EPISODE 83 | THE POWER OF SELF COACHING | Postpartum Depression with Liz Langston

Dealing with Postpartum Depression

Are you a new mom struggling to keep up? Do you feel like taking care of your child is way more work than you anticipated leaving you constantly overwhelmed? Or are you finding yourself in a constant emotional funk, while telling yourself you should feel happy? You could be suffering from postpartum depression.

Many women suffer from postpartum depression, and even more go undiagnosed with postpartum anxiety. The magnitude of the depression and/or anxiety can vary from one woman to the other. Some women suffer from severe postpartum depression including suicidal ideation, while others have a mild version constantly feeling like something just isn’t right.

When you are stuck in the thick of negative postpartum takedown, it can feel like it’s going to last forever. The good news is, it doesn’t have to, and there is a way out.

In today’s episode, we are honored to have Liz Langston join us. Liz is a postpartum coach and a postpartum depression survivor. She shares with us how she made it out of the depression and how she realized her mission to lift up other moms that are suffering like she did.

Listen in, learn, and get inspired.



Key Talking Points:

  • Liz’s postpartum experience

  • How Liz became a coach

  • Understanding the ladder model

  • Dealing with negative emotions

  • What causes postpartum depression?

  • Chinese medicine for depression

  • Believing in something bigger than yourself

  • The 50-50 rule

  • Can depression be inherited?

  • How the mind communicates with the body

Key Milestones of the Episode:

(04:02): Getting to know Liz

(06:01): How Liz fought and got out of depression

(08:51): How Liz became a coach

(12:19): Understanding the model… What Liz calls a ladder

(20:35): Dealing with negative emotions

(22:27): Emotional adulthood

(23:51): Emotional vomit

(26:18): What causes postpartum depression?

(31:38): Chinese medicine view on depression

(34:11): Believing in something bigger than yourself

(38:58): The 50/50 rule

(43:13): Can depression be inherited?

(45:12): How your mind communicates with the body

If you think you or someone you know are affected here are the key points to understand how and when to get help with a professional and what the difference is between the baby blues and PPD.

Signs and Symptoms of PPD can include any of the following and last for 2 weeks to 12 months.

Postpartum Depression Onset & Frequency of Occurrence

In the US, estimates of new mothers identified with PPD each year vary by state from 8% to 20%, with an overall average of 11.5%. 11

Expert opinions vary as to the timing of the onset of PPD. For example, symptoms of PPD can begin:

• During pregnancy or following childbirth up to 4 weeks Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) definition2

• During pregnancy or following childbirth up to 12 months The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) definition8

• Without treatment, symptoms may persist for months or up to a year.9

Symptoms include

EMOTIONAL • Feeling sad, hopeless, empty, or overwhelmed • Crying more often than usual or for no apparent reason • Feeling worried or overly anxious • Moodiness, restlessness, or irritability • Anger or rage • Persistent doubt about your ability to care for your baby • Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby

PHYSICAL • Physical aches and pains • Changes in appetite • Lack of sleep or oversleeping • Difficulty concentrating

BEHAVIORAL• Loss of interest in things that are usually enjoyable • Avoiding friends and family • Having trouble bonding or forming an emotional attachment with your baby

The Baby Blues Onset & Frequency of Occurrence

Generally peaks within the first few days post delivery and resolves without treatment within 2 weeks. 3,7

Estimated to affect 80% of mothers. 3,12

Symptoms include 3,12

• Sadness • Frequent crying • Anxiety • Mood swings • Irritability • Insomnia • Anger • Fatigue

IF YOU ARE WORRIED YOU ARE EXPERIENCING PPD OR THAT YOU WILL VISIT https://www.postpartumdepression.com/ TO MAKE A PLAN AND GATHER TIPS ON HOW TO SPEAK TO YOUR PROVIDER WITHOUT BEING DISMISSED.

IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING SUICIDAL THOUGHTS CLICK HERE TO FIND THE HOTLINE THAT BEST FITS YOUR SITUATION https://afsp.org/find-support/im-having-thoughts-of-suicide/

Key Quotes from the Episode:

“It’s always an option for us to open ourselves up to whatever the universe has to offer us.”

“As we take more responsibility, we have more power.”

“Your thoughts precisely create your exact experience of whatever circumstance you are facing right now.”

“The most profound thing about the model is that it truly can solve any problem for any human being.”

“The more decisions you have to make in a day, the less willpower you have as the day goes on.”

“Your feeling will create your actions.”

“We have the ability with our human brain to attribute thoughts to a circumstance and, therefore, feel something.”

“One of my gifts is just being able to do it in a way that’s not heavy, and it’s not draining, and it’s not shaming.”

Connect with Liz Langston:

Instagram

Website

Listen to her podcast: The Postpartum Coach Podcast

Related Episodes on Coaching

https://www.ladypotions.com/fmradio/2019/11/19/episode-82-the-1-tool-to-stay-sane-while-ttc

https://www.ladypotions.com/fmradio/2019/3/24/episode-48-how-to-manage-your-fertility-thoughts

https://www.ladypotions.com/fmradio/2019/6/2/episode-52-mindful-moment-creating-certainty-when-you-are-anything-but?rq=certainty

References: 1. FAQ091 Labor, Delivery, and Postpartum Care. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol. 2013:1-3. 2. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association Publishing; 2013. 3. Earls MF; Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health American Academy of Pediatrics. Incorporating recognition and management of perinatal and postpartum depression into pediatric practice. Pediatrics. 2010;126(5):1032-1039. 4. Prevalence of Self-Reported Postpartum Depressive Symptoms–17 States, 2004-2005. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwR/ preview/mmwrhtml/mm5714a1.htm. Accessed November 2, 2017. 5. Robertson E, Celasun N, Stewart DE. Risk factors for postpartum depression. In: Stewart DE, Robertson E, Dennis CL, Grace SL, Wallington T. Postpartum Depression: Literature Review of Risk Factors and Interventions. Toronto, Canada: University Health Network Women’s Health Program; 2003. 6. Depression Among Women. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. https://www.cdc. gov/reproductivehealth/depression/index.htm. Accessed May 3, 2018. 7. Postpartum Depression Facts. National Institute of Mental Health website. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/ postpartum-depression-facts/index.shtml. Accessed July 12, 2018. 8. Screening for Perinatal Depression. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 757. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol. 2018;132:e208-212. 9. Vliegen N, Casalin S, Luyten P. The course of postpartum depression: a review of longitudinal studies. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2014;22(1):1-22. 10. Moses-Kolko EL, Roth EK. Antepartum and postpartum depression: healthy mom, healthy baby. J Am Med Womens Assoc. 2004;59(3):181-191. 11. Ko JY, Rockhill KM, Tong VT, Morrow B, Farr SL. Trends in postpartum depressive symptoms—27 states, 2004, 2008, and 2012. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017;66(6):153-158. 12. As reviewed in Thurgood S, Avery DM, Williamson L. Postpartum depression (PPD). Am J Clin Med. 2009;6(2):17-22. 13. Abramowitz JS, Meltzer-Brody S, Leserman J, et al. Obsessional thoughts and compulsive behaviors in a sample of women with postpartum mood symptoms. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2010;13(6):523-530



BONUS CONTENT | INTRODUCING MOTHERHOOD SESSIONS from Gimlet with Dr. Alexandra Sacks

Confronting Your Parents After Motherhood

If you have listened to the show with any repetition you have probably heard me talk about how motherhood can drastically change your sense of self and that for some we struggle with this mandatory transition of moving from a maiden archetype into a mother type as we seek to conceive and build a family.

It’s a complex topic, but one that is so important because it’s real.

It’s necessary and it’s going to happen whether you like it or not as you step into motherhood.

It happened to me and I didn’t even birth my kids. I jumped straight into the deep end with four stepsons and was totally unprepared for how it would change me as a person. It changed the way I viewed my parents, my childhood and the world at large. And while it was such a good thing because an immense amount of growth came out of it, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a little jarring and uncomfortable at times. This is part of why this show sticks it’s toe into the pond of what to expect with pregnancy, birth, and motherhood, not just infertility.  I want you to be as prepared as possible and to be able to find answers and support you need when the time comes. 

I’m also a huge proponent of lifting up other women business owners and podcasts. Today I want to introduce you to a new podcast from Gimlet Media I think you will love that addresses this the concept of the archetypal shifts that happen as you become a parent and it’s called Motherhood Sessions. On Motherhood Sessions, the host who we haven’t had on Fertile Minds YET, psychiatrist Dr. Alexandra Sacks, works with women who are struggling with the massive life and identity shifts that accompany motherhood. In this extended trailer, you’ll hear from Julia, a Korean-American woman who’s grappling with some identity issues after being raised by a white family and not having much connection to her Asian culture until she had her first biological child.

Keep listening to hear a special trailer of Motherhood Sessions, which follows this message. Note that Motherhood Sessions covers sensitive topics and includes some profanity so pop in your earbuds when you are out in public listening or around little ears. We hope this honest, compelling conversation resonates with you, and if you love what you hear, you can listen to Motherhood Sessions on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts. Fertile Minds will be back with a regular full length episode on Sunday!

P.S. If you or someone you know is experiencing depression or anxiety during pregnancy, or in the postpartum period, contact Postpartum Support International at (800) 944-4773. If you or a family member are worried about safety, get help right away by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or dialing 911.