When is the Best Time to See a Maternal Mental Health Therapist in Palm Desert?

Thoughts from your Therapist Palm Desert

Your Path to Motherhood

Considering conception? Wondering if you want to be a parent? Having thoughts about what kind of parent you can be given your own history of having been parented? The best time to connect with a therapist is before and/or during your pregnancy. Establishing a relationship with a licensed therapist can help you to get the best treatment available should you need support postpartum. Meeting with a therapist during your pregnancy helps to establish a baseline of how you are functioning before baby’s arrival, discuss possible risk factors such as history of depression, anxiety, or childhood trauma, and make a plan to prepare for the postpartum period that will best support a new mother, her newborn and her family members. 

Establish a Relationship Before Baby Arrives

Therapist Palm Desert. Lauren Fox, LCSW, is a Maternal Mental Health therapist in Palm Desert, working throughout the Coachella Valley and virtually within the state of California.

Though there is so much emphasis on creating baby registries and building a nursery, it is equally important to make a plan for what will happen once baby arrives. Exploring what you envision the early postpartum days to look like, who you want to be part of those days and in what capacity, who is part of your support network and how you will ask for support for them are just as important as the colors in the nursery and the items on the baby registry. 

Sometimes It’s Hard to Share with Friends and Family

Having a baby can be an amazing time in a woman’s life. Watching a growing bump, being doted on by passersby who all want to hear about your new plans, daydreaming about the imminent addition to the family can contribute to feelings of excitement and anticipation. But, sometimes this time can be eclipsed by feelings of loss, worry or grief. It is a time many women experience anxiety and/or sadness as they consider what the future may hold and reflect on previous periods of their life that are now coming to a close. Whether a mom-to-be feels prepared or not, it is a significant emotional and psychological life adjustment for the mother, the partner and the entire family.

You Need a Trained Professional

It is not surprising that many women feel ashamed to express feelings that may run countercurrent to anything but a state of joy in the months leading up to and after their birthing experience. What is surprising, however, is the high number of women who suffer in silence because they believe themselves to be the only ones. Many people are aware of the “baby blues,” a term meant to explain the hormonal and physiological changes occurring in the two weeks following a mother’s birth, but even this term can be misleading. The baby blues are still a significant moment of vulnerability for a new mother, and require a supportive social network to nurture not just the baby, but the healing mother as well. As high as 80% of women experience the baby blues, which can include mild mood fluctuations, tearfulness, irritability and anxiety after giving birth. This is quite common and resolves in about two weeks. If symptoms last longer than two weeks or become more intense, this could be a sign of a more serious condition.

Schedule a Free Consultation with your Therapist Palm Desert

Therapist Palm Desert Lauren Fox, LCSW

I hope this helps you consider your options for therapy in Palm Desert. Feel free to reach out to me or call me at 805-930-9355 for a free 15 minute phone consultation. I’d be happy to hear about what is happening and help connect you with the right provider. If you are looking for help with pregnancy, postpartum, pregnancy loss, infertility, birth trauma or hypnotherapy, you can read more about how I can help within this website.

Serving the Coachella Valley and surrounding areas, including: Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, Thousand Palms, Palm Desert, La Quinta, Indio, Bermuda Dunes, Coachella, Thermal, Mecca, Desert Hot Springs, Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree and virtually across the state of California.

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