Maternal Mental Health with Erika

I'm your host, Laura.

Today we are talking about motherhood, an experience that continues to evolve, and the ways it can impact mental health for women at every stage in this journey.

We are welcomed by Erika, who some of you may remember from earlier in the season.

Erika, you wanna tell us a little bit more about the work that you do?

Yeah, absolutely, and thanks for having me back, Laura.

I appreciate it.

Of course.

Um, I am director of counseling and family support services at a local nonpro- profit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and I oversee a lot of different counseling related services.

But a focus of mine has been expanding our reproductive mental health services, counseling that can, um, be done while trying to conceive, during pregnancy, and postpartum.

And from my own experience as well, the importance of having services for those going through in- going through infertility, those figuring out how to become a mother, and, you know, the various methods to do that, and, um, kind of supporting through that entire journey.

I, I believe there's such an importance in maternal mental health, and being able to have a counseling program with a specialty in that area has been, um, very exciting for me.

It's important through all lenses, right, as you're going through infertility, fertility, pregnancy, postpartum.