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Emotions / Hormones

The process of becoming a mother is filled with emotions that can range from great joy and happiness to high stress and sadness. There is a lot at stake and can be a lot of pressure. Fitting a new baby into one’s life along with all the happiness, expense, and change is not easy.

The ebb and flow of hormones is an important part of a woman’s life. Hormones can influence mood, diet, and how people feel. Women’s bodies are flooded with hormones in new ways during pregnancy and the postpartum period. This is natural and can also feel confusing.

There are a lot of myths around motherhood and postpartum that suggest women should be blissfully happy and can manage it all. The truth is that women and their partners/families are undergoing a lot of changes during this time. Women are developing their role as mothers to their infant (each baby is different), changes to their role as a partner/daughter/worker, and caring for a recovering body with little sleep - on top of everything else.

Mindfulness matters! Dr. Karen Sheffield-Abdullah has created a video series of mindfulness exercises to view and practice.

Know there is anonymous, 24/7 support available. Learn about the maternal mental health hotline 1-833-9-HELP4MOMS.

This section offers information that might be helpful in getting through this time. Know that many new mothers struggle with mood and mental wellbeing. Women deserve to receive the care they need to be well physically and emotionally.

Topics in Emotions / Hormones

Birthing Parent Health Information One-Pager

Sep 26, 2023
Below, you can view the new parent health information one-pager, along with an overview for ideas to introduce and use the tool in practice. These are helpful for clinics to distribute at discharge or during postpartum visits.

Birthing Parent Health Information One-Pager

Below, you can view the new parent health information one-pager, along with an overview for ideas to introduce and use the tool in practice. These are helpful for clinics to distribute at discharge or during postpartum visits.

Childbirth Trauma and Maternal Near-Miss

Apr 19, 2023
Childbirth Trauma  Giving birth is a powerful experience and the journey often unfolds in ways we might not expect and cannot control.  Sometimes women feel that their transition to motherhood is traumatic. This may result from unexpected or unwanted medical interventions during labor and birth and/or postpartum, the speed at which they labored, the way […]

Childbirth Trauma and Maternal Near-Miss

Childbirth Trauma  Giving birth is a powerful experience and the journey often unfolds in ways we might not expect and cannot control.  Sometimes women feel that their transition to motherhood is traumatic. This may result from unexpected or unwanted medical interventions during labor and birth and/or postpartum, the speed at which they labored, the way […]

Communicating with Your Health Team

Mar 27, 2023
Talking with health care providers can be hard. If you are lucky to have had an opportunity to develop a good relationship with your doctor, midwife or nurse practitioner before and during pregnancy, it will be easier to talk with them during your postpartum visit(s). Unfortunately, sometimes things happen that make it difficult to trust […]

Communicating with Your Health Team

Talking with health care providers can be hard. If you are lucky to have had an opportunity to develop a good relationship with your doctor, midwife or nurse practitioner before and during pregnancy, it will be easier to talk with them during your postpartum visit(s). Unfortunately, sometimes things happen that make it difficult to trust […]

Feelings About My Parents

Apr 19, 2023
Having a baby may open a world of new feelings about your own parents. Have you felt a new sense of connection? A feeling of loss about family and loved ones not around you? Worries because you want to parent your baby differently than your parents did you? Your feelings are all important. The transition […]

Feelings About My Parents

Having a baby may open a world of new feelings about your own parents. Have you felt a new sense of connection? A feeling of loss about family and loved ones not around you? Worries because you want to parent your baby differently than your parents did you? Your feelings are all important. The transition […]

Gender and Non-Binary

Apr 19, 2023
Families come together in many different and beautiful ways. We know that there is an urgent need for more information for people who have a uterus and give birth but may not identify as a woman or mother. We strongly believe that all new parents need and deserve respect, support and encouragement no matter what […]

Gender and Non-Binary

Families come together in many different and beautiful ways. We know that there is an urgent need for more information for people who have a uterus and give birth but may not identify as a woman or mother. We strongly believe that all new parents need and deserve respect, support and encouragement no matter what […]

Mood and Feelings

Apr 19, 2023
Postpartum Support International is an organization that has wonderful resources and supports for new parents. Click here to connect with them. Women experience many physical, hormonal, sleep, and relational changes while pregnant and after giving birth.  With so much going on it is VERY common for women to have many different feelings in the weeks […]

Mood and Feelings

Postpartum Support International is an organization that has wonderful resources and supports for new parents. Click here to connect with them. Women experience many physical, hormonal, sleep, and relational changes while pregnant and after giving birth.  With so much going on it is VERY common for women to have many different feelings in the weeks […]

New Identity as Mom

Apr 19, 2023
The birth of a baby also births a new mother. Having a baby changes us. Research confirms that almost all women undergo “fundamental changes” after childbirth that actually alter their brains. Yes, your body, relationships, priorities, and life change but also your sense of self.  This is not something most women expect to happen. As […]

New Identity as Mom

The birth of a baby also births a new mother. Having a baby changes us. Research confirms that almost all women undergo “fundamental changes” after childbirth that actually alter their brains. Yes, your body, relationships, priorities, and life change but also your sense of self.  This is not something most women expect to happen. As […]

Postpartum and Intimacy Checklist

Sep 8, 2023
< Resources Nurse Nikki shares a checklist for health care teams to use while speaking with new moms about sex and intimacy. As health care providers for pregnant and postpartum families, we often stick to what we know. Maybe your job is helping families get pregnant, stay pregnant, and have a healthy birth. Or maybe […]

Postpartum and Intimacy Checklist

< Resources Nurse Nikki shares a checklist for health care teams to use while speaking with new moms about sex and intimacy. As health care providers for pregnant and postpartum families, we often stick to what we know. Maybe your job is helping families get pregnant, stay pregnant, and have a healthy birth. Or maybe […]

Postpartum Care Plan

Sep 20, 2023
Navigating postpartum recovery and transitioning to new parenthood. We have created a Care Plan for care team members and birthing parents to customize and tailor recovery. < Resources

Postpartum Care Plan

Navigating postpartum recovery and transitioning to new parenthood. We have created a Care Plan for care team members and birthing parents to customize and tailor recovery. < Resources

Postpartum Plan for New Parents

Sep 27, 2023
Navigating postpartum recovery and transitioning to new parenthood. We have created a checklist and guidance for new mothers to create their own postpartum plans. During labor and delivery, mothers typically have their plans in place to address what they need to feel safe and supported during childbirth. Once the baby is born, however, the mother […]

Postpartum Plan for New Parents

Navigating postpartum recovery and transitioning to new parenthood. We have created a checklist and guidance for new mothers to create their own postpartum plans. During labor and delivery, mothers typically have their plans in place to address what they need to feel safe and supported during childbirth. Once the baby is born, however, the mother […]

Taking Care of You

Sep 24, 2023
Postpartum Recovery Booklet on a variety of health and self-care topics

Taking Care of You

Postpartum Recovery Booklet on a variety of health and self-care topics

Transgender Or Gender Non-Binary (TGNB) Parents

Apr 19, 2023
For people who identify as transgender or gender non-binary (TGNB) , giving birth brings many of the same emotional changes that cisgender women experience.  Your baby is no longer inside you. This may feel happy, or a little sad. Some worries may have gone away, but now new ones are there, as you learn to […]

Transgender Or Gender Non-Binary (TGNB) Parents

For people who identify as transgender or gender non-binary (TGNB) , giving birth brings many of the same emotional changes that cisgender women experience.  Your baby is no longer inside you. This may feel happy, or a little sad. Some worries may have gone away, but now new ones are there, as you learn to […]

You Are Enough

Apr 19, 2023
When we become moms, we’re wired to protect our babies. The hormones of labor, cuddling and breastfeeding trigger moms to respond to our baby’s cries. But we’re not supposed to do it by ourselves – in fact, the reason babies have evolved to be cute is so that other grownups want to help take care […]

You Are Enough

When we become moms, we’re wired to protect our babies. The hormones of labor, cuddling and breastfeeding trigger moms to respond to our baby’s cries. But we’re not supposed to do it by ourselves – in fact, the reason babies have evolved to be cute is so that other grownups want to help take care […]

Your Hormones

Apr 19, 2023
During pregnancy, your placenta cranks out the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Some of that progesterone changes into a hormone called allopregnanolone, which binds to a receptor in the brain called GABA. The GABA receptor relaxes you – it’s the same receptor that alcohol and medications like valium bind to. During pregnancy, moms are essentially swimming […]

Your Hormones

During pregnancy, your placenta cranks out the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Some of that progesterone changes into a hormone called allopregnanolone, which binds to a receptor in the brain called GABA. The GABA receptor relaxes you – it’s the same receptor that alcohol and medications like valium bind to. During pregnancy, moms are essentially swimming […]

The content of this website is not intended for use as diagnosis or treatment of a health problem. If you have questions or concerns, please contact your health care provider. If you need emergency care, call 911 right away.

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