199: Personal Experience with Postpartum Depression: Insights about Babies' Language Development

It’s always helpful to hear someone’s personal story because it will resonate with many more people than they might think. My guest today shares her experience with postpartum depression, which was made even more shocking because it occurred several months after the birth of her second child. Join us to hear Emily’s story.

Emily Adler Mosqueda has become a fierce advocate for mothers since experiencing postpartum depression several months after her second daughter was born. It’s different with a second child because a mother receives much less support than with her firstborn. Emily talks about how she realized the signs of her postpartum depression, along with how her profession has been affected. She is a bilingual pediatric speech-language pathologist, Associate Clinical Professor, and Lead Clinical Supervisor at the Young Child Center with the Communication Disorders and Sciences program at the University of Oregon HEDCO Clinic. Emily is the mother of two young daughters who teaches graduate students about parental mental health factors as they relate to communication disorders.

Show Highlights:

• Emily’s story of postpartum depression with the birth of her second daughter:
  • Cruising along with confidence until eight months postpartum
  • Depleted in every way and sleep deprived, Emily finally took a leave of absence from her job to address her postpartum depression and begin regular counseling, acupuncture, and writing
• How Emily learned to ask questions and research to find answers and educate herself
• How Emily’s husband, a Chinese medicine physician, was able to relate her symptoms to her pregnancy and postpartum
• Key contributing factors for Emily:
  • The tendency toward depression that she kept secret
  • Cumulative sleep deprivation
  • Cultural influences about motherhood and perfectionism
  • The pressure to “have it all together” with a second child--and not need help
• How Emily has learned to value her needs and feel free to express them
• How Emily felt that her care providers missed the signs and didn’t take the opportunities to ask about her wellbeing
• Why Emily worried about the language development of her second daughter and took steps to provide early intervention
• How Emily’s experience with postpartum depression has intersected with her career as a speech-language pathologist who is training grad students to be aware and intuitive
• A broad overview of language development in kids
• Tips for parents to support language development by interacting verbally, labeling items, talking about daily tasks and activities, reading books, and giving intention to being more talkative with your child
• How writing her memoir helped Emily heal

Resources:

Connect with Emily: Emily Adler Mosqueda