by Dr Bronwyn Leigh What do we see mother’s being hardest on themselves about? Trying to do everything, and then feeling like they’ve failed when that proves impossible. Which it almost always is! Many mothers carry a quiet expectation that they should be able to manage it all, caring for a baby, recovering from pregnancy […]
by Dr Bronwyn Leigh How does becoming a mother challenge a woman’s sense of identity? Profoundly. Moving from woman to mother requires a significant reorganisation of identity and relationships, and importantly, this happens over time, not in a single moment. We often see phrases on social media like, “the moment a baby is born, so too […]
by Dr Bronwyn Leigh What emotional or psychological shifts during pregnancy or early motherhood tend to surprise people the most? Oh, there are so many! One of the biggest surprises is the sheer scale of the shift that happens when someone becomes a parent. It’s not just physical. It touches almost every part of life. […]
by Dr Bronwyn Leigh What are the most common reasons women come to see you and what is often going on beneath the surface? Women seek support for many different reasons. Some are struggling with anxiety or low mood. Others are navigating fertility challenges, pregnancy loss, birth trauma or the stress of caring for a […]
by Dr Bronwyn Leigh For someone hearing the term for the first time, how would you explain what a perinatal psychologist does? A perinatal psychologist supports the mental health and emotional wellbeing of families during the perinatal period, both before and after a baby is born. A lot of our work centres on the emotional […]
by Dr Bronwyn Leigh Bonding with Baby — Pregnancy Edition for Dads Most dads find they entertain their own private wonderings about baby during the pregnancy. Because you are one step removed from baby, dads find they need their pregnant partner to share some things about baby’s movements as a way tohelp get to know […]