Background: This poster presentation will: * Explore how pregnancy and postpartum are landmines for triggering/relapsing into eating disorders, mood disorders and body image dis-satisfaction * Identify how pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood affect the brain * Share techniques (such as mindfulness and momfulness practices) that help heal and nurture moms during this liminal time * Provide a list of body positive resources (websites, books, podcasts) for mothers and mothers-to-be
Objectives: Following this presentation, participants will be able to: 1) Identify how pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood affect the brain 2) Explain why pregnancy and postpartum are landmines for triggering/relapsing into eating disorders, mood disorders and body image dis-satisfaction 3) Utilize techniques (such as mindfulness and momfulness practices) that help heal and nurture moms during this liminal time 4) Provide a list of body positive resources (websites, books, meditations) for mothers and mothers-to-be
1. PowerPoint Slideshow (50 minutes)(Objectives #1 and 2)
This slideshow will explore:
-How the brain is changed during pregnancy and postpartum,
-Triggers for the relapse into or development of an eating disorder during the perinatal period (hormonal sensitivity, mood fluctuations, body and body image changes, sleep changes, identity and relationship changes, food cravings, tempermental predisposition toward attempted “Supermom-hood”)
-Women's experiences of body image during the perinatal period
-How the popularity of “losing the baby weight” points a lack of cultural context for the rite of passage for entering motherhood
-What can help heal body image and mood challenges during the perinatal period
2. Experiential Guided Meditation, Journaling and Sharing (20 minutes)(Objective #3)
In this guided meditation, participants will explore a time when they had difficulty being a “good mother” to themselves and their bodies. They will be asked to find a compassionate voice in which to talk to/be with themselves. Participants will use writing, guided imagery, and somatic (compassionately touching their hearts or stomachs) to find an inner source of compassion. There will be a few minutes to share their experience (optional) with a partner and the group. The goal of this meditation is to invoke an experience of self-compassion for participants that they can then take to their work (implicitly or explicitly) with clients.
3) Mindfulness and Body Positive Resources (12 minutes) (Objective #4)
In this part of the presentation, a slideshow, video clip, and handouts will show inspirational resources to share with clients. Body Positive Projects that show how a mother’s body- in all her shapes and sizes and stories- can be celebrated will be introduced. A list of body positive resources (websites, books, guided meditations) for mothers and mothers-to-be will be provided for clinicians and to share with their clients.
4) Question and answer (8 minutes)
In this presentation, we will look at:
-How a woman’s brain is affected during pregnancy and postpartum
-Factors that can contribute to the development of or relapse into an eating disorder during the perinatal period
-How mindfulness practice can be incorporated into recovery and motherhood
-How clinicians can provide a source of support for new moms in a culture that actively shames and devalues a mother’s body
-How the principles and practice of self-compassion can help with body image distress that is often experienced in pregnancy and postpartum
-Resources that are challenging the cultural belief that “getting your pre-baby body back” is the answer to the complex rite of passage called motherhood
Dr Linda has worked in residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and now outpatient levels of care treating eating disorders for the past 19 years. She is licensed Clinical Psychologist and licensed soulcollage(R) facilitator. Her doctoral research focused on re-image-ing the body using expressive arts. She has presented at IADEP, IETA (International Expressive Therapy Association), APTED (Association of Professionals Treating Eating Disorders), and PSI (Postpartum Support International) conferences. After having a baby and getting trained in perinatal mood disorder treatment, she began specializing in treating perinatal mood disorders, body image difficulties, and disordered eating during pregnancy and postpartum. She the is author of The Recovery Mama Guide to Eating Disorder Recovery in Pregnancy and Postpartum (Jessica Kingsley Publishers,February, 2019).
