At Wildflower Therapy, our therapists are incredibly passionate about maternal mental health. Through personal experience, our founder Dr. Colleen Reichmann recognized the need for perinatal and postnatal mental health support. She set out to receive extensive training and is now super passionate about helping folks navigate challenges related to infertility, reproductive losses, pregnancy, birth, the postpartum period, and the early years of parenting.
Perinatal Mental Health
Perinatal mental health refers to mental health during pregnancy and the postpartum period. And let’s be real- this time period can be a doozy. Postpartum depression (PPD) and postpartum anxiety (PPA) affect 1 in 7 women. Symptoms can range in severity, but the important facet to understand is that it is not the “baby blues.” Postpartum depression (PPD) and Postpartum anxiety refer to mood and anxiety disorders (respectively) that follow childbirth.
PPD and PPA
PPD is typically an agitated depression that can include feelings of immense sadness, anger, irritability, or emptiness. Postpartum anxiety disorder is an anxiety disorder that can include constant generalized anxiety, or specific obsessional thoughts about the safety of one’s baby. Both PPD and PPA can interfere significantly with functioning, and can also negatively impact one’s ability to feel close and bonded with their new baby.
Depression and Anxiety Related to Perinatal Mental Health
Depression and anxiety can also occur during pregnancy- this is called prenatal depression and anxiety. This is characterized by frequent crying, mood swings, fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, sleep issues, constant anxiety, appetite changes, scary thoughts, ruminating, hopelessness and despair, and even suicidality for some.
If you are struggling with mental health in the perinatal period, please know you do NOT have to go it alone. Reach out today for a free consultation call with Dr. Reichmann to discuss starting individual therapy.
Infertility and Reproductive Loss
So we’ve all heard the statistics- one in eight women struggle with infertility, and one in four women have a pregnancy that ends in miscarriage. Research shows that both of these journeys can be incredibly challenging and even traumatizing for some. So why isn’t there more support?
Fertility issues and/or reproductive loss can leave folks feeling depressed, isolated, anxious, and overwhelmed with grief. Yet we, as a society, do not do a great job of validating the grief and agony that can accompany the struggle to conceive, or the loss of pregnancy.
If you are struggling with infertility or reproductive loss, we want to help. Whether you are struggling to conceive, going through IUI or IVF, struggling with grief following a pregnancy loss, or trying to manage fear and anxiety during a pregnancy after a loss- we are here and ready to support you.
Maternal Mental Health
Let’s be real here-early motherhood is a Wild. Freaking. Ride. One that can be full of beauty, yes. But one that can also be full of despair, sadness, disappointment, anger, and a whole host of other tough emotions. From birth trauma, to sleep deprivation, to returning to work, to mom guilt, to breastfeeding and bottle-feeding, to navigating unexpected reactions that you may be experiencing towards motherhood- at Wildflower Therapy, we are here to support you.
It can help especially helpful to see a therapist because therapy is a space where you can put words to all of the thoughts that might feel scary or “unspeakable” in the presence of others. We can help to hold space for all of the harder thoughts and emotions that you are experiencing in this phase of life. We can also provide you with skills and support to navigate the various struggles that are unique to motherhood.
How Can Perinatal Mental Health Care and Maternal Mental Health Care in Philadelphia Help You?
If you are struggling with your mental health pre or post-delivery and it is impacting your ability to function in your daily life, we would be honored to help you address those needs. Whether you prefer in-person therapy or virtual therapy, at Wildflower Therapy, our therapists are available and ready to help. Below are some steps to follow if you feel overwhelmed and would like to ask for help:
Step One: Read our Statement of Beliefs to get a better understanding of who we are and what we stand for!
Step Two: We encourage you to get to know a little bit about our therapists, their specializations, and their credentials. Get to know our Perinatal and Maternal Therapists here.
Step Three: If you feel like we would be a good fit for you, please reach out to us to set up a free 30-minute consultation here- We look forward to hearing from you!
Step Four: Begin your journey to self-healing and understanding!
Mental Health Services Provided by Wildflower Therapy, Philadelphia, PA
Life is a unique journey for each of us and we all have our individual battles to fight. We understand that motherhood brings its own unique set of challenges. Our therapists know there is no one-size-fits-all approach to any of life’s difficulties and we offer many unique perspectives and approaches to help meet you where you are with our Philadelphia, PA Therapy services. We offer services for eating disorder therapy, services for anxiety, and depression, and have practitioners who specialize in therapy for college students and athletes. As well as LGBTQIA+ Affirming Therapy.
As you can see we have something to offer just about anyone in our Philadelphia, PA office. Reaching out is often the most difficult step you can take to improve your mental health. We look forward to helping you on this journey!