Interview with Sarah Nonnenmacher, Licensed Professional Counselor from Bamboo Nutrition in Columbia, MO
Supporting your mental health can have such an impact on your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Getting support from a Licensed Professional Counselor can make all of the difference. I asked Sarah Nonnenmacher, a Licensed Professional Counselor from Bamboo Nutrition in Columbia, MO some questions. She talks about what to expect during a first visit with her, how to be mindful of making weight recommendations, radical acceptance, and seeking support after birth trauma. Check it out! Here is the link to Bamboo Nutrition’s website.
Me: How can our mental health affect our bodies, especially during pregnancy and postpartum?
Sarah: Our minds and bodies are intricately connected. Physical needs such as sleep, movement, and what we eat can significantly shape our moods, and the reverse is true also: when we are stressed or depressed, our we hold that tension in our physical bodies. Pregnancy and postpartum are times of significant emotional and physical energy expenditure, and sometimes mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, or even high expectations of ourselves as mothers, can make it difficult to ensure we are getting the care and nutrition we need during this vulnerable and wonderful time.
Me: What could clients expect during a first visit with you?
Sarah: They can expect a warm and inviting atmosphere, and to receive non-judgmental and supportive listening as they are invited to share their story about what brings them in. Whether that involves eating concerns, general anxiety, or just overwhelm facing the transition into parenthood, we will take time to review current symptoms or areas of concern, mental health history, as well as strengths and resources that may be untapped. By the end of the first 50-minute session, I like to try to have some concrete goals or a clear picture of what we want out of this process.
Me: How can we bring more awareness to and better support those with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders?
Sarah: Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders too often go unnoticed and unattended to, whether due to high expectations we have for ourselves ("I should be able to handle this,") or lack of education and resources. There needs to be a continued effort to talk about these experiences more openly in order to normalize seeking support.
Me: What's the biggest area of improvement that you see that birth workers (doctors, midwives, doulas, nurses, etc.) can make in supporting those with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders?
Sarah: One important way to support pregnant and postpartum mothers is to be very mindful about those recommendations for weight management. The body is undergoing immense physical change during this season, and this is not the time to restrict calories or double-down on exercise regimes, nor do we need to add guilt or unrealistic weight-management expectations. Unless absolutely medically necessary, keep discussions of weight trends to a minimum. And don't praise postpartum weight-loss (that goes for providers as well as anybody!) We don't necessarily know if that weight-loss came by healthily, and it's important to normalize and affirm that postpartum bodies don't need to be "fixed." I often wonder how perinatal mental health would be different in this country if our culture didn't put such an emphasis on getting that "pre-baby body back."
Me: What's your number one piece of advice for reducing the risk of birth trauma, and then what's your number one piece of advice if birth trauma does happen?
Sarah: My advice would be: keep an open mind and practice rolling with the flow. Radical Acceptance is a mental health skill that involves making space to acknowledge those things that we can't control, in order to more effectively focus on what is in our control or influence. Radical Acceptance and self-compassion have been shown to increase resilience in the face of trauma and protect against further developing mental illness, including depression and ptsd. If trauma does happen: be gentle with yourself. Don't invalidate your traumatic experience just because it was different or "less traumatic" than someone else's. And seek support early. Early interventions can significantly improve mental health outcomes.
Me: How could you support someone through eating disorder recovery while they are also walking through pregnancy and postpartum?
Sarah: Everyone's recovery story is unique. For some, the sense of loss of control and normalcy in pregnancy is profound, which can lead to increased symptoms. For others, it's easier to nourish themselves while pregnant because it's "for the baby," but then relapse in postpartum. When meeting with an eating disorder therapist, we won't just talk about the food, but together we'll explore themes of self-compassion and self-image, control, uncertainty, and self-efficacy. We'll work together to help you be the best version of yourself, so you can be the best mother for your child.