104: Struggling with mental health postpartum? Mamahood community creator Aubrey Grossen tells you why you are not alone.
Episode Description
Today’s guest tackles the brave and taboo subjects of motherhood, not feeling like motherhood came naturally, postpartum mood disorders, and mom-shaming ourselves. Aubrey Grossen is a mama of two who went through severe postpartum depression and sparked her passion to start a facebook group called The Mamahood Community which started out as 39 close friends and family and has now turned into a group of over 36K mamas. She also finds time to host her own podcast entitled The Mamahood Community which is a popular platform for mamas to open up about subjects in motherhood they are struggling with.
Aubrey’s fuel is ignited by helping moms who are in the trenches of maternal mental health (whether OCD, depression, anxiety, rage, or anger) and created a program called Anya which stands for A New You Again, where she helps moms by way of experts in the field, events and retreats. Aubrey bravely admits that she wanted to be a mom her entire life, but when she actually became a mom she “hated it.” She hated the job of it, not her children, and she felt like her world was turned upside-down in many extreme ways. Aubrey admits that holding her baby in her arms was the best feeling she could ever ask for, but when things got tough, she felt “helpless” like she wasn’t up for the task. Aubrey recalls that; “something that was supposed to come so “natural” was the total opposite for (her). She says “My love for my baby was there, I just wasn’t.”
Knowing first hand that stepping into motherhood can be identity shifting, like puzzle pieces scattered on the floor, to say the least, Aubrey connects with her listeners and community through truth, candor and vulnerability. Now she helps other mamas find themselves again and create a NEW YOU
Take-aways:
How motherhood doesn't come naturally to everyone and why that's okay
How stepping into motherhood can be so overwhelming and there is no rule book
Aubrey's struggle with mental health/ depression postpartum
Why we should not overlook our symptoms if we are suffering
Aubrey's experience with invasive thoughts
How her husband helped her on her journey to mental wellness
How her postpartum depression helped start her successful motherhood community
Why we need to reach out if we are suffering
Why Aubrey believes in any modality that will get you to wellness; including medication, therapy, meditation, and self care practices
Why she started ANYA (A New You Again)