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What happens when the journey into parenthood doesn't look like the pictures? In this deeply moving episode of Quiet Connection, Chelsea Myers sits down with Canadian author, editor, and former educator Maegan Blackwell to talk about the reality of severe perinatal mental health disorders (PMHDS).

Maegan opens up about her isolating experience on bed rest, losing a twin during pregnancy, and the terrifying onset of postpartum depression and severe anxiety. She shares the raw details of a major mental health crisis triggered by psychiatric medication mismanagement, her experience in an inpatient behavioral health unit, and the long road to healing.

We also discuss how PMHDS affect the entire family unit, including older siblings. Maegan explains how her own family's healing journey inspired her to write her highly acclaimed children's book, Before and After Baby, to help parents start honest, gentle conversations with their kids about mental health.

This is a powerful, shame-free space for any parent who has ever had a scary thought and wondered, am I crazy? (Spoiler: you aren't, and you are not alone).

Key Takeaways

1. Good Parents Have Scary Thoughts: Intrusive thoughts (like falling down stairs or harm coming to the baby) are highly common symptoms of perinatal anxiety and depression, and they are not a reflection of your character or your desires.
2. The Impact of Medication Mismanagement: A lack of specialized perinatal psychiatric care can lead to severe mental health crises, highlighting the urgent need for better advocacy and dedicated resources for birthing individuals.
3. Healing Involves the Whole Family: PMHDS are not experienced in a vacuum; they ripple through partners and siblings. Honest, age-appropriate communication is vital for helping children process what is happening.
4. The Power of Peer Support: From voluntary community programs like "visiting moms" to finding "pocket besties" online, human connection is one of the most powerful tools for surviving isolation in the postpartum trenches.

This episode discusses topics that may be triggering for some individuals. Please check the show notes for more information and be mindful of your own mental health and comfort levels.

Visit our Patreon to help support our mission to normalize the conversation and end the stigma surrounding PMADs!

Support the show

Special Thanks to Steve Audy for the use of our theme song: Quiet Connection

Want to be a guest on Quiet Connection - Postpartum Mental Health?
Send Chelsea a message on PodMatch

Send us Fan Mail

What happens when you spend five years as a NICU nurse, but find yourself completely left in the dark during your own emergency C-section?

In this episode of Quiet Connection, Chelsea sits down with Victoria, a pediatric nurse practitioner and mom of two, to pull back the curtain on the real cost of birth trauma.

Victoria opens up about the anxiety of an unplanned first pregnancy, the agonizing pain of a Pitocin induction, and the terrifying moments inside an operating room where communication completely stopped.

She shares the raw reality of hemorrhaging, dissociating, and the devastating postpartum depression that stole her early bonding time. But the story doesn't end in the dark.

Victoria walks us through her subsequent miscarriage, her fiercely healing unmedicated V-BAC, and how she now uses her pediatric telehealth practice to fiercely advocate for the mental health of birthing individuals.

Key Takeaways

• The Double-Edged Sword of Medical Knowledge: Having a background in healthcare can amplify pregnancy anxiety because you've already seen the worst-case scenarios firsthand.
• The Power of Explicit Communication: Silence from medical staff during a crisis forces birthing individuals to fill the gaps with their worst fears, severely compounding birth trauma.
• The True Cost of Trauma: Birth trauma isn't just physical; it costs parents peaceful bonding time, emotional presence, and mental wellness.
• Healing is Possible, But Varied: A subsequent positive birth experience (like Victoria's unmedicated V-BAC) can be deeply restorative, but it doesn't erase the grief of what was lost the first time around.
• Pediatric Care Includes the Parent: True pediatric advocacy means checking on the mental health of the primary caregivers, not just checking the baby's stats.

Learn More About Victoria:

• Connect on Instagram
• Visit her Website

This episode discusses topics that may be triggering for some individuals. Please check the show notes for more information and be mindful of your own mental health and comfort levels.

Visit our Patreon to help support our mission to normalize the conversation and end the stigma surrounding PMADs!

Support the show

Special Thanks to Steve Audy for the use of our theme song: Quiet Connection

Want to be a guest on Quiet Connection - Postpartum Mental Health?
Send Chelsea a message on PodMatch

Send us Fan Mail

Life has been lifing lately, and I’m so glad to finally sit down and catch up with you. In this mini-episode of Quiet Confessions, I'm opening up about what's been happening behind the scenes over the past month.

Between stepping down on long-term medications, navigating an uncomfortably loud season with OCD and PTSD, and managing chronic health flares with limited spoons, my capacity has been stretched thin.

I share why I'm learning to focus on being where my feet are, what made a quick trip to Disney World with my mom such an essential reset for my nervous system, and how our neurodivergent family is navigating school transitions and evaluations. Plus, we're officially celebrating the start of Season 8 of Quiet Connection!

Grab your beverage of choice and join me for a gentle reminder that even when your brain is loud, you don't have to navigate it alone.

Key Takeaways

• Being where your feet are: How anchoring yourself into the present moment can reduce the tug-of-war between the past and the future when navigating OCD and PTSD.
• The realities of medication changes: Stepping down psychiatric medications isn't linear, and managing symptom spikes requires immense grace, patience, and clear communication with loved ones.
• Protecting joy as a survival tool: Why visiting places that calm your nervous system isn't frivolous, it's a vital, cup-filling priority for chronic illness recovery.
• Neurodivergent family advocacy: Celebrating big wins in middle school transitions while starting new pediatric evaluation journeys with open eyes and support.
• Community gratitude: Celebrating four years and eight seasons of safe, judgment-free storytelling on Quiet Connection.

Support the show

Special Thanks to Steve Audy for the use of our theme song: Quiet Connection

Want to be a guest on Quiet Connection - Postpartum Mental Health?
Send Chelsea a message on PodMatch