Natalia’s Perinatal Mental Health Story

Thrive • Nov 29, 2021

Former Thrive client, Natalia shared her perinatal mental health story with us. You can read about her journey below.

MY FIRST PREGNANCY

While giving birth to my first child in November 2017, I underwent long labor that ended in a C-section. My first idealized choice would have been to do a home birth, but I wasn’t able to do that. So instead, I worked with a birth center.

I was against having a C-section, so much so that I didn’t even go to the interventions section of my birth class. I told myself, “I’m not going to need that. I’m going to a birth center. Nothing is pointing me towards needing a C-section.”

My due date came and went, but I didn’t go into labor. Every day, I got more anxious. I began doing some gentle, natural induction exercises, but nothing worked. Finally, I was able to naturally induce the birthing process, but I remained in prodromal labor for a long time.

At the birthing center, I labored for ten hours. My state did not allow individuals to be under the care of a birthing center for more than 42 weeks, and I was approaching that deadline, so I moved to the hospital. At the hospital, a cascade of interventions followed that ended in a C-section.

Having a C-section after so many hours of labor — a couple of days at home, ten hours at the birth center, and seventeen hours at the hospital — was difficult to heal from. When I returned home, I suffered from severe postpartum depression and anxiety that was left untreated.

MY SECOND PREGNANCY

In May of 2020, we moved to Reno. Only a couple of months prior, I’d found out that I was pregnant.

While I was setting up my healthcare, I discovered Thrive Reno’s Perinatal Mental Health Support Group and began attending. It was exactly what I needed. I was pregnant. I had postpartum depression and anxiety after my last pregnancy. I was hoping to have a vaginal birth. I’d just moved to the city. Not to mention, the pandemic was raging. The group provided me with a community that supported me throughout my pregnancy.

My daughter was due on September 20. By Christmas Eve, I was still pregnant. That morning, I had a doctor’s appointment. The doctor sent me to the hospital for extended monitoring. Almost as soon as I walked through the door, they began talking to me about a repeat C-section, which was the opposite of what I wanted.

Christmas Eve fell on the same day as Thrive’s Perinatal Mental Health Support Group, so I called into the group from the hospital. Connecting with people who knew my story was so helpful.

I ended up having a repeat C-section. It was Christmas, and my son was expecting us, so I pushed the hospital to release me. They let me leave 48 hours after giving birth — the minimum length of stay for someone who’s had a C-section.

I expected to experience the same symptoms of postpartum depression and anxiety that I’d struggled with after my first pregnancy, but this time the symptoms were more severe and came on faster.

I had wanted a girl, so I was excited. I was also happy that my daughter was safe and healthy. But I was devastated about having another C-section. Anytime that I thought about it, got dressed, took a shower, or looked in the mirror was extremely difficult. I ended up attending Thrive Reno’s It Takes a Village perinatal day program .

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Initially, I wrestled with whether to attend the program. I remember thinking that I could deal with my symptoms on my own. I wasn’t sure if I needed a day treatment program. Additionally, I wanted to get used to being a mom of two. I wanted to just be with my baby, but just being with my baby was hard for me too.

When I finally decided to attend the program, I was excited and terrified. The experience transformed me in so many ways. The groups were comprehensive. They allowed me to explore how my life and the world around me were affecting my postpartum period. It was life-changing.

Connecting with other parents and hearing their stories was also helpful. I waited several weeks to tell my birth stories. But there was another person in the group who’d had a C-section. When she told her story, the other group participants said things to her that were exactly what I needed to hear. The moment was a turning point in my healing process.

After a few weeks, I dove in. I was able to open up, ask questions, and share my experiences. There were so many rich discussions and opportunities to talk not just about being a mom, but about my family system, my childhood, and ways I want to parent that weren’t accessible to my parents.

The program helped me be a better mom. From the cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical-behavioral therapy skills groups, I learned strategies to refrain from catastrophizing and remain in the moment instead.

One of the most impactful takeaways from the program was learning to avoid making generalized value judgments about myself. In other words, instead of viewing myself as a bad mom because I misplaced something, I say, “Wow I made a mistake, and I’ll do better next time.” Initially, I was resistant to even the idea of giving myself grace. But over time I realized that by giving myself grace, I can stop the spiral of negative thoughts.

I’m also a gentler parent. I’ve always believed in the gentle parenting style, but I couldn’t embody it before. I had too many other things going on in my mind. Because I’ve had this space and time to process my emotions, I’m a kinder, calmer parent.

The shift into motherhood and then the subsequent shift into becoming a mother of two was so disorienting. I wasn’t doing that well with it by myself. The It Takes a Village program provided me with a supportive, warm environment to do the deep self-work necessary to explore what was going on with me as a parent and as a person.

There’s an idea that one’s mental-emotional state has to be severe before deserving professional support. There’s a range of experiences related to birth and becoming a parent. Even if you think that you can deal with all of it, you shouldn’t have to deal with it alone.

The post Natalia’s Perinatal Mental Health Story first appeared on Thrive Wellness.

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Clean House, Healthy Mind: Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental Health

By Sage Tippie • 23 Apr, 2024

Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental Health Spring is a time of new beginnings, change, and transitions, including in our homes. With the warmer weather kicking motivation into high gear, Spring can be a prime time to do a deep clean. Not only is a clean space aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, but it can also help to improve your mental health. Learn about how tidying up your space can also tidy up your thoughts below along with tips for cleaning when you’re struggling with your mental health. 4 Reasons Why Cleaning is Beneficial to Mental health 1.Decreased Stress Not only does an uncluttered space provide a sense of calm, but the physical act of cleaning can release feel-good endorphins, reducing feelings of stress and anxiety. As you cross tasks off your checklist, your body also releases Dopamine. Also known as the “happy hormone”, Dopamine provides a sense of accomplishment and pride that can promote motivation in other areas of our lives. 2. Improved Focus Studies have shown that an uncluttered space can also lead to an uncluttered mind. Your focus can be drawn away from important tasks by a chaotic, messy space. Research has also shown a connection between procrastination and clutter, as an unwillingness to tackle larger chores like cleaning can translate over into various areas of our lives. By keeping your space tidy, it can inspire you to stay on top of other major tasks like work and school assignments. 3. Regulated Emotions According to this 2015 study , cleaning can function as a practice in mindfulness, providing an increased sense of calm and inspiration. Slowing down while cleaning gives you room to relax and free your mind of burdens, stressors, and irritants that can affect your mental health. Cleaning can even be considered a practice of self-care as the action helps you to connect with yourself and the outcome allows you to better enjoy your own space. 4. Sense of Order and Control When experiencing mental health struggles, people may feel a lack of control over their lives and emotions. Cleaning even small areas of the home can provide an increased sense of order and control as you cross tasks off your to-do list. Through realizing your own power by simply completing minor tasks like cleaning, it can reaffirm your ability to do more. 10 Tips for Cleaning When Struggling with Mental Health Mental health struggles and disorders commonly create barriers to one’s ability to clean and properly practice personal hygiene. Although these behaviors are normal side effects of mental health disorders, we want to work to aid our clients in cleaning to the best of their ability even in difficult times. Below, Thrive Wellness occupational therapist Meadow Deason shares some helpful tips she gives to clients when they struggle with cleaning due to mental health conditions: 1.Ask For Help Having support to clean can make a huge difference. Do the cleaning with the person helping you and have them hold you accountable. 2. Don't Wait for Motivation Motivation might not come before action, but it can build as you begin to see the results of your efforts. 3. Start Small Start with one area or one task and go from there. For example, concentrate on your bedroom first and then move on to the living room and bathroom. 4. Do Something Daily Even if you do only one small cleaning task a day, doing that one task creates momentum and prevents small tasks from building up and becoming overwhelming. 5. Use Sensory Modulation Change your environment by playing music, adjusting the lighting, or using aromatherapy. This can help to put you in a new headspace for cleaning. 6. Start with "High Impact" Tasks Start with more intensive or all-over cleaning tasks such as picking up clutter or doing the dishes. The visual "noise" of some tasks makes a large impact on the entire space, building motivation to continue cleaning. 7. Make a To-Do List Write a detailed to-do list of tasks and cross them off as you go. Physically marking down what you’ve accomplished can promote increased motivation. 8. Reward Yourself Set up a reward system where you reward yourself with a favorite activity or item when you complete a task as an incentive to clean. 9. Use the Rocket Method Don't think about it, just choose a task, countdown from five or ten and then start. This can help you to avoid potential anxiety and dread that can prevent you from cleaning. 10. Gamify Tasks Make up a game for your tasks or time yourself to promote increased engagement in cleaning. Your ability to complete tasks can be affected by a multitude of different factors and conditions including OCD , anxiety, depression , ADHD , and more. If you are struggling with motivation due to your mental health, help is here at Thrive Wellness.

child getting bandaid from doctor while mother smiles

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