I contaminated her bottle and she gets sick?”
“What if I didn’t buckle the car seat right and something terrible happens?”
“What if I actually want to hurt the baby? Does that mean I’m a bad person?”
“I can’t stop thinking that she’ll stop breathing in her sleep.”
“What if I accidentally touched her in a wrong or inappropriate way during a diaper change?”
“I keep replaying every tiny thing I’ve done to make sure I didn’t mess something up.”
“What if I didn’t wash my hands well enough? I should wash them again.”

🟣 Examples of Compulsive Behaviors or Mental Rituals

“I check the baby monitor every few seconds to make sure she’s still breathing. And then I check again.”
“I wash my hands over and over before touching him.”
“I avoid being alone with the baby because I’m scared I’ll do something wrong.”
“I ask my partner to double-check everything I do - feeding, diapers, medicine - just to be sure it’s safe.”
“I replay the day in my head before bed to make sure I didn’t hurt her somehow. That loop never stops.”
“I avoid knives or sharp objects when I’m alone with the baby.”
“I look up every symptom or possible risk to make sure she’s okay.”
“I pray or repeat certain phrases in my head to ‘cancel out’ bad thoughts.”
“I clean the bottles and counters until I feel certain they’re sterile. But I still don't believe they are.”

🟣 Examples of Self-Doubt Statements

“I know it doesn’t make sense, but the thought feels so real.”
“I keep telling myself it’s just a thought, but I still feel terrified.”
“I’m scared to tell anyone because they’ll think I’m crazy.”
“I love my baby so much - how can I be thinking these things?”
“I can’t tell if this is normal worry or something worse.”
“If I were a good mother, I wouldn’t think this way.”
“I feel like I have to control every detail or something bad will happen.”
“I don’t trust myself.”
“I just want my brain to be quiet.”

🌟𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸, "𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗗: 𝗢𝗖𝗗 & 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗕𝗮𝗯𝘆: 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀."
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗠𝗢𝗠 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.
𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁.

Familius

10/30/2025

This might be just what you need. To feel better. xo

Familius

10/30/2025

We’re expanding access to The Art of Holding™!

Our new 6-hour VIRTUAL Core Advanced Training, led by Rachel Brabec, LIMHP, PMH-C, CPC, brings the depth and spirit of the AOH model directly to you. Offered three times per year, this new opportunity allows us to connect with more therapists than ever, alongside our in-person AOH Teaching Fellowship trainings.

As interest in the Holding approach continues to rise, this training now feels essential for perinatal therapists seeking to deepen their clinical capacity to to sit with, attune to, and be fully present with mothers in distress.

To register: postpartumstress.com/registration
Inquiries: training@postpartumstress.com
For perinatal therapists in pursuit of clinical excellence