Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Licensed psychologist Dr. Jen McWaters, and wellness coach Kaitlin Reed, join forces to help women create an abundant life through holistic wellness practices, mindset shifts, and fostering a healthy relationship with food and their bodies. Join us as we take a deep dive and uncover the raw truth about mental health, nutrition, fitness, and beyond, offering insights and strategies for transformative growth.
Dr. Jen McWaters is a licensed psychologist and a holistic wellness coach for women. She is a Certified Integrative Mental Health Professional and is passionate about helping high-achieving women overcome their mental blocks, find freedom from anxiety, and create an abundant life inside and out. Find out more about her work at: awakeningholistichealth.com
Kaitlin Reed is a fitness, nutrition, and mental wellness coach on a mission to help women build the body and life they deserve and desire. She has BAs in Health Promotion and Wellness & Fitness Management, MA in Performance Psychology, currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Health Psychology. Her goal is to help women finally understand the science and strategy of nutrition and exercise so they can achieve their goals and live an empowered life. Head over to kaitlinreedwellness.com to learn more.
DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with your personal physician if you have any personal medical questions.
Welcome to the Counter Culture Health podcast. I'm doctor Jen McWaters. And I'm coach Caitlin Reed. We're here to help high achieving women overcome mental blocks, find freedom from anxiety, create an abundant life, and build the body and life that they deserve and desire.
Kaitlin:In this weekly podcast, we'll uncover the raw truth about mental health, nutrition, fitness, and beyond. Let's get to it. Hello, friends. Welcome back to Counter Culture Health. Today, we are going to talk about the postpartum journey, and kind of get into what I see a lot in the fitness world of the pressure to bounce back after pregnancy and kinda get back to right right before, pregnancy and where you started.
Kaitlin:And then also going through the journey of postpartum and, you know, the challenges, maybe all the things that nobody ever told you about or, educated you on, and kinda dive into that. I do not have any children, so I have not experienced this. I have worked with many women that have and doctor Jen has. So she is also going to bring her experience and expertise on this topic as well.
Jen:Yes. That's such a good one. And, again, another one where I wish I had known some of this stuff sooner, earlier, and even before I got pregnant just so I could be more prepared, but it is an important topic. So, again, rates of things like postpartum depression and anxiety are quite high. So, it can be around 6 to 10 percent of postpartum women develop anxiety.
Jen:And even men too, even fathers, can experience high rates of both anxiety and depression in the first year of their kid's life. So it's relevant for both. And there's so many factors that play into that, which we'll talk about today. But everyone's postpartum journey is gonna be unique and look different. So you will be tempted to compare because you'll be with other mom friends, whether that's because of friend groups or daycare or work friends, and you're gonna compare because that's what women do.
Jen:But stop it. It does not help. It's going helpful. So don't focus on how the other women, moms in your life, how they are doing with their fitness, their weight loss, how much their baby's sleeping, how much their baby's eating. You know, like, some information can be helpful if there's a concern or problem for you to go, like, oh, maybe I gotta go get that checked out.
Jen:But, ultimately, your journey is gonna be very unique to you. So let's just start with the encouraging the encouragement of not comparing because your journey is unique to you and so many factors.
Kaitlin:Yeah. Such an important piece. And that kinda brings up, I feel like social media has kind of made that worse these days. You know, you're exposed to more. You're seeing more.
Kaitlin:So the comparison game, is more. And I you know, there's what I see a lot in the fitness world is, like, this rush and and pressure to get your body back or get back to where you were pre pregnancy. You know? But the reality is you just went through an extremely stressful time. You grew a baby.
Kaitlin:You carried a baby. You gave birth to a baby, which is all very stressful. And now you're not sleeping, which is very stressful. Like, this is not the time to be trying to get back into high intensity workouts, trying to diet, focusing on your weights because those are all added stressors on top of an already stressful experience. And so I think during that time, it's that is the time to let your body heal and recover, doing more, eating enough, making sure you're you're fueling yourself well, for especially for those that are breastfeeding, making sure you're feeling well so you can support that.
Kaitlin:And and just doing restorative work and letting your hormones rebalance and kind of get back, to a healthy place and at least, you know, giving yourself at least a year or a year and a half to allow that to happen. And I always say the the shortcut is the long way. So if you can just be patient, it will set you up for so much more success down the road so that you don't have more problems or complications when you get to that point. So I know it's easier said than done, but be patient. The short way or the long way is the short way, and it will put you in such a a better place down the road.
Jen:I agree. I mean, the most important thing starting off in the postpartum journey is taking care of yourself physically, healing. Right? No matter what kind of birth you have, there's some healing involved just with the way that your organs need to move back into place, your muscles, your abdomen. There's so much there.
Jen:And there could be issues there that you might need to do some extra work on. There might be some specific PT as well. Right? So those are the things to focus on is helping your body heal correctly, taking care of yourself emotionally, trying to get as much social support as you can so you can get as much sleep as you can as well, And just taking care of your baby, bonding with your baby, feeding your baby, whatever that looks like, that's where the focus needs to be and doing what makes sense. So for me, I had a very rough postpartum experience, so walking was what I could do and all I really could do.
Jen:That was great. That's where I was at, and I knew that time would come where I'd have the time and the energy and the space to get back to a more regular exercise routine. But for me, it was just long walks with my baby in the stroller and my dog by my side. That's what made the most sense.
Kaitlin:Yeah. Yeah. And that's what we underestimate walking and how helpful and powerful and impactful that is. And you know, it's it's so restorative. And, you know, so not thinking of, like, I need a workout, just more thinking about move movement and just doing what you can.
Jen:Yes. Exactly. And, again, this goes back to don't compare yourself. Right? Like, there are gonna be some people who you might see back in the gym after, you know, a couple months.
Jen:We don't recommend that. Right? Because to your point, there's so many hormonal shifts happening. You wanna go easy. Your muscles are more relaxed.
Jen:Your abdomen hasn't gone back together yet. So, you want to be careful. You can actually injure yourself. But you will see people do that. Right?
Jen:So, no judgment there. And you see people who are barely exercising or just walking, and that's okay too. Everyone's journey is gonna be different. But, of course, doing some movements can be helpful. Right?
Jen:Like, for your mental health, you wanna get outside. And sometimes when you have a newborn, the biggest accomplishment of the day is you got outside. That's all you can do. And it's like, wow. I got outside today.
Jen:I got fresh air. I got a walk. I feel like I, like, I am on top of the world. I accomplished something so big today. Because there's gonna be those days where you're so sleep deprived and you have feeding issues with your baby.
Jen:That that's monumental. Just getting outside and going for a walk or meeting up with a friend with their baby. Like, just getting in the car, that's a success on days too.
Kaitlin:Yeah. Yeah. And that's a good point too because it's like 6 weeks is kind of the time where you're, quote, unquote, cleared to do exercise or move. But just because that's, like, the recommendation or when you're clear doesn't mean that you're ready to do that. So it's always paying attention to your body, how you're feeling, how your sleep has been, you know, and and just doing that when you're ready, not because this timeline that were is recommended or that you might have in your head too.
Kaitlin:Because that could be like you think you might have this set timeline in your head of, like, okay. At 6 months, I'll be or 6 weeks, I'll be good. I'm ready to go, and then you get there and you're not. That doesn't mean you have to, you know, kind of override your body in the signals that it's giving you. Right.
Jen:Right. And, again, remembering, especially if you're breastfeeding, that's a whole another ballgame. And I think it's amazing and beautiful when you can breastfeed because it's the best nutrition for your baby. Hands down, it's the it is. That's what the research shows, and it's the best way to protect your baby against diseases and infections and brain health and their future development.
Jen:So, you know, majority of moms really focus on that. The trade off is, right, your hormones stay wonky longer as you're breastfeeding. So I had a naturopath remind me that, hey. It's gonna take literally 2 years, maybe even 3, post, ceasing breastfeeding to get back to your baseline normal hormonal balance and how you feel. Like, well, that's a long time.
Jen:Right? So most people breastfeed for at least a year, so you're talking 3, 4 years after birth when you might feel more like your, quote unquote, normal self. So just keep that in mind. When you're breastfeeding, it's gonna take longer, and that's okay. It's it's meant to be like that.
Jen:And it's just it's just part of part of the journey. Because when you're breastfeeding, like I was telling you off air, like, I was eating around the clock. Like, in order to breast my hunger was so high and my baby was so hungry. You know, I was breastfeeding all the time and eating all the time. And so, of course, I'm not losing weight.
Jen:People say, oh, if you breastfeed, you'll lose weight. Well, not everyone does, depending on a lot of factors. But when you have sleep deprivation coupled with eating around the clock, increasing carbohydrates as well to support that which is necessary, And just those cortisol levels with the stress, you're not gonna lose weight. So for me, it took a lot longer to get back to my prebaby weight, and that's okay. You know, that was not my main focus anyway.
Jen:Like, I had other struggles going on that were taking precedence, but just know that that's gonna be longer and that's okay to give yourself grace and know that will come in time. And if it doesn't come in time, then there's things that you can do and resources to help you get there as well. Mhmm.
Kaitlin:Yeah. I was gonna ask what your nutrition looked like postpartum, kind of how you supported yourself during that time.
Jen:It's all a blur, Caitlin. Honestly, it's all a blur. I just remember eating all this. I was joking. I was like, I remember waking up at, like, 3 in the morning and making myself some frozen waffles because that's all I could do at 3 in the morning, pop in something in the toaster.
Jen:You know? Mhmm. I had an amazing postpartum doula who, for a brief time, helped us, like, overnights. And so she would, like, make me whatever. It's like, what do you want?
Jen:Like, whatever is
Kaitlin:in there. You know, the free
Jen:the freezer. So I'm eating waffles and toast with peanut butter and, oatmeal and whatever you can make at 2, 3 in the morning. Right? Mhmm. So it was all over the place.
Jen:But, of course, during the day, I was eating healthy balanced meals. But, again, you're eating around the clock, so you're eating lots of things just to fuel your body and, be able to help your body produce milk.
Kaitlin:Yeah. Yeah. That's such a good point. It's like if your goal is is to breastfeed, you have to eat enough to support milk supply. You know, if you're trying to diet or restrict or whatever during that time, you're not gonna produce you're not gonna have a good milk supply.
Kaitlin:So it's, you know, thinking about what are your goals and your priorities and your values during this time.
Jen:Right. And this is I mean, I know it's a little bit sensationalized, but there have been cases of, for example, like, vegan women having babies with deficiencies or worse because they weren't eating what they need to eat, and so their babies didn't get what they needed to eat. So, hence, why it's again, the focus is on eating whole foods diet, getting a lot of animal based proteins, and fueling your body with enough carbs because that's just gonna help your milk be productive and also have the right nutrients as well. Enough fat in it as well for your baby. It's lots of fat when they're little.
Jen:And so it's important to make sure you're not restricting as you know, unless they and you have a sensitivity, and that's warranted. Like, you might have a baby with a dairy allergy. So I have friends who had to cut out dairy for the baby, not for themselves, because of the baby's reaction. But aside from that, you gotta make sure you're giving your baby enough nutrients by eating enough.
Kaitlin:Mhmm. Yeah. You kinda mentioned, earlier that you did a lot of walk in and that was kind of your your movement. Did you do any, like, PT or pelvic floor stuff during that time? I'd I got an assessment, and they deemed I didn't need to do that.
Jen:They gave me some basic things at home I could do, but I didn't need to do anything more extensive because I actually again, I had a really wonderful pregnancy and even birth. I had a natural birth. No medications. Nothing. So my body recovered really quickly.
Jen:It was more the mental health part was where my journey was and the focus was of just that part of the survival, but, physically, I actually rebounded pretty quickly when it came to that part. It was more of the other stuff that was the challenge for me. Amazing.
Kaitlin:Were you exercising beforehand and during your pregnancy? Were you strength training? Where what what did that look like that might have set you up for, like, a good pregnancy and, physically feeling well postpartum too or recovering?
Jen:Yeah. So a lot of walking as well. And then there were definitely there's, like, some prenatal yoga kind of stuff that you can do to help with, preparing your your body for birth. And so those were the 2 things I focused on. And remember, I got pregnant, like, right during COVID when the whole world shut down, so I didn't have access to a lot of the things that people would have today before that.
Jen:So I, like, I lost my gym access. You know? And I also was concerned about I mean, no one knew what it was at that point, so I didn't really wanna go out to a gym at that point either or try to work on a mask, which for pregnant women, not a good idea.
Kaitlin:No. No. No.
Jen:For all the reasons. So I was pretty limited when it came to where I exercise. So long walks, going to the beach and walking, you know, outside, and then, some at home prenatal yoga as well. Lots of online things.
Kaitlin:Mhmm. Mhmm. Yeah. It's and I asked that question. I've had a few moms that I've worked with that previous pregnancies, they were just doing, like, a lot of cardio, circuit training, high intensity stuff.
Kaitlin:I got ahold of them, switched to strength training, their strength training prior to and throughout their pregnancy, and it was significantly different than any of their previous pregnancies, which I think is very interesting. You know, the impact on how strength training can make you feel pre, during, post pregnancy and kind of help out with that, how you feel during and recovery postpartum
Jen:as well. Totally. And prior to getting pregnant and prior to COVID happening, I was working out consistently and doing a lot of strength training in that. So that, I think, set me up for pregnancy. It was stuff I did before I was pregnant.
Jen:So my body was in a really good spot when I did get pregnant, and then I could maintain that with the things I could do at that time. But, yes, for sure, I think more strength training. But, again, everyone's pregnancy is different. Some people are, like, on the couch throwing up sick for 6 months. Mhmm.
Jen:So you're just trying to survive that sometimes. Sometimes a walk is all you can do because you're literally so sick. So it's do the best you can. Right? But there's a lot of resources out there to help you as well and to navigate all that.
Kaitlin:Such a good point. And I'll also bring up is getting is trying to be consistent with what you are doing before pregnancy to throughout pregnancy. Like, when you get pregnant is not the time to start, like, an intense exercise regimen that you've never done before because you're afraid of the weight gain or whatever. It you know, that's not the time to do that, because your body's not used to it. So trying to just be consistent with what you're already doing to and not trying to do something out of the norm or intense or phrase you know, something extreme that you're not used to either.
Jen:Especially in the 1st trimester. Right? So Yeah. With IVF. Like, my doctor did not allow me to really lift weights for, like, the first 6 to 8 weeks, I think, maybe even longer.
Jen:I can't recall. But that is also a factor. Right? So depending if you have pregnancy complications, you may not be allowed to lift a certain amount of weight. If things are going on with the baby, that would be of concern.
Jen:So just to your point, a, don't be super intense. It's not a good time to be intense. If you were doing it before, typically, you can do it after, sometimes with modification, and work with providers and doctors to make sure that what you're doing is safe for you and safe for your baby, ultimately.
Kaitlin:Yeah. Yeah. Let's kinda get into the, mental health side of things, that's not talked about a lot. Maybe that people are not prepared for afterwards. The anxiety, the depression, the fluctuation in hormones that goes on.
Kaitlin:Kinda talk us through your experience with that and what you learned and what you can provide for, moms or expecting moms.
Jen:Yeah. It's it's, it's a wild time. Right? There's just so much going on. It's especially if it's your first time having a baby, you're a new mom, and there's just inherent anxiety with that.
Jen:And there's even some common fears that new moms might have, like fear of dropping the baby when they're really little. Like, those are common things now we know is pretty prevalent. And, I'm sure I had some of that too, but, you know, the sleep deprivation is takes such a toll, and it's you think you're prepared for it. People joke like, sleep now because you won't later. But you can't really pre sleep and soon and store up sleep, unfortunately, or else that advice would be golden.
Jen:You can't even throw it up. We just have to be prepared. And the best advice I could give is just have more support than you think you need. Like, you're gonna need more support than you think you need. And if you get more than you, then awesome.
Jen:But most people need more than what they get. So that could be, you know, if you're lucky enough to have family nearby that you get along with, they can help you. Even that means they help during the day for a few hours, you can get an extended nap in. Do that. Do not be afraid to ask for help because that's crucial to help stave off postpartum depression and anxiety.
Jen:Your body is going through so much. But when you have lack of support and lots of sleep deprivation, maybe other things thrown in the mix, it's really, really hard and stressful time for you and your partner. So get as much support. So family, friends, if friends offer to help, take them up on it. Again, if they're just there to hold your baby for an hour or 2, that's an hour you can go take a shower, which is the goal when you have a newborn.
Jen:You're like, when do I shower? Do I get to shower today? Do I get to brush my teeth today? I don't know. That's the kind of days that are all blur, the 1st few weeks especially.
Jen:If you can afford a postpartum doula, that's amazing. That's something we were able to do for a short amount of time, which we had for longer. That's amazing too. They're basically like a night nurse that comes over and you can have them come overnight. And so this is someone who can do the wake ups and kinda diaper your baby and wake you up if you're breastfeeding or bottle feed your baby if you're bottle feeding at the time.
Jen:For us, I allowed my spouse to get rest the nights that she was able to come over so that he could get catch up a bit and then be on duty the next day to help me. So postpartum doulas are amazing. Making sure you have a lactation consultant if you're breastfeeding, especially if you have breastfeeding issues, which I did. I had supply issues, plus my son had a tongue tie. So it was the breastfeeding journey was it was a lot.
Jen:It's a miracle that we breastfed until, I think, he was, like, a year and a half, and I was so proud of that. But it was like I fought for that every minute. And some people were like, why are you still fighting? Just go give them the bottle. I'm like, I hear you, but I know the benefits and it's important to me, so I'm gonna figure it out.
Jen:And, you know, it was modifications needed, but we figured it out. So lactation consultants are amazing as well. And then, of course, having a good doctor, a naturopath as well to check your hormones, all those people are gonna be part of your team and then, of course, your partner. So my husband was key in me surviving that time, but it was hard on him too. Right?
Jen:Like, I had maternity leave for at least, I think, 4 months, and I went back part time. He had maybe, I think, 5 to 6 weeks, which is great and more than a lot of people have, but then he had to go back to a full time job and then come home and help me and then not sleep. So it's hard on both folks, both mom and dad. It's really hard on them, the stay at home parent and the working parent. So those are things to consider.
Jen:And And then, again, like I said, when you throw in things like feeding issues, supply issues, you know, your hair is falling out a little bit because of the hormones. Yeah. You know, again, your muscles are kind of wonky too, so you might be recovering that way. And just not having time, like, it's a psychological shift to go from having all this time to yourself, if it's your first baby, to having zero time for yourself and taking care of this completely dependent little human that you're completely in love with, but also that you're, like, barely surviving the process because there's just so much on your plate and so many anxieties that moms have to navigate. You have to make all these decisions.
Jen:Right? Like, out of the gate, you, like, gave birth or, like, good luck. You have to before that too, you're picking the car seat. You're picking the stroller. You're picking all the things.
Jen:And then you take your baby home. You have to like, okay. I have to find a pediatrician that aligns with my values and I have to pick this and I have to make these decisions about this. It's a lot.
Kaitlin:Yeah. Yeah. How did you navigate that, that anxiety? What tools did you use, support that you had? How'd you get through that time?
Kaitlin:Well,
Jen:I wish I would have reached out to a therapist sooner. I don't have an excuse because I'm a therapist myself. But my excuse is, I was so exhausted and tapped out. I was going through so many appointments already because my son had feeding issues. So any spare time in the day was focused on that, and I did meet with, like, lactation consultants and the acupuncturist.
Jen:So I did have some support, but would have been helpful to have a therapist? Yes. If I could figure it out when to do that. But that was part of the problem is, like, when to do that and who's gonna watch the baby while I'm doing that. But that'd be great to do.
Jen:So just getting getting support like that, talking to people, talking to other moms, finding support groups for that as well, that would be really helpful. Yeah. Did you
Kaitlin:go through any, postpartum depression? Did things
Jen:It was more anxiety for me. Anxiety? Anxiety. Yeah. Yeah.
Jen:Again, when you have a baby who's, like, not who wants to eat, so they're hungry, and you can't feed them because of their feeding issues, because of their tongue, and then your supply. That's the most anxiety you're ever gonna feel as a mom. It's like your baby who's basically underfed, and you're like, I can't figure out how to feed you. Right? So for me, it was mostly anxiety and, like, concern about my baby.
Jen:And then for me, sleep deprivation always creates anxiety. For me, that's my go to thing. Yep. Some people lean towards depression. I lean towards anxiety, particularly when I'm not sleeping.
Jen:So that's what was really high. It's just a lot of stress and worries and concerns and worries for him and future and all of that. So he had feeding issues, and he had some other medical stuff more around 6 to 8 months of age too. So we just had a lot to navigate more than the typical newborn would.
Kaitlin:Mhmm. Mhmm. Yeah. And lack of sleep always magnifies our, yeah, that feeling of anxiety or your ability to handle stress, to cope, to stay regulated. It certainly impacts all of those things.
Kaitlin:Right. What I know, postpartum depression is common for a lot of people. A lot of people experience that. Do you have any experience with that, working with other people, or knowledge on that that you can speak on
Jen:a little bit? I honestly didn't do too much of that, at that time. Now I've done more of it, and partly it was because I was going through so much with my infertility. I was not at that place where I could work with other moms. You know?
Jen:It's just emotionally was too much for me. So I didn't do a lot of that work. However, right, classically, depression includes, like, tearfulness in on an extreme end can be even having suicidal thoughts. There's an extreme form of postpartum depression where there's psychosis involved. It's very rare, but it can happen.
Jen:Right. So just a lot of hopelessness, sadness, low mood, anhedonia, lack of interest, all those things are part of depression. It can happen postpartum. And then anxiety too is more classical anxiety, a lot of worry, general sense of dread, irritability, restlessness, heart rate, even maybe some panic. So it looks different for everyone, but it's more of just the idea of depression, anxiety in the classical sense and then package all that together with postpartum issues during that time.
Jen:And that's my understanding, but I'm not an expert in that area. Mhmm. Do you
Kaitlin:have suggestions for people who might be experiencing the depression side of things? Because that can feel scary, or maybe you have some guilt or resentment there. Like, how can people kind of navigate that?
Jen:Yeah. I would say, number 1, you know, see a therapist. And then also, number 2, try to get to someone holistic because I would argue that's not the norm. Right? It's not what we would hope for, and I don't think it's typical.
Jen:If it's happening, there could be something hormonally happening too aside from psychologically. Right? So it could be you have psychological things happening because of stressors with your postpartum journey and experience and factors in that. But, also, you might have a different level of hormonal imbalance than other people, might. And then my understanding is too is if you have depression anxiety prior to getting pregnant, you're more likely to have postpartum anxiety depression post.
Jen:Yep. So that's something to consider and be on alert for is if you already have that propensity to have depression or anxiety. So therapy and get a holistic provider if you can. And, of course, if needed, there are integrated psychiatrists who know how
Kaitlin:to get you on medication that's safe for you and baby if that's what you end up needing to do. How much do doctors address that side at, like, postpartum appointments? Do they ask about your mental health? Do they address that at all, or is it more about physical health, health of baby, and that's kind of it. I
Jen:so I don't know of across the board, but my experience was that when you do a checkup and, usually, I think it's like a 4 to 6 week checkup after you have your baby, somewhere in there. Could be wrong on that. You do a postpartum depression screening. And if you pop on that, then you'll probably get resources and referral to a therapist or other provider. If you don't pop on that, that's kind of your last checkup with them.
Jen:It's really on you to follow-up with some sort of care for yourself. Mhmm. Mhmm.
Kaitlin:Good. So they're screening for it. Good. How long did it take before you felt, should I say, normal? I just felt like yourself.
Kaitlin:Yeah.
Jen:Like yourself again? I would say things definitely got better around 6 months. And then I feel like I remember feeling closest closer to myself around a year postpartum. And then like I told you before, when I stopped breastfeeding at a year and a half, I felt even better. And then, you know, now I'm, what, 4 and a half years postpartum.
Jen:So I feel completely like myself. Right? Like, where I'm like, oh, I can't believe I had a baby. No. That's awesome.
Jen:Yeah. So it was a process. It was a very gradual process of some things coming into alignment. 4 months got better on 6 months. You know?
Jen:My weight got closer to my typical around a year. And then from there, like, your hair, you know, your hair comes back, all those things. Like so you do give back to that. You just have to be patient, and it might take longer depending on your journey.
Kaitlin:Yes. Yeah. And that I'm glad you gave that timeline because that just goes to show that it is a process and how long it does actually take. And, you know, if you're getting caught up in these people that are showing postpartum bodies or doing these things, you know, 2 weeks after or whatever. You know, the thing is that they're not most of them aren't talking about the the challenges that they're experiencing either or they're that they're feeling.
Kaitlin:So it's like you might see these things, but you don't know what's going on, underneath or behind closed doors either. So that's so important to remember, but it just highlights the process, how long it really does take, you know, so don't don't rush it, and just really staying focused on your body, your journey, your experience, and how you're feeling.
Jen:Right. Exactly. And, you know, looking back, I wish I would have just known of the resources that were available to me. Again, I was so focused because I was going through infertility, so focused on getting pregnant. And I was elated once I was.
Jen:I'm like, I'm in the clear now. It's all good from here.
Kaitlin:Yeah.
Jen:And I wish I would have had more preparation in the postpartum. And I read I did all read the books. I did the classes. I did all of those things. A lot of those are just prepping you for what to typically expect.
Jen:I was not prepared for when things go wrong, what to do, and what resources are there. So I just wanna encourage you if that's you or if you're pregnant or thinking of getting pregnant, just know that there are resources and people and specialists to help you with things like low supply. So if you go through infertility, I learned this, after the fact or you have a thyroid history thyroid dysfunction history, you are more likely to have milk supply issues. So be prepared for that. So now, if I had a second baby, I would, for example, already have some stored up donor milk.
Jen:I would try to find a local mom. There's online groups for that, by the way, which I didn't know about till I needed it. But there's these amazing donor groups where you can have a local mom donate breast milk. If you aren't able to or don't want to, formula feed your baby. So I would have that ready to go.
Jen:So I would never have to even deal with the anxiety of my baby's hungry and I can't feed my baby. So I'm lactation resources, lactation specialists, and and, again, have, like, a naturopath. So I, you know, I know so much more. I know what to look for, but just know that there's all those resources out there. And if you feel like there's something wrong with your body or your baby, your intuition's probably right, and you should push for that to figure it out what it is.
Jen:So, like, with feeding issues, like, my son's tongue tie wasn't diagnosed right away. And had it been correctly diagnosed, it would have saved me a lot of stress and him a lot of stress for those 1st few weeks until we figured it out and got it treated. And that was the the journey after that. So, you know, just trust your intuition if something's wrong and off and be that squeaky wheel and say, like, nope. Something's wrong.
Jen:I wanna figure it out. It doesn't hurt to get a consultation and figure it out, for yourself or for your child. Mhmm.
Kaitlin:Yeah. Such a great point. I know we talked a
Jen:lot about,
Kaitlin:like, the challenges, maybe the downsides, but I'm sure it's been such a joy too. Right? It's all
Jen:all worth it. It it is. It totally is all worth it. And, again, everyone's journey is different. So I have some friends who had a really, really hard pregnancy and a really easy postpartum experience.
Jen:Sometimes it was the reverse. Sometimes both were easy. Both were hard. I had the easy pregnancy, the enviable pregnancy, and then I had the really hard postpartum. But end of the day, it all typically equals out.
Jen:Right? Granted some people will have medically fragile children or or issues that go beyond the postpartum period. So that's unique. But aside from that, you know, they'll start to equalize after, like, a year or 2. And I personally and just enjoy it so much more after getting out of my postpartum period because I was just in survival mode, and now I can really enjoy being a mom and enjoy my son and, you know, all the wonderful things that come with that.
Jen:But when you've gone through infertility, you know, it's, it's yeah. I don't wanna say, like, you appreciate even more because I think every mom adores their baby and appreciates their baby. But when you go through infertility, I'd like to believe there's even this extra level because you never thought it would happen, and now you have your miracle baby with you. So it's this extra level of gratitude and blessing that I think some of us feel with that.
Kaitlin:Yeah. Amazing. Well, thanks for sharing your, postpartum journey, your expertise, experiences on that. You know, today, we kinda covered focusing on your your body and your experience and not comparing, being patient, having support, asking questions, taking care of your your mental and emotional health during that time too.
Jen:So need workout help and support, reach out to Caitlin. She will help you. She will help you out in a safe way for the mamas out there.
Kaitlin:Of course. Yes. Yeah. Thanks for joining us, this week, and we'll see you next week. Bye, guys.
Jen:Thanks for joining us on the Counter Culture Health podcast. To support this show, please rate, review, and share with your friends and family. If you wanna be reminded of new episodes, click the subscribe button on your preferred podcast player. You can find me, Jen, at awaken.holistic.healthand@awakeningholistichealth.com.
Kaitlin:And me, caitlin@caitlinreed wellness and caitlinreed wellness dot com. The content of the show is for educational and informational purposes only. As always, talk to your doctor and health team. See you next time.