Prepartum Healthcare Can Impact Postpartum Mood Disorders by Jessica Zucker, Ph.D.

Perinatal mood disorders have been called the most common complication associated with childbirth. Mood struggles during the postpartum period run rampant but are consistently quieted by our culture's focus on the overly idealized "glowing" new mother. Though many women gracefully transition into mothering, many others feel they are riding an emotional, hormonal, and physiological roller coaster- with no seat belt and no way to control the speed. With the glaring statistic of 15-20 % of mothers developing postpartum depression (not to mention all of the other perinatal mood disorders), it seems imperative that this public health crisis be addressed systematically and globally.

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The Building Blocks of Connection, Part 2 by Jessica Zucker, Ph.D.

Dr. Zucker is a psychotherapist in Los Angeles specializing in women’s health with a focus on transitions in motherhood, perinatal and postpartum mood disorders, and early parent-child attachment and bonding. In part 2 of The Building Blocks of Connection she answers these questions: Q: How do the earliest moments between infant and caregiver impact future relationships? Q: How can I prepare to become a parent who offers my children a different experience than I had growing up? Q: Some of my friends have shared that they felt emotionally "weird" for a while after becoming a mother. I worry that if I feel overwhelmed, my baby won't securely attach to me. Will my emotions impact my newborn?

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The Building Blocks of Connection, Part 1 by Jessica Zucker, Ph.D.

Connection is created, navigated, broken, and repaired almost daily from the moment we are born. At the heart of being alive lies the vitality of being connected to others -- feeling that what we do matters. What's more is that we rely on being deeply understood by those around us in order to thrive. But how do we learn about healthy connection? What does it look like to build strong ties with others? Where do we learn about relating with people and the world more broadly? If connecting is so central to happiness, why does it seem so challenging to create deep bonds that last?

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Connecting With Baby Before Birth by Jessica Zucker, Ph.D.

Ubiquitous prenatal gadgets tempt expecting mothers at every turn as the market is saturated with ever-changing options for mommy, daddy, and baby. But underneath it all, we are simply striving toward a common desire to fulfill the ideals of mothering and to connect with our babies.

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