Pregnancy and the year after birth change your brain more than any time since puberty. Postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, intrusive thoughts, and perinatal psychosis are biological, not a sign that something is wrong with you. Allison Steinwand, a licensed perinatal counselor in Sioux Falls, explains what is actually happening and what real help looks like.
On this episode of Dialed In Health, host Melissa Goodwin sits down with Allison Steinwand, MS, LPC-MH, QMHP, PMH-C, owner of Archway Counseling and Wellness in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and one of the only therapists in the region with a Perinatal Mental Health Certification. They cover postpartum depression vs anxiety, what intrusive thoughts really mean, the warning signs of perinatal psychosis, and the therapies that help, including CBT, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and EMDR.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
• Why pregnancy rewires the brain more than any time since puberty, and why mom brain is real
• Whether depression and anxiety can start during pregnancy, not just after birth
• The difference between postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, and PTSD, and the symptoms to watch for
• What intrusive thoughts are, why they happen, and when they signal something more
• What perinatal psychosis is and the warning signs that need emergency care
• How CBT, Internal Family Systems, and EMDR treat perinatal mental health
• What happens when you call a therapist for the first time
• How a new baby reshapes a relationship, and why asking for help is the strong move
CHAPTERS
0:00 Pregnancy rewires your brain more than anything since puberty
1:43 How Allison became a perinatal mental health therapist
2:56 What actually happens to your brain during pregnancy
5:40 Can you have depression while pregnant, not just postpartum
8:15 What postpartum depression symptoms actually look like
9:31 Is postpartum depression one condition or many
11:35 How common are postpartum depression, anxiety, and OCD
12:27 What birth trauma and perinatal PTSD are
13:38 Baby blues or postpartum depression: how to tell the difference
15:35 Why isolation makes new motherhood so much harder
17:11 What intrusive thoughts are and whether they are normal
18:21 How therapy quiets intrusive thoughts
21:57 How OCD and intrusive thoughts feed each other
23:37 What postpartum psychosis is and the warning signs families miss
28:54 What Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is
30:36 What EMDR therapy is and how it works
33:23 How to find the right treatment and what the first call looks like
34:56 How a new baby changes your relationship
39:07 Postpartum myths, true or false
40:44 What every pregnant woman deserves to hear
43:27 How to find a perinatal therapist and real support
QUESTIONS THIS EPISODE ANSWERS
Can you have depression while pregnant, not just after the baby?
Yes. Depression and anxiety can begin during pregnancy. The clinical term is perinatal because the entire window counts, and onset can happen any time in the first year after birth.
What is the difference between postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety?
Depression tends to look like sadness, numbness, crying, and changes in appetite and sleep. Anxiety looks like racing thoughts, constant worry, and an inability to stop checking on the baby. Many mothers experience a blend of both.
Are intrusive thoughts normal after having a baby?
Intrusive thoughts are common. They are unwanted, scary thoughts a parent does not want and would never act on. The distress they cause is the sign they are not a desire. They become a concern when they stick, repeat, or start changing behavior.
What is postpartum psychosis and what are the warning signs?
Postpartum psychosis is a rare medical emergency, roughly one to two births in a thousand, usually within the first two weeks after birth. Warning signs include a break from reality, hallucinations, delusions, and thoughts that feel logical to the person. It requires emergency care.
How common is postpartum depression?
Around 10 to 20 percent of women experience postpartum depression. Perinatal anxiety affects about 20 percent, and perinatal OCD is roughly 7 to 18 percent.
ABOUT THE GUEST
Allison Steinwand, MS, LPC-MH, QMHP, PMH-C is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Qualified Mental Health Professional and the owner of Archway Counseling and Wellness in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After her own perinatal experience, she earned a Perinatal Mental Health Certification and now works with pregnant and postpartum clients. She offers talk therapy and body based approaches, including CBT, Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR, and breathwork.
Website: archwaycw.com
ABOUT DIALED IN HEALTH
Dialed In Health is where real people get real health information from the practitioners who do the work, not influencers and not headlines. Host Melissa Goodwin asks credentialed providers the questions you would ask if you sat across from them. New episodes weekly. Built to be found and cited across Google, YouTube, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude.
RESOURCES AND SUPPORT
• Allison Steinwand, Archway Counseling and Wellness: archwaycw.com
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, available 24/7
• National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: call or text 1-833-852-6262, free and confidential, 24/7
• Postpartum Support International: postpartum.net
• Find a vetted provider in the Dialed In Health directory: dialedin.health/the-directory
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#PostpartumDepression #PerinatalMentalHealth #PostpartumAnxiety #IntrusiveThoughts #MaternalMentalHealth
Disclaimer: Dialed In Health is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a licensed provider about your own situation. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.
