Tea with Jodi Episode S1 E4

By Jodi Graves | December 23, 2022

With guest Kelly Rutan

Numbers of people reporting postpartum mood disorders like depression & anxiety are low
5-20% of birthing people report having mental health issues postpartum but those #’s are low, based on what were seeing and hearing in the field as birth workers
Many things being diagnosed as postpartum depression may, in fact, be something else like anxiety, OCD, rage, PTSD and psychosis. Are we lumping things together?
Stigma still attached with admitting that we are having mental health issues-especially something as intrusive as OCD and PTSD or rage. We’re not where we need to be yet in the USA for postpartum recovery
Big resource no matter where you live in the US is Postpartum Support International (PSI)
How doulas navigate hospital policy and protocol – families need to also choose a good provider that aligns with their values to have a better birth outcome-not just about the hospital
No one is checking on people during 6 weeks postpartum—doulas do!
Doulas do more than just support at the bedside in labor and are instrumental in the health of the early parenting journey-sometimes the only people seeing newly postpartum people!
One of the biggest takeaways is that there is help, no matter where you live. Visit Postpartum Support International to find a counselor near you. Or, dial 988 if your considering suicide.