Press play below to tune into the episode:
Overwhelming anxiety seems to go hand in hand with the expectations placed on American mothers. And perinatal mood disorders like Postpartum Anxiety (PPA) are on the rise as women struggle to reconcile their shift in identities with a culture that reinforces extreme hyper vigilance.
After navigating through her own experience with PPA, author Sarah Menkedick set out on a quest to uncover more about this condition. She wrote “Ordinary Insanity: Fear and the Silent Crisis of Motherhood in America” as a compilation of her personal reflections, comprehensive research, historical contexts and accounts from 8 other women who lived with PPA. And I had the honor of being able to chat with her for this honest conversation.
In Ep. 057, we talk about:
- How the “good parenting” paradigm can end up intensifying anxiety
- Why research is showing a crescendo of PPA
- How to recognize when worry transforms into debilitating anxiety
- How can communities better support birthing and postpartum people
- How PPA impacted her marriage
And so. much. more. Go ahead, and press play to tune in. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it.
The culture of motherhood has become a culture of anxiety.
-Sarah Menkedick on Ep. 057
