In this episode I got to chat with Janessa Reimer, who is a new mom who experienced postpartum depression. She felt alone in her experience until she began to open up on her blog about what she was going through, and in doing so, she found a community of other moms and realized she wasn’t alone. From there, she went on to form her own postpartum support group, so other new parents also wouldn’t feel so alone. She so generously offered to share her story and her journey with us, and I am so excited to share this episode with you.
In this episode we talk about:
- Janessa’s experience with postpartum depression
- Her blog and support group
- Having chronic migraines during pregnancy
- Her birth story
- Feeling shame about not bonding with her baby right away
- When she realized she was experiencing postpartum depression
- How powerful it was to open up on her blog and hear that other people also were going through similar things
- Being our own full human beings outside of parenthood
- Not enjoying every age and stage – and that’s ok!
- Reaching out for help from her doctor and a counsellor
- The decision to take medications
- Her breastfeeding journey and the decision to switch to formula
- The importance of self care
- Parenting a baby through Covid-19 isolation and a 14 day quarantine all on her own
- Postpartum rage
- Using mindfulness and meditation as a tool
- Training to become a postpartum and infant care doula
- Starting her postpartum support group and going back to in-person meetings very soon
- The inequities in access to services in rural communitieshttp://
Resources:
- Janessa’s Website and Facebook Page
