Postpartum Resources
Perinatal Mood disorders
If You Are In Crisis
Local Police: 911
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255 (Se habla Español.)
Crisis Text Line, Text 741741: Provides free consultations with trained crisis counselors.
Chesterfield County Mental Health 24 hour crisis line: (804) 748-6356
Goochland County Mental Health 24 hour crisis line (804) 556-3716
Hanover County Mental Health 24 hour crisis line (804) 365-4200
Henrico County Mental Health 24 hour crisis line (804)727-8484 (Se habla Español.)
Powhatan County Mental Health 24 hour crisis line (804) 598-2697
Richmond Behavioral Health Authority 24 hour crisis line: (804) 819-4100 (Se habla Español.)
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders Support
2020 Mom: Closing gaps in maternal mental health care through education, advocacy, and collaboration.
"Chat With an Expert," 1-800-944-8766, Participant Code is 73162: Postpartum Support International hosts free weekly live phone sessions, including Wednesday chats for moms. Click on the link for chat times and monthly schedules.
Cypress Counseling: Postpartum Depression Counseling, McKenzie Cassad, LCSW
Healing Circle Counseling with Linda Zaffram, LCSW
Mind Body Pregnancy: Simplifies the scientific information available on topics of mental health in the postpartum period.
National Coalition for Maternal Mental Health: Raising awareness and advocating for change in policies and practices to ensure all mothers receive the help they need so they and their families can thrive.
Postpartum Progress: A blog dedicated to maternal mental illness offering in-depth information, support and hope for all pregnant and new moms who have postpartum depression and all other mental illnesses related to pregnancy and childbirth, including postpartum anxiety, postpartum OCD, depression or anxiety during pregnancy, post-adoption depression, postpartum PTSD, bipolar, peripartum onset/postpartum bipolar, depression after miscarriage or perinatal loss and postpartum psychosis.
Postpartum Support International, 1-800-944-4773 (Se habla Español.): This organization provides direct peer support, trains professionals, and provides a bridge to connect them.
Postpartum Support VA, (703) 829-7152 : Helps new and expectant mothers and their families overcome anxiety and depression.
Symptoms of Postpartum Depression and Anxiety
The Online Postpartum Mood Disorder Support Group: An online support group for women, as well as their families and friends, who are experiencing mood disorders after giving birth or adopting a baby.
Therapists, Psychiatrists, and Virtual Therapists specializing in PPD/PPA/other PMADS in Central Virginia (Richmond and Charlottesville): These providers have been screened by Postpartum Support Virginia to ensure they have knowledge and experience helping women recover from PMADs.
VCU Department of Psychiatry, (804) 828-2000, Press option 2 for outpatient appointments.: Provides mental health services for women suffering from postpartum depression and anxiety.
WellNest Counseling and Services with Lauren Collins, LCSW
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder caused by Traumatic Childbirth
PATTCh: Prevention and Treatment of Traumatic Childbirth
Solace for Mothers: Providing and creating support for women who have experienced childbirth as traumatic.
The Birth Trauma Association: Helping people traumatized by childbirth.
Resources for Fathers/Partners
"Chat With an Expert," 1-800-944-8766, Participant Code is 73162: Postpartum Support International hosts free weekly live phone sessions, including chats for dads, on the first Monday of each month. Click on the link for chat times and monthly schedules.
Postpartum Dads: Helping families overcome postpartum depression.
Postpartum Men: Helping men beat the baby blues and overcome depression.
Postpartum Support International: A free call-in forum for dads to get information and support on postpartum depression.
Other Postpartum Resources
Babywearing
Babywearing International: Promoting babywearing as a universally accepted practice, with benefits for both child and caregiver, through education and support.
Babywearing International of Central VA: Babywearing International chapter for those in the Richmond, VA/Central VA area. They provide free babywearing educational meetings and classes.
Car Seat Safety
Car Seat Checklist for Parents, Safe Kids Worldwide
Car Seat Checkups and More Events, Safe Kids Worldwide
Car Seat Recommendations, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Car Seat Safety Checkup, McRae Brittingham, Certified Technician
Car Seat Safety Tips, Safe Kids Worldwide
Car Seat Tips, Safe Kids Worldwide
Common Car Seat Mistakes, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Find a Child Passenger Safety Technician HERE.
The Ultimate Car Seat Safety Guide, Safe Kids Worldwide
Cesarean Section Support
ICAN-International Cesarean Awareness Network: A nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve maternal-child health by preventing unnecessary cesareans through education, providing support for cesarean recovery, and promoting Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC).
MyBirth Cesarean & VBAC Support Group: This support group is wonderful! It was instrumental in helping me process and recover from my own cesarean.
Couples Support
Partners to Parents: This organization teaches you simple strategies to strengthen your relationship with your partner when you become parents.
Feeding your baby: Breastfeeding and more
Baby Led Weaning: Support for Baby Led Weaning (in the British context of the word) which means letting your child feed themselves from the very start of starting solid foods.
Baby Led Weaning for Beginners Facebook group
Breastfeeding Information from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Guidelines and informations, support, FAQs, and more
Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding by Kids Health: This publication contains information on the benefits of breastfeeding, the pros and cons of bottle-feeding, instructions on how to breastfeed or bottle-feed your baby, as well as answers to common breastfeeding questions.
Feeding Your Newborn by Kids Health: How you feed your newborn is the first nutrition decision you will make for your child. These guidelines on breastfeeding and bottle feeding can help you make the decision that's right for you and your baby.
Find a Lactation Consultant HERE.
Joy Funston with Joyful Start: An amazing lactation consultant who is an expert in the assessment and care of babies with Ankyloglossia (tongue tie). She offers home visits as an option.
Kelly Mom Parenting and Breastfeeding: Developed to provide evidence-based information on breastfeeding and parenting. The mother who created it is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
Lactation Clinic at VCU: Dr. Gulati is one of the best Certified Lactation Consultants in Richmond.
Lactation Cookies by Alyson Mancini, (804) 357-4272
La Leche League Group: Richmond, Breastfeeding support groups
La Leche League International: Helping mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information, and education, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother.
RVA Breastfeeds: The goal of this group is to reduce childhood obesity, particularly among low income African American and Hispanic populations, through the promotion of breastfeeding in the Richmond Metro Area.
United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC): An independent nonprofit coalition of more than 50 nationally influential professional, educational, and governmental organizations that share a common mission to drive collaborative efforts for policy and practices that create a landscape of breastfeeding support across the United States.
What's in Breast Milk? by American Pregnancy Association: Proteins, fats, and vitamins are some of the substances that make up breast milk. This publication describes the composition of breast milk.
World Alliance For Breastfeeding Action: Protects, promotes, and supports breastfeeding worldwide.
Help at Home
Me! I am a postpartum doula!
Kristen Ziegler of Minima, Home organizing
The Urban Baby Beginnings Program, (804) 519-5526: Provides home support and postpartum resources to families in the under served communities. Accepts Medicaid.
Meal Planning
Take Them a Meal: Simplifying meal coordination so friends and family can show they care. I highly recommend having a friend or family member set up a meal calendar for every other day for at least the first six weeks postpartum so that you can focus on your new baby and your recovery.
Meal Train: Another meal calendar service so family and friends can help new parents by providing meals.
Support Suppers: Support Suppers is a complete meal delivery service in Richmond designed to give people a way to gift meals to friends, family, and neighbors.
Medications while Breastfeeding
Infant Risk Center: Dedicated to promoting research, education and public service pertaining to medication safety for mothers.
Mother to Baby: Dedicated to providing evidence-based information to mothers, health care professionals, and the general public about medications while breastfeeding.
Needs Based Care
Early Childhood Development Initiative: Ensuring that Richmond's children ages 0-5 are born healthy, well cared for, and enter school ready to learn.
Newborn Care
Happiest Baby on the Block: Learn the 5 S's for soothing a crying baby.
Healthy Children by the American Academy of Pediatrics: Find answers to questions about bathing, feeding, sleep, milestones, and more.
The Period PURPLE Crying: Helps parents understand, rather than become frustrated, that baby's crying is a temporary, normal part of every infant's development.
Newborn PhotographY
Denise Feagans Photography: NEWBORN PHOTO SPECIAL-$25 off a full newborn session if you mention this website or my name. Denise is our family photographer. She took newborn photos of both of our girls. We highly recommend her!
Dorota Jastrzebska, Dragonfly Family Services
Pediatricians
Dr. Tull and most of the pediatricians at The Pediatric Center
RVA Baby: Dr. Janet West’s goal is to provide holistic, top-quality newborn medical care to families in the safety and comfort of home.
Postpartum Yoga
MyBirth Postnatal & Baby Yoga at MyBirth in Scott’s Addition
Sleep
American Academy of Pediatrics: AAP announces new safe sleep recommendations to protect against SIDS and sleep related infant deaths (2016).
Carly Ely of The Goodnight Guide, Pediatric Sleep Consultant
Little Z’s Sleep Consulting: Ready to make sleep a thing, but don’t know where to start? Let’s make sleep a thing!
Moms On Call: Equipping parents with trusted resources and practical guidance to navigate their child’s first four years with confidence, clarity, and better sleep.
Precious Little Sleep: Baby sleep for modern parents.
Sweet Sleep—Nighttime and naptime strategies for the breastfeeding family.
Taking Cara Babies: Online sleep classes and resources for newborn to two-year-olds.
The Ferber vs Weissbluth CIO Smackdown: Once your baby is old enough, this is a great sleep training blog post that gives easy to follow, concise information to help you make a choice between advice from two well known sleep gurus.
Women’s Health Physical Therapy
Bon Secours Physical Therapy Pregnancy and Postpartum Rehab at Watkins Centre
Women’s Health Physical Therapy and Men’s Pelvic Health, Casey Smith, PT, DPT, CSCS
Book Recommendations
A Deeper Shade of Blue: A Woman's Guide to Recognizing and Treating Depression in Her Childbearing Years by Ruta Nonacs
A Mother's Climb Out of Darkness: A Story about Overcoming Postpartum Psychosis by Jennifer Moyer
Back in Six Weeks: A Novel by Sharon Gerdes
Beyond the Blues: A Guide to Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum Depression by Shoshana S. Bennett and Pec Indman
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Perinatal Distress by Amy Wenzel and Karen Kleiman
Delivery From Darkness: A Jewish Guide to Prevention and Treatment of Postpartum Depression by Baruch Finkelstein
Depression in New Mothers: Causes, Consequences, And Treatment Alternatives by Kathleen A. Kendall-Tackett
Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression by Brooke Shields
Dropping the Baby and Other Scary Thoughts: Breaking the Cycle of Unwanted Thoughts in Motherhood by Karen Kleiman and Amy Wenzel
The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother by Heng Ou, Amely Greeven, and Marisa Belger
Eyes Without Sparkle: A Journey Through Postnatal Illness by Elaine A. Hanzak
Happy Endings, New Beginnings: Navigating Postpartum Disorders by Susan Benjamin Feingold
Life Will Never Be The Same: The Real Mom's Postpartum Survival Guide by Ann L. Dunnewold and Diane G. Sanford
Maternity Leave: A New Mother's Guide to the First Six Weeks Postpartum by Cheryl Zauderer
Mommy Deconstructed: A Postpartum Depression and Anxiety Recovery Guide by Christina L. Vanneste
Moods in Motion: A Coloring and Healing Book for Postpartum Moms by Karen Kleiman
Mothering the New Mother: Women's Feelings & Needs After Childbirth: A Support and Resource Guide by Sally Placksin
Nobody Told Me: My Battle with Postpartum Depression and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder by Wendy Isnardi
Non-Pharmacologic Treatments for Depression in New Mothers by Kathleen Kendall-Tacket, PhD, IBCLC
One Mom's Journey to Motherhood: Infertility, Childbirth Complications, and Postpartum Depression, Oh My! by Ivy Shih Leung
Perinatal and Postpartum Mood Disorders: Perspectives and Treatment Guide for the Health Care Practitioner by Susan Dowd Stone and Alexis E. Menken, Editors
Postnatal Depression-The Essential Guide by Catherine Burrows
Postpartum Depression and Anxiety: A Self-Help Guide for Mothers by Pacific Post Partum Support Society
Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders: A Clinician's Guide by Cheryl Tatano Beck and Jeanne Watson Driscoll
Postpartum Mood Disorders: A Guide for Medical, Mental Health, and Other Support Providers by Kimberly Zittel
Supermom: A Postpartum Anxiety Survival Story by Stacey Ackerman
The Ghost in the House: Motherhood, Raising Children, and Struggling with Depression by Tracy Thompson
The Journey to Parenthood: Myths, Reality and What Really Matters by Diana Lynn Barnes and Leigh Balber
The Mother-to-Mother Postpartum Depression Support Book: Real Stories from Women Who Lived Through It and Recovered by Sandra Poulin
The Postpartum Husband: Practical Solutions for Living with Postpartum Depression by Karen Kleiman
The Pregnancy and Postpartum Anxiety Workbook: Practical Skills to Help You Overcome Anxiety, Worry, Panic Attacks, Obsessions, and Compulsions by Pamela Wiegartz and Kevin Gyoerkoe
Therapy and the Postpartum Woman: Notes on Healing Postpartum Depression for Clinicians and the Women Who Seek Their Help by Karen Kleiman
This Isn't What I Expected: Overcoming Postpartum Depression by Karen Kleiman and Valerie Davis Raskin
Tokens of Affection: Reclaiming Your Marriage after Postpartum Depression by Karen Kleiman and Amy Wenzel
Understanding Postpartum Psychosis: A Temporary Madness by Teresa Twomey
What am I Thinking? Having a Baby After Postpartum Depression by Karen Kleinman
When Baby Brings the Blues: Solutions for Postpartum Depression by Ariel Dalfen