• About Us
    • FAQs
    • Interview with Dr. Allison Sibley
  • New! Mental Health Consultations
  • Our Services
    • New! Mental Health Consultations
    • Adult Therapy
    • Child Therapies
    • Teen Therapy
    • Couples Counseling and Therapy
    • Family Therapy
    • Group therapy for children
    • Group therapy for teens and adolescents
  • Therapists
    • Allison Sibley, PHD, LICSW, RPT-S
    • Cristina Alba, MSW, LGSW
    • Justin Barrasso, MS, LPC, NCC
    • Danielle Birx-Raybuck, LICSW, LCSW-C
    • Alexander Chan, PhD, LMFT
    • Kristin Drouin, MSW, LCSW, LICSW, APHSW-C
    • Amanda Good, MSW, LICSW, EMDR-C
    • Jules Hartsfeld, LPC, LCAS, CCTP
    • Alexis Herschthal, MSW, LICSW
    • Sarah Jones, LICSW, LCSW-C
    • Meagan Mitchell, MSW, LICSW, MEd
    • Sarah Perrin, MSW, LGSW
    • Michelle Pittman, MSW, LICSW
    • Georgette Saad, MSW, LICSW
    • Rachel Scharf, MSW, LGSW
    • Lori Seifter, Consulting Supervisor
    • Barry Shapiro, MSW, LICSW
    • Laurel Tobias, MSW, LICSW
    • Lottie Walker, MSW, LGSW, CSE
    • Rachel Yutzy, MSS, LICSW
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
    • Hours & Location
    • Payment & Forms
    • Assistant to the Director – Sherri Eichberg
  • Home
  • About Us »
    • FAQs »
    • Interview with Dr. Allison Sibley »
  • New! Mental Health Consultations »
  • Our Services »
    • New! Mental Health Consultations »
    • Adult Therapy »
    • Child Therapies »
    • Teen Therapy »
    • Couples Counseling and Therapy »
    • Family Therapy »
    • Group therapy for children »
    • Group therapy for teens and adolescents »
  • Therapists »
    • Allison Sibley, PHD, LICSW, RPT-S »
    • Cristina Alba, MSW, LGSW »
    • Justin Barrasso, MS, LPC, NCC »
    • Danielle Birx-Raybuck, LICSW, LCSW-C »
    • Alexander Chan, PhD, LMFT »
    • Kristin Drouin, MSW, LCSW, LICSW, APHSW-C »
    • Amanda Good, MSW, LICSW, EMDR-C »
    • Jules Hartsfeld, LPC, LCAS, CCTP »
    • Alexis Herschthal, MSW, LICSW »
    • Sarah Jones, LICSW, LCSW-C »
    • Meagan Mitchell, MSW, LICSW, MEd »
    • Sarah Perrin, MSW, LGSW »
    • Michelle Pittman, MSW, LICSW »
    • Georgette Saad, MSW, LICSW »
    • Rachel Scharf, MSW, LGSW »
    • Lori Seifter, Consulting Supervisor »
    • Barry Shapiro, MSW, LICSW »
    • Laurel Tobias, MSW, LICSW »
    • Lottie Walker, MSW, LGSW, CSE »
    • Rachel Yutzy, MSS, LICSW »
  • Blog »
  • Contact Us »
    • Hours & Location »
    • Payment & Forms »
    • Assistant to the Director – Sherri Eichberg »
  • Home »
 
facebook

Capitol Hill office is now open!

Schedule an appointment at intake@thesibleygroupdc.com
  • Recent Posts

    • The Truth about Therapy
    • Why Validation Matters
    • You’ve Heard of Post-Traumatic Stress… but What About Post-Traumatic Growth?
    • Understanding Childhood Grief in the Holidays 
    • The Parent as the Pathway to Healing
  • Archives

    • March 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
  • Categories

    • ADHD
    • Adult Psychotherapy
    • Anxiety
    • Bethesda Psychotherapist
    • Child Counseling
    • Child therapy
    • Coping Skills
    • Couples Therapy
    • DC Psychotherapist
    • Depression
    • Divorce
    • Family Therapy
    • Mindfulness
    • Parenting
    • Self-care
    • Uncategorized
    • Washington

Surviving (and Thriving!) In Your New Role as a Mother

Posted by Sarah Dougans

 

Becoming a mother is one of the biggest changes that someone will go through in their life. A woman’s brain goes through several neurological changes once she becomes pregnant and then again once her baby is born. According to a review of research on the maternal brain, Dr. Jodi Pawluski found that during pregnancy and postpartum, women’s brains are at their most plastic (meaning they can adapt and reorganize due to experience). Some argue that the amount of change your brain will undergo as you become a mother is akin to the growth of a child’s brain in their first year of life.

 

In my work as a psychotherapist in Washington, DC with women during the perinatal period (meaning pregnancy and the year following the birth of a child), I speak a lot about this transitionary time. I am also a relatively new mother who has undergone this wonderful and massive change to my own identity when I became a mother three years ago and then again, a year ago.

 

As someone who thrives when I can plan and have a classic “A type” personality, parenthood took me by surprise. I had to learn to adapt and adjust my expectations for what I could accomplish in one day. For those of you who like to plan and are newly pregnant, or, for those who have recently become parents, I’m sharing some ways to help you take care of yourself so that you can thrive in your new role as a mother.

 

  •  Accept Support – As a psychotherapist one of the things I always recommend to new or expecting parents is to accept help. Think about who in your life you can approach for help to meet your different needs. Some areas that might be worth thinking about are emotional support (who can you call when you are feeling overwhelmed), professional support (therapists, pediatricians, lactation consultants, OB/GYN, etc.), task support (make you meals, help you do laundry), and baby support (watch your baby for forty-five minutes so you can do something for yourself). Most of the time people want to help!

 

  • Maintain a Healthy Diet – Try to have three healthy, balanced meals a day (I know this is easier said than done for new parents). If people offer to make you meals, accept them! Plan ahead and freeze meals. I ordered healthy meals from Mighty Meals and Springly – who both deliver in the DMV area. Keep healthy proteins around to give you a quick energy boost – such as nuts or hard-boiled eggs. Lastly, keep yourself hydrated!

 

  • Stay Active – Once you have been cleared by your health-care provider, try to exercise for at least fifteen minutes/day. Plan a time that someone can watch your baby. If that’s not possible, try to get outside for a walk with your baby. In fact, getting outside (even in the winter) can be wonderful for your mental health.

 

  • Get Sleep – This is another one of those “Really?! How do I do that with a newborn?” things. The first few weeks can be challenging – put your thinking cap on to try to problem-solve, because sleep is one of the most restorative things for our mental health. It can start with establishing a consistent bedtime routine to signal to your body it is time for sleep – brush your teeth, wash your face, put on your pajamas, turn on your noise machine and try to stop using your phone ~3 hours before bed. If your baby isn’t sleeping in your room, turn their monitor down to the lowest setting so that you aren’t disrupted every time they move around (babies are noisy sleepers!). Or, if they sleep in a bassinet in your room, try and sleep on the other side of the bed so you aren’t woken up every time they move. If you are chest feeding, try and pump one bottle and have your partner, a friend or nighttime doula give your baby one overnight bottle so you can have a chunk of uninterrupted sleep. If you can afford it – even for one or two nights a week – a night nurse can be incredibly helpful.

 

  • Make Time for Yourself – Try and do something for yourself a few times a week. See if someone will watch your baby while you go and get a tea with a friend, get a manicure, or even go to the grocery store or Target. I have spent a blissful hour walking around Target just to have some ‘me time.’

 

  • Practice Breathing/Guided Meditations – Breathing is one of the greatest tools we have within ourselves to decrease our stress levels with just a little practice. 4-count breathing is excellent for this. I always encourage clients to practice breathing when they are not experiencing intense emotions to get the hang of it and then begin to use it in moments of stress. Intentional breathing is slower and deeper down in your stomach.

 

  • Begin by practicing for a couple minutes 3x/day (you can eventually work-up to 10 minutes)
  • Breathe in through your nose for four
  • Hold for one
  • Breathe out through your mouth for four
  • Try different counts (i.e. some people like to breathe in for 3 and out for 3) – see what works best for you
  • Some people find it helpful to place one hand on their tummy and one on their chest (you should feel your stomach moving in and out)
  • That’s it!
  • There are countless guided meditations online or on apps such as insight timer (many for free!).  I love anything by Tara Brach, Kristin Neff, or Jon Kabat Zin.  Body scan meditations are a particular favorite of mine.

 

  • Seek Professional Help – As with any major transition, receiving professional mental health support can be incredibly helpful in adjusting to your new role. If you have been experiencing anxiety or changes in your mood for more than one month, this can be a good sign it is time to get help. 

 

This entry was posted in Coping Skills, DC Psychotherapist, Mindfulness, Parenting, Self-care and tagged motherhood, new baby, self-care for new mothers. Bookmark the permalink.
← Previous Post Next Post →
  • About Us
  • Our Services
  • Hours & Location
  • Payment & Forms
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • No Surprises Act

Allison Sibley & Associates, PLLC • 5039 Connecticut Avenue NW #5 Washington DC 20008
202-237-1196 [office]

Website by MightyLittleWebShop.com. Photos by Karen Elliott Greisdorf and Amanda Good.

©️ Copyright 2023. The Sibley Group. All rights reserved.

 

favicon

New Service Offerings: Mental Health Consultations

TSG is aware of the high level of need for mental health support and treatment for the families in our community and beyond, and an increasingly short supply of available therapists. We are excited to offer new services with immediate daytime availability: Mental Health Consultations. These appointments are a one-time or brief preventive and/or supportive service for individuals and families who are not engaged in therapy at TSG, yet could benefit from consulting with a mental health expert in a variety of ways. Email intake@thesibleygroupdc.com for more information or to schedule a consultation.

Click here for more information on on our new mental health consultation service.