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When you don't feel like yourself after the baby

Care for new mothers who feel flat, numb, irritable or frightened after birth, from home by telehealth or at the Minot office.

Book a Free 15-Minute Consult

Words You Might Use

I love the baby, but I feel far away from everything.
I snap at the people I care about, and I hate it.
People ask how I'm doing, and I just say fine.
I keep waiting to feel like me again.

Whatever words you use, and whenever it started, how you are feeling deserves attention.

A mother gently holds a sleeping infant beside a bright window.

When You Feel Unlike Yourself

Having a baby changes a great deal at once: your body, your sleep, your days and the way you see yourself. Even so, feeling flat, numb, short-tempered or frightened much of the time is not something you simply have to put up with.

It may start in the first days at home, or months later, once the visitors have gone and everyone assumes you have settled in. Whenever it begins, it deserves attention. Perinatal mental health is my primary specialty, and you can bring all of it here, including the parts that feel hard to admit.

What It Can Feel Like

There is no single picture of this, so we look at how it shows up for you.

Flat or Numb

Moving through the day on autopilot, feeling distant from the baby or from yourself, or finding that things you used to enjoy no longer reach you.

Short on Patience

Irritability that catches you off guard, snapping at the people closest to you, and then feeling guilty about it afterward.

Frightened or on Edge

A sense of dread, a fear that something bad is about to happen, or worry about the baby that won't settle even when everything checks out.

Running on Empty

Feeling drained in a way a nap doesn't touch, with your own meals, rest and healing sliding to the bottom of the list.

Starting Care From Home

Telehealth lets you begin without packing up the baby, and the Minot office is there if you would rather come in.

A mother walks with a baby stroller along a leafy sidewalk.

1
Free 15-Minute Consult
A brief phone conversation, at no cost, to tell me what has felt off and ask whatever you want to know.
2
Initial Evaluation
60 to 90 minutes by telehealth in North Dakota or Iowa, or in person in Minot. We talk about the birth, how you have been since and what you want care to look like.
3
Follow-Up Sessions
30 to 45 minutes to check in on how you are feeling, what has shifted and whether the plan still fits your days.

What We Work On Together

I can't promise when you will feel like yourself again, and I won't guess. What I can offer is careful attention to what is going on, a plan you help shape, and appointments where the questions are about you, not only the baby.

Your brain health and overall wellness matter in this season too, even when everything else seems to come first. Taking your own feelings seriously is not selfish, and asking for help does not mean you are failing at any of this.

Fees in Brief

There is no charge for the 15-minute phone consult. The initial evaluation is $300, and follow-up sessions are $125 each.

Fees and payment

Consult: $0; 15 min
Evaluation: $300; 60 to 90 min
Follow-up: $125; 30 to 45 min

Questions From New Mothers

What if this started months after the birth?

It still deserves attention. There is no deadline for asking for help after a baby, and reaching out later is just as welcome.

Can I do the evaluation from home?

Yes. Telehealth is available in North Dakota and Iowa, so you can be seen at home. If you would rather come to the Minot office with the baby, just ask, and evening appointments are available on request.

What if I have thoughts of harming myself or the baby?

Call or text 988 or call 911 right now. You deserve help immediately, and this site is not an emergency service.

Postpartum Depression and Anxiety

When life after birth does not feel the way you expected.

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Unwanted Thoughts After Birth

Frightening thoughts after birth, talked through without judgment.

Early light across a quiet nursery with tall windows looking onto open prairie, a crib nearby.

Perinatal Telehealth in North Dakota

Pregnancy and postpartum care by telehealth, from home anywhere in North Dakota.

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You can ask for help, whenever it started

Book a free 15-minute phone consult and tell me how you have honestly been doing.