Watching The Babadook through the lens of postpartum anxiety, I realize, it’s not just about a spooky story. It’s about how our brains become a battleground where intrusive thoughts cling like parasites, especially when motherhood pushes the limits of survival. That red pop-up book? It’s not just a creepy prop, it’s maternal intrusive thoughts personified, taping themselves back together every night, whispering the worst-case scenarios in the silence. The film shows us that you can drown the anxiety or burn the thoughts, but they’ll come back. The real danger? Thinking you can just delete the monster. You can’t. You learn to contain it, feed it just enough, and keep the basement door locked. That’s the brutal, honest truth of postpartum trauma. Still figuring out how to build my cage. How about you?

In Episode 0 of The Postpartum Appraisal, host Perci—a former paramedic and theater nerd—introduces listeners to her new "operating system" as a parent. After having a child, Perci describes how her perspective on everyday objects shifted from rational to hyper-vigilant.