Understanding Postpartum Anxiety: Expert Tips from Kara Kushnir, LCSW - 256

In this episode of The Pulling Curls Podcast: Pregnancy & Parenting Untangled, hosts Hilary Erickson, RN, and Kara Kushnir, LCSW, delve deep into the topic of postpartum anxiety. They discuss personal experiences, signs and symptoms, distinctions between anxiety and other mental health conditions, and practical tools for managing anxiety at home. They also emphasize the importance of seeking help and provide resources like Postpartum Support International's helpline for those who need professional support.

Big thanks to our sponsor The Online Prenatal Class for Couples -- we have a whole section on postpartum as well as recognizing danger signs that can help ALL of you manage your entry into life with a new baby better.

Today's guest is Kara Kushnir, psychotherapist and founder of A Work of Heart Counseling, author and current Chair of the Board for Postpartum Support International New Jersey. Kara specializes in supporting new parents and children navigating pregnancy, postpartum, anxiety, trauma and hard life transitions. Her new book, "Mama's Thoughts" (a children's book for parents in disguise) helps affirm new parents by considering how their baby views them despite the ups and downs many new moms experience. Through sharing her own lived experience and professional training in perinatal mental health, Kara aims to stop the stigma that keeps new moms suffering by training providers and helping new moms reclaim their confidence and trust in themselves.

• Her book: Mama's Thoughts
• Find her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aworkofheart_counseling/
• Her Website: https://www.aworkofheartcounseling.com/

Links for you:

PSI Helpline: https://www.postpartum.net/get-help/psi-helpline/

• Call 1-800-944-4773 (4PPD) #1 En Español or #2 English
• Text “Help” to 800-944-4773 (English)
• Text en Español 971-203-7773
• Contact HelpLine

Timestamps:

00:00 "Pregnancy & Parenting Insights"

05:49 Postpartum Anxiety Concerns

06:37 Postpartum Anxiety and Self-Doubt

10:18 Leaving NICU: Overcoming New Parent Anxiety

15:31 Embrace Presence in Parenting

16:40 Prioritizing Self-Care in Parenthood

20:22 Pregnancy Mental Health Support Tips

23:25 Distinguishing Postpartum OCD from Psychosis

26:41 Perinatal Mental Health Awareness

Keypoints:

• The episode covers postpartum anxiety in-depth, aiming to demystify it and provide practical advice for new parents.
• Hosts Hilary Erickson, RN, and guest Kara Kushnir, LCSW, discuss common symptoms of postpartum anxiety, such as feeling like "jumping out of your skin" and uncontrollable worries.
• Kara highlights the difference between normal anxiety and clinical anxiety, providing signs that indicate it's time to seek professional help.
• The episode stresses the importance of addressing perinatal mental health even during pregnancy to prevent postpartum complications.
• Differentiate between postpartum OCD and postpartum psychosis, and the seriousness of thoughts that cause distress versus those that align with the person's beliefs.
• Kara offers practical tools for managing anxiety at home, including the ACE technique (Acknowledge, Come back into your body, Engage).
• The significance of a strong support system and the dangers of facing motherhood alone are emphasized.
• The episode encourages engaging with trained perinatal mental health professionals and promotes resources like Postpartum Support International (PSI).
• They share the PSI hotline and text line, assuring listeners that seeking help is a sign of good parenting, not failure.
• The discussion aims to reduce stigma and normalize the experience of postpartum anxiety, offering empathy and understanding for struggling parents.

Producer: Drew Erickson

Keywords:

postpartum anxiety, postpartum advice, new mom anxiety, postpartum depression, perinatal mental health, mental health support, new parent fears, anxiety symptoms, birth plan, postpartum blues, psychotherapist, A Work of Heart Counseling, online prenatal class, intrusive thoughts, psychosis symptoms, postpartum OCD, sleep deprivation, postpartum support, parenting anxiety, Postpartum Support International, pregnancy nurse, childbirth complications, anxiety in motherhood, managing anxiety, infant safety, seeking therapy, suppo