After her first birth Julia experienced undiagnosed postpartum depression along with major breastfeeding struggles. Second time around, she was dreading her baby’s arrival rather than excitedly awaiting it, so she did something about it. Julia shares how proactively preparing for all possibilities allowed her to be fully present during those first weeks, and enjoy the time with her newborn. Check it out.
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What we talked about:
- A difficult first postpartum
- Loads of breastfeeding challenges
- Feeling disconnected from baby
- Realizing something was clearly off
- Getting help
- All the emotions of going back to work
- Finally feeling herself again
- Round two: doing things differently to prepare for another difficult postpartum
- Doing some serious planning and processing with the help of a doula
- Making sleep a priority
- Postpartum triggers
- Setting up her village
- Baby arrives, brings emotional breakdown
- Biggest surprise: newborns can be enjoyable!
- They wonders of a postpartum without depression, even with the 24/7 needs of a sensitive baby
Resources and links to info mentioned on the show:
- Berkshire Nursing Families
- ILCA’s Find a Lactation Consultant directory
- Depression During Pregnancy & Postpartum: Symptoms and Risk Factors, from Postpartum Support International
- DONA’s Find a Doula directory
- Hypnobabies.com
Related Birthful episodes
- Birth Models and How They Affect Your Birth, with Robbie Davis-Floyd
- Understanding & Calming Your Baby, with Carrie Contey
- A Mindful and Minimalist Baby Registry, with Megan Whitaker
- Choosing Your Care Provider, with Robin Elise Weiss
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BIRTHFUL POSTPARTUM PLAN WORKSHEET
Title music: “Vibe Ace” by Kevin MacLeod, from the Free Music Archive / CC BY (edited for length).
Sponsorship music: “Air Hockey Saloon” by Chris Zabriskie, from the Free Music Archive / CC BY (edited for length).






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