Adulting, Grief & Loss, Natural Childbirth, Parenting, Postpartum, PregnancyLeave a comment

The Birth of Postpartum

May 8, 2019May 8, 2019 Dr. Sunita Iyer ND, LM

Hey y’all, I recently spoke on a podcast with my fantastic colleague Dr. Adam Rinde about postpartum care, stories, and how people’s lives have changed mine. And maybe how we can get better as a healthcare system, providers, and community in the way that we care for postpartum people. He has written this really incredible piece on postpartum depression and hormonal influences, linked here: https://www.soundintegrative.com/post/is-postpartum-depression-an-estrogen-receptor-issue The way to get to our episode on his podcast, One Thing, is linked in the article (you can access via Apple or Android). Take a listen and tell me what you think! Apple listeners: … Continue reading The Birth of Postpartum

Adulting, Grief & Loss, Musing, Parenting, Pediatrics, Postpartum, PregnancyLeave a comment

The Birth of Grief

April 23, 2019April 22, 2019 Dr. Sunita Iyer ND, LM

A new mom and her baby had come in for their first well-child visit and her son was just 3 days old. Mom was tired and overwhelmed as many new parents are. She was sitting by the window, changing her son’s diaper and just watching him, and she sighed a long, heavy sigh. And just gazed at her son quietly as he wiggled around. There was no slow smile or beaming pride. Just deep sadness. What clinical guidelines, healthcare, and social convention tell us is that she was exhibiting signs of postpartum depression. While that may also have been true, … Continue reading The Birth of Grief

Adulting, Grief & Loss, Natural Childbirth, Parenting, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Self Care, UncategorizedLeave a comment

What kind of loss is harder?

February 4, 2019February 5, 2019 Dr. Sunita Iyer ND, LM

If you have been following along for a little while, you know that one of the things I have been ruminating and writing about is loss. We all know it in some way. And we will certainly know more. To live is to love, and also to lose. It’s not uncommon for us to ‘rank’ loss. Which kind of loss is worse, changes us more deeply, is more worthy of grieving, or warrants talking about at all. Is the loss of an aging parent worthy of years of sadness? Can you be devastated by the way divorce changes your life? … Continue reading What kind of loss is harder?

Adulting, Breastfeeding, Musing, Natural Childbirth, Parenting, Pediatrics, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Self CareLeave a comment

Why Does My Brain Feel Like it is Leaking?

September 18, 2018December 20, 2018 Dr. Sunita Iyer ND, LM

An interesting article was published this past Summer on the very real, little-discussed changes that occur in the brain of a pregnant, postpartum, and/or caregiving person. There are a number of rapid and monumental changes that happen to the portion of our brains that control social-emotional processes or the “ability to atttribute emotions and mental states to other people- key to raising a human.” “The more brain change the mothers experienced, the higher they scored on measures of emotional attachment to their babies, a finding that echoed past studies. And the changes in most brain regions remained two years later.” Whoa. Two years?! … Continue reading Why Does My Brain Feel Like it is Leaking?

Natural Childbirth, Postpartum, PregnancyLeave a comment

Midwifing the Midwife

May 24, 2015July 9, 2015 Dr. Sunita Iyer ND, LM

It goes without saying that there are dozens of people who make it possible for midwives to be there for families. And it’s not just being able to pick up where we leave off. It’s continuing to be on even … Continue reading Midwifing the Midwife

Breastfeeding, Natural Childbirth, Nutrition, Parenting, Pediatrics, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Sexual Health, Women's HealthLeave a comment

Postpartum ‘Must Haves’ That Have Nothing To Do With Buying Stuff

February 5, 2015May 29, 2015 Dr. Sunita Iyer ND, LM

I would love to replace the typical birth registry of items that all new parents “need”. Instead, I want new parents to receive a different kind of checklist. A checklist that would include ways to prepare for parenthood and postpartum that could actually help prevent postpartum depression, isolation, and suffering. And yes, hand-me-downs would still be incredibly helpful! I have no doubt that baby swings and swaddle blankets have saved sanity and have probably saved lives. But if we are really concerned about healthy families and getting off to a good start, why don’t we talk more about what families … Continue reading Postpartum ‘Must Haves’ That Have Nothing To Do With Buying Stuff

Adulting, Breastfeeding, Musing, Natural Childbirth, Parenting, Pediatrics, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Self Care1 Comment

Birth and rebirth

January 30, 2015December 20, 2018 Dr. Sunita Iyer ND, LM

This week my son turned 4 years old. It seems like he has been here for a minute and at the same time that I have known him my entire life. Of course this has me thinking about my pregnancy, what I was doing when I went into labor, my labor, my labor, my labor (that’s one ‘labor’ for each day), his birth, our first night all snuggled into bed together, and those postpartum weeks. I have to say- it was glorious. It wasn’t glorious because I ‘did everything right’. It was glorious because I was just able to be. … Continue reading Birth and rebirth

Immune Health, Pediatrics, Pregnancy, VaccinationsLeave a comment