The Postpartum Stress Center

09/05/2025

RAGE during the postpartum period can manifest as part of depression, or panic or a host of other symptomatic expressions. A mom can feel out of control and terrified that she might inadvertently do something to hurt her baby. Scary thoughts can bombard as her nervous system continues to spiral.

She might appear enraged and agitated. Or she might appear despairing and inert.

Her words will guide you but it's crucial that you listen to what is not being said.

🌿Let us help you help her.

🌿 Dr Tanya Cotler, one of our most esteemed trainers at The Karen Kleiman Training Center, will be leading our upcoming workshop on Mom Rage—helping clinicians navigate this complex and often misunderstood perinatal symptom.

🌿Save your spot.
www.postpartumstress.com/registration
🌿For perinatal therapists in pursuit of clinical excellence

09/03/2025

🦋Imagine this scenario:
Male partner snores through the night. Mom up with crying, feeding, squirming infant. Dad awakens in the morning, refreshed, and asks incredulously (with a smile), "Honey, did the baby sleep through the night again?!"
Mom rolls her eyes and wonders why she is the only one who can hear the baby.

Sound familiar?

Is it biology? Is it genetics? Gender differences? Is it how we are raised? Or socialized?

🦋Join me and Dr Jodi Pawluski as we explore some of the fascinating evidence-based material that can help uncover a few of the mysteries of motherhood. We will chat together about brain changes that impact how we feel and how we can learn fortify our resilience. We will dig deep into the "differences" (?) between men and women and gain insight into what we really can do to understand this better. We will discuss sleep, nutrition, relationships, and pretty much anything YOU want to discuss, as we bring together holding and science.
As always, our workshops are kept small so they can feel more intimate and so you can be a part of the dialogue.

🦋Save your spot now. This one promises to be super interesting with an extra dose of giggles thrown in.

🦋Friday October 17, 2025
www.postpartumstress.com/registration

Image from WHAT ABOUT US by Kleiman and McIntyre Familius

09/03/2025

September is National Su***de Prevention Month

Be informed.

Clinician note: The risk of su***de is significantly increased among depressed women during the perinatal period. While su***de deaths and attempts are lower during the postpartum than in the general population of women, when deaths do occur, su***des account for as many as 20 percent of postpartum....

09/02/2025

08/30/2025

08/28/2025

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08/26/2025

The Karen Kleiman Training Center offers trainings to help your medical team and maternal mental health providers in a medical setting, learn The Art of Holding Perinatal Women In Distress. In-Person or Virtual trainings. Email training@postpartumstress.com
www.postpartumstress.com

08/26/2025

“Yes, everything is fine.“

Are you and your partner letting each other know how you really feel? With transparency and gentleness! So you can support each other?

It’s hard.



Illustration from 📕 WHAT ABOUT US by and

08/26/2025

✨Coming soon for perinatal therapists in 𝗡𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗮!✨
and South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming!

‼️For the very first time, we’re taking 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴™ 𝗜𝗻-𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 - west of our Philadelphia home!

🔥Join us for a 6-hour, in-person deep dive into this ground-breaking model of care for perinatal women in distress. Led by Rachel Brabec and joined by our clinical director, Ashlee Adams, LCSW, this special training will enrich your clinical practice and transform how you feel about your clients, your practice and your self.

💜 Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience the Art of Holding™ in person - where learning, connection, and inspiration come together.

👉 Seats are limited - secure your spot today!
www.postpartumstress.com/registration

08/25/2025

🪄 Enhance your clinical experience.

🌿 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝟏𝟐 𝐡𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 *𝐈𝐍-𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍* 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟒-𝟐𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐬𝐲𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐚
with Karen Kleiman and Ashlee Adams
𝟏 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞

🌿𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝟑 𝐡𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 *𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥* 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝟏𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞
with Jessica Flint

🌿𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝟔 𝐡𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 *𝐈𝐍-𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍* 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝟏𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
𝐎𝐦𝐚𝐡𝐚, 𝐍𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐚
with Rachel Brabec
𝟑 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞

🌿𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝟏𝟐 𝐡𝐫 *𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥* 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟏𝟑-𝟏𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔
𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞
with Karen Kleiman and Ashlee Adams

𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬.𝐜𝐨𝐦/𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠@𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬.𝐜𝐨𝐦
𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

08/21/2025

🔥Follow up to previous post by Nancy Goh Kelly:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Over 90% of new moms have scary, intrusive thoughts:

What if I drop my baby?
What if I snap and hurt him?
This is hard. I don’t know if I can do this anymore.

Most moms keep these thoughts inside. But silence feeds shame.

📚Enter book #2 for new moms:
Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts by Karen Kleiman, MSW, LCSW

This book says what moms are afraid to admit, then makes it safe to say out loud. It gives:
🌟 Conversation starters for things no one tells you to share
🌟 Scripts for awkward moments (‘I need a break before I lose it’)
🌟 Cartoons that make dark thoughts feel lighter
🌟 Examples that help you ask for what you need–from a partner, family, or OB
🌟 Quick, grounding exercises for when the spiral hits

The first months with baby can catch moms off guard.

This book shifts control back to mom. It’s a grab-and-go guide–ready when you need it most to reset.

Most importantly, it’s a reminder: Intrusive thoughts don’t make you crazy. They don’t mean you’ll act on them. Or that you’re broken.

They’re proof you care.

They’re signals to slow down and ask for help. Because adjusting to the hardest job on earth takes support.

Learn more:
📣 New moms and loved ones: Get (or gift) the book https://lnkd.in/gYP9SbnT
📣 Health systems: Add it to your postpartum discharge packets
📣 Families + providers: Visit the Postpartum Stress Center for care + tools https://lnkd.in/gUHf_Xfy
—-

08/21/2025

An important post from Nancy Goh Kelly a fierce
Maternal Mental Health Advocate:

"A blog I wrote in 2024 is now a top search result for ‘best books for new moms’ (!!) https://lnkd.in/gkduesUE

WHY THIS MATTERS:
When expecting moms (or their people) go looking for guidance, they won’t get swaddling or tummy time tips.

They’ll get books that make MOM feel whole again during one of life’s biggest, most vulnerable shifts.

Here are the 7 books I’d gift to every new mom:
🌟 Expecting Better by Emily Oster
🌟 Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts by Karen Kleiman, MSW, LCSW
🌟 Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy
🌟 How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis
🌟 Real Self Care by Pooja Lakshmin, MD
🌟 Fair Play by Eve Rodsky
🌟 Pay Up by Reshma Saujani

The transition to motherhood is hard.

And these books were game-changers. They helped me turn my anxiety into empowerment, rebuild systems that stuck and brought back joy, and show up more fully.

More importantly, it fired me up to fight for a better experience for the next mom.

Over the next week, I’ll share how each shaped my journey.

So grateful to Motherly® for featuring this piece—and connecting moms with resources they actually need: https://lnkd.in/dBf3qqJa

📣 Finally, new moms are getting the main character energy they deserve."