Free Downloads Understanding Your Moods When You're Expecting: Emotions, Mental Health, And Happiness -- Before, During, And After Pregnancy
A nationally recognized expert on women's reproductive mental health offers the first book to reveal the full range of emotional experience for pregnant womenLucy Puryear is a practicing psychiatrist and a pioneering expert in women's emotional health before, during, and after pregnancy. Through engaging personal stories reflecting her own practice, she illuminates the little-discussed feelings that are virtually universal for pregnant women. She shows just how normal it is to fear loss of control, to mourn what you assume is an irretrievable career, or to worry that you'll be the world's worst mother. She explains exactly what is happening to your hormonal system -- and why knowledge is power when it comes to the overwhelming hormonal floods that accompany pregnancy and the postpartum period.Understanding Your Moods When You're Expecting includes reassuring expert advice on:how to make a birthing plan for emotional well-beinghow and why to get essential restreal-life bonding with your babyreducing the risk of postpartum depressioneating disorders and OCDhow to make decisions about necessary medications during pregnancyThis book is as essential to a woman's emotional health during pregnancy as What to Expect When You're Expecting is to her physical health.
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1 edition (June 13, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0618341072
ISBN-13: 978-0618341078
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #311,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #11 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Postpartum Depression #572 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Women's Health > Pregnancy & Childbirth #912 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Women's Health > General
Well-written, easy to read and very human. This is a vital read for anyone who suffered from depression before pregnancy (even if you were "cured"); as well as women who are looking for a post-partum resource that deals with how she actually *feels*, as opposed to an extended tome on diaper changing, breast pads and burping, which are ten-a-penny.Also, a great read for dads-to-be and new dads, who are wondering who took their wife and replaced her with this sad lady?Instead of buying another book on the merits of "wearing" your baby or the horrors of disposable diapers, which you flip through in your "mommy" pajamas (with flaps) whilst hiding in the closet, crying, at 3am, (been there); get this book and start getting well.
This book is eloquently written and so honest - thank you, Dr. Puryear! Also, thank you for encouraging us moms to realize that being a "good enough" mother is an achievable, reasonable, rational, and realistic goal. This notion offers women the freedom to be themselves and the fulfillment that comes from loving others from a place of authenticity.Dr. Puryear is well-known in Houston as a psychiatrist in private practice and a faculty member at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Puryear served as an expert witness in both of Andrea Yates' trials here in Houston and is a powerful advocate for women and the need to recognize and appropriately treat and manage women's mental health issues.This book is for every woman who will, who is and who has experienced pregnancy and/or motherhood. It's focus is on the "normal" fluctuations in emotion and mood that many women experience during and after pregnancy and differentiating such changes from mood disorders (depression, anxiety, psychosis) that need professional treatment.Dr. Puryear weaves in some her personal experiences of motherhood and acknowledges the fact that for too long we women and society at large have put unnecessary and undue pressure upon women to be "perfect" in so many ways - including motherhood. The author encourages us women to shift our focus to a new goal - to striving to do the best we can with what we know and what we have daily to best serve ourselves, our families, and society at large. She gives us permission to be "good enough" mothers and to be honest, vulnerable, strong and forgiving of ourselves.Thank you, Dr. Puryear, for sharing yourself, your stories, your expertise, and stories of others that are easy to understand and relate to as women and mothers.
This is a good book that seems like it needed to be written. For me, there was too much narrative and introduction relative to the meat of information or research. Some might like that about the book, though. I also would have liked to see more information about the third trimester-- that chapter seemed almost entirely focused on the last couple weeks to the delivery. There is this vast, gaping, and emotional space of time between the start of the first trimester and that final week or so. Finally, if possible, it would have been good to see what women can do if they do not have a supportive OB who will call up a psychiatrist who specializes in the area of prenatal care-- virtually all the stories of women in this book were there because those women's OBs called up the author and said something like "I think my patient needs psychiatric help." A lot of us don't have that. What do we do?This book is far from useless, but it did not serve me all that much.
There are so many books out there about what you may feel physically during pregnancy and postpartum. I believe this is the first that helps pregnant women gauge what's common emotionally. As a therapist who works with pregnant and postpartum women, I am thrilled to see this book! I have already recommended it to several clients who are having a rough time emotionally.Dr. Puryear has written a concise guide to the spectrum of mood changes that are common for pregnant women to have, starting with the very beginning of pregnancy. I know this book will be very reassuring for many families, and I am grateful to be able to offer it as a resources to my clients.
This book has helped me feel more at ease about the scary thought of becoming a parent. There are stories I can relate to in every chapter and knowing that someone else has had the same crazy thoughts and fears has given me a little bit more comfort, knowing I'm not alone or wrong. This book helps me assess my fears and move past them so I can become a better mother in my near future.
As a mental health practitioner, I find this book valuable to recommend to my clients.
Understanding Your Moods When You're Expecting: Emotions, Mental Health, and Happiness -- Before, During, and After Pregnancy Drugs During Pregnancy and Lactation, Second Edition: Treatment Options and Risk Assessment (Schaefer, Drugs During Pregnancy and Lactation) Pregnancy Week by Week: Guide to Healthy Pregnancy of What to Expect When Expecting for First Time Moms Pregnancy Blues: What Every Woman Needs to Know about Depression During Pregnancy Eat This, Not That When You're Expecting: The Doctor-Recommended Plan for Baby and You! Your Complete Guide to the Very Best Foods for Every Stage of Pregnancy Your Emotions, Yourself: A Guide to Your Changing Emotions (Your Body, Your Self Book) How to Exercise When You're Expecting: For the 9 Months of Pregnancy and the 5 Months It Takes to Get Your Best Body Ba ck The Study Abroad Truth: You Might Just Discover Yourself, What You Need to Know Before, During, and After Your Journey! 2nd Edition Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong--and What You Really Need to Know When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads: Proven Guidelines for a Healthy Multiple Pregnancy, 3rd Edition Healing Emotions: Conversations with the Dalai Lama on Mindfulness, Emotions, and Health Expecting 411: The Insider's Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth Your Pregnancy Week by Week, 8th Edition (Your Pregnancy Series) Here's the Plan.: Your Practical, Tactical Guide to Advancing Your Career During Pregnancy and Parenthood Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts: Seven Questions to Ask Before -- and After -- You Marry Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts Workbook for Men Updated: Seven Questions to Ask Before---and After---You Marry Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts Workbook for Women Updated: Seven Questions to Ask Before---and After---You Marry What to Expect Before You're Expecting Deliver Me From Negative Emotions: Controlling Negative Emotions and Finding Peace In The Midst of Storms (Negative Self Talk Book 2) The Natural Pregnancy Book, Third Edition: Your Complete Guide to a Safe, Organic Pregnancy and Childbirth with Herbs, Nutrition, and Other Holistic Choices
