Postpartum Care Treatment & Evaluation in Austin and Surrounding Areas
Those first weeks can feel like living with the volume stuck on high: sleep is thin, every sound from the bassinet spikes your heart rate, and your mind runs constant safety drills—Is she breathing? Did I do that right? What if I miss something? You love your baby and still feel waves of panic, sadness, or rage you didn’t recognize before. Maybe you hide the scary “what-if” thoughts because they don’t match the mom you expected to be. Maybe you smile in photos while thinking, Why don’t I feel like myself?
Here’s the part most people never say out loud: postpartum stress, anxiety, and depression aren’t character flaws—they’re real, common, and incredibly isolating when you’re trying to “push through.” They can blur your memory, steal your sleep, make you second-guess every decision, and shrink your world to feeding, soothing, and worrying. If this is you, you’re not broken and you’re not alone.
My role is simple: listen without judgment, take your experience seriously, and help you get back to you. If you’re ready for steadier days, clearer thinking, and more moments that actually feel like joy, reach out—I’m here.
Understanding Postpartum Care
Plain-English definition: Postpartum care is the comprehensive support a new parent receives after childbirth, addressing physical recovery, emotional adjustment, and mental health.
How it often appears: While some parents transition smoothly, others experience significant mood changes, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, or difficulty bonding with their baby. These experiences are common — but often under-discussed.
Common symptoms and examples:
Persistent sadness or irritability
Anxiety or panic attacks
Difficulty sleeping even when the baby sleeps
Overwhelm or loss of interest in usual activities
Trouble bonding with the baby
Intrusive or distressing thoughts
Why it’s often missed or misunderstood: Many parents assume postpartum struggles are “just hormones” or that they should “tough it out.” The truth is, untreated postpartum mental health concerns can linger and affect both you and your baby — but they’re highly treatable.
My Diagnostic Process
Comprehensive intake — reviewing medical history, birth experience, current symptoms, and support systems.
Evidence-based assessments — screening for postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, or trauma responses.
Differential diagnosis — distinguishing between normal adjustment and clinical conditions needing intervention.
Personalized plan — not just a label — creating a strategy that considers your lifestyle, values, and parenting demands.
Treatment Tailored to You
Therapy focused on emotional regulation, coping strategies, and strengthening parent-child bonding.
Medication management when symptoms significantly interfere with daily life and functioning.
Lifestyle strategies to improve sleep, nutrition, and stress balance.
Partner and family guidance to strengthen support networks.
Why My Practice is Different
Most online information about postpartum care focuses only on the physical side or gives generic mental health advice. I combine medical expertise with practical strategies that you can apply immediately, so you:
Understand what’s happening in your mind and body
Learn tools to manage emotional swings and anxiety
Feel supported in rebuilding your confidence as a parent
Actionable Steps You Can Take Today — Postpartum Care
1) Do “postpartum triage” daily: sleep • food • fluids
Prioritize 3 non-negotiables: at least 5–6 hours total sleep (in chunks), protein + fiber with each meal/snack, and a full water bottle every feeding.
Put these three at the top of your to-do list. Everything else is optional.
2) Build a two-shift sleep plan (protects mood)
Night shift (Partner A): first half of the night (e.g., 9:30p–2a).
Night shift (Partner B): second half (e.g., 2a–7a).
If solo: cluster feeds in the evening, then one protected 3-hour block with help from a friend/family member or safe bassinet time.
3) Choose an overnight feeding strategy (reduce wake chaos)
Pick one for this week:
A) Nurse on demand, quick diaper, back to sleep.
B) Nurse/pump once, then one bottle handled by partner so you get a 3-hour stretch.
C) Bottle at first wake, nurse next wake.
Reassess weekly based on baby’s growth cues and your energy.
4) Visitor policy = energy policy
Script: “We’d love 45 minutes, no holding during nap windows, and help with a task (dishes, folding, trash). Photos only if we’re up for it today.”
Put a sign on the door during sleep blocks: “Newborn sleeping—please text; we’ll reply when we’re up.”
5) Create a “help menu” people can choose from
Examples: load dishwasher, fold baby laundry, prep snack box, hold baby while I shower, vacuum one room, run a grocery pickup.
Put it on the fridge. When someone asks, “What do you need?” point to the list.
6) Five-minute mood check (once a day)
Ask yourself: Sleep? Nourishment? Support?
Quick self-ratings 0–10 for sadness, irritability, anxiety, pleasure. If any hits 7+ for more than a few days, widen support.
7) Normalize intrusive thoughts (and know the red flags)
Many new parents get sudden “what-if” images (dropping baby, germs, doors unlocked). This is common and not a character flaw.
Do: label “intrusive thought,” breathe, return to the moment.
Don’t: spiral into repeated checking/reassurance rituals.
Urgent help now if you have belief in harmful thoughts, hearing/seeing things others don’t, or feel detached from reality.
8) “3 things that make today easier” rule
Each morning, pick only three: nap, shower, walk outside, one load of laundry, text a friend, order groceries, watch something light.
Everything else is a bonus.
9) Movement that heals (2–10 minutes counts)
Gentle breath–to–core: inhale wide into ribs/diaphragm, exhale and lift pelvic floor lightly.
Add a 5–10 minute walk or stroller lap in daylight. Pace is irrelevant; sunlight supports sleep.
10) Protect your core/pelvic floor early
Roll to your side to get out of bed; exhale on effort (lifting carrier, standing).
If you notice heaviness, leakage, or bulging, scale back and consider a pelvic floor PT evaluation when ready.
11) Make the house “newborn-proof,” not spotless
Staging baskets: diapers/wipes in each main room, burp cloths, nipple balm, snacks, water.
Lower the bar on tidiness; raise the bar on ease.
12) Frictionless feeding setup
A night caddy: water, high-protein snack, burp cloth, charger, dim red/amber light.
A comfy chair checklist: footrest, pillow behind low back, reachable table for everything.
13) Skin-to-skin & oxytocin boosts
Daily 10–20 minutes of skin-to-skin (you or partner) calms both of you, steadies heart rate, and may help milk let-down.
Add cues your body loves: warm shower, soft music, slow breathing (inhale 4, exhale 6).
14) Social media boundaries
Curate ruthlessly: mute accounts that spike guilt/fear.
Compare less, cuddle more. Your baby needs you, not a performance.
15) Fast meals that actually help mood
One-hand foods: yogurt + granola, cheese + apple, hummus + carrots, egg bites, smoothie packs.
Batch hack: sheet-pan protein + pre-washed greens + microwavable grains.
16) The “one square” house rule
Pick one small area to keep tidy (nightstand, coffee table). It gives a daily sense of control without endless cleaning.
17) Relationship micro-repairs
3 daily deposits: appreciation (“Thank you for the bottle at 2 a.m.”), gentle touch, 60-second check-in: “What would help most today?”
If conflict flares while sleep-deprived: time out, revisit after a nap/meal.
18) Pain, bleeding, fever: don’t white-knuckle it
Any fever, foul-smelling discharge, severe pain, heavy bleeding, or worsening incision symptoms needs medical evaluation. You deserve comfort and safety.
19) Create a postpartum appointments list
Pediatrician visits, your OB/midwife follow-ups, lactation support, pelvic floor PT, and mental health check-ins.
Put dates in a shared calendar. Transportation + childcare planned before the day arrives.
20) Return-to-work (or school) runway
Draft now: pumping schedule or flexible hours, childcare backups, commute dry run, first week back = light load.
Pack a “re-entry kit”: snacks, water, spare top, soothing photo.
21) Night anxiety reset (if thoughts race at 2 a.m.)
Keep a tiny notepad bedside. Write one line: “Worry → tomorrow 10:30 a.m.”
Pair with box breathing: 4-4-4-4 (inhale/hold/exhale/hold), repeat for 1–2 minutes.
22) Postpartum blues vs. depression/anxiety
Blues: tearful, irritable, overwhelmed, usually peak days 3–5 and improve by week 2.
PPD/PPA: lasts beyond two weeks or is intense—persistent sadness, panic, rage, hopelessness, loss of interest, trouble sleeping even when baby sleeps. That’s a health issue, not a failure; it’s treatable.
23) Build your “bench” (no lone-wolfing)
Identify 3 people you can text for: practical help, emotional support, a laugh.
Save contacts for local/new-parent groups and crisis resources in your phone.
24) Safety first, always
If you ever have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, treat it as an emergency. In the U.S., call or text 988 for immediate support, or use emergency services. You’re not alone, and help is available 24/7.
25) End-of-day two-minute debrief
Ask: What went well? What was hard? What will make tomorrow 5% easier?
Set out the first feeding/diaper station before bed. Small preparation = big morning relief.
Postpartum Care Often Comes with Company
Postpartum challenges often occur alongside anxiety disorders, depression, birth trauma, or relationship strain. Treating postpartum concerns effectively means addressing the full picture, not just one part.
Serving Austin and Beyond
I provide postpartum care for clients in:
Austin, Barton Creek, Bastrop, Bee Cave, Bertram, Blanco, Briarcliff, Brushy Creek, Buda, Burnet, Cedar Park, Circle C, Creedmoor, Dripping Springs, Elgin, Florence, Georgetown, Granger, Great Hills, Hays, Hutto, Jarrell, Johnson City, Jonestown, Jollyville, Kyle, Lago Vista, Lakeway, Leander, Liberty Hill, Lockhart, Luling, Manor, Marble Falls, Martindale, Meadowlakes, Mountain City, Mustang Ridge, New Braunfels, Niederwald, Pflugerville, Point Venture, River Place, Rollingwood, Round Rock, San Marcos, Smithville, Steiner Ranch, Sunset Valley, Taylor, The Domain, The Hills, Thrall, Volente, Webberville, Weir, West Lake Hills, Wimberley, Woodcreek, Zilker, and throughout all of Texas!