Pathway to Parenthood is Colorado's most comprehensive collective of experts offering a variety of specialties for the care of women, children and families.
08/28/2023
So proud of this group and what we are rolling out in January. Pathway to Parenthood’s intention is to always provide support, education and community to the families we serve. Follow along as we add to and announce our additional services for January 2024!
02/25/2023
02/17/2023
Intrusive thoughts are thoughts that are unwelcome and involuntary. They can be scary. Over half of new moms report experiencing these scary thoughts postpartum. They can be a symptom of postpartum depression, anxiety of OCD. They can look like disturbing thoughts around accidentally harming your baby (like whacking their head against the door frame as your are carrying them) or even fear of intentionally causing harm to your child.
*If can be scary sharing these thoughts with others. If you are struggling to function or are avoiding specific areas of your life due to these thoughts you should let your doctor or mental health provider know and get the support you deserve
02/16/2023
Baby Blues:
-up to 80% of people experience "baby blues" following the birth of a child
-symptoms typically last for up to 2-3 weeks after delivery
-can look like increased tearfulness, anxiety, missing parts of your old life, indecisiveness or difficulty sleeping despite exhaustion
PMAD (postpartum mood and anxiety disorders)
-consists of postpartum anxiety, OCD, depression or psychosis
-symptoms persist past 3 weeks post delivery
-symptoms interfere with daily functioning
-can look like increased sadness, excessive worry, feelings of hopelessness, scary thoughts about baby or heightened concern for baby's well-being
02/15/2023
First of all you need a lot less than you think you do. The things that most helpful do not come in a box and are not shipping from Amazon. If you have risk factors for a mood disorder, here is a list of things that will help make the transition less stressful...
-establish care with a mental health therapist
-identify support people in your life and make them aware you are at risk for postpartum mood disorders
-sign up for a postpartum support group
-let your providers (OB, midwife, doula) know if you are at risk for a PMAD
-if you are experiencing symptoms during pregnancy, discuss psychotropic medication therapy with your provider
02/14/2023
Happy Valentine's Day from Pathway to Parenthood! Flowers and dinner are always a great way to celebrate this love holiday.
But you could also give the gift of thoughtfulness by getting tickets to Due Date Night! Due Date Night will be filled with 40 local vendors and experts in the space of women, children and families. There will be 6 break out sessions from experts in their field, an opportunity to ask questions and food trucks! We will wrap up the evening with a huge raffle of useful items for baby and the family. Use the code Vday25 for 25% off a "2 adult general admission ticket" today!
02/13/2023
Hello! My name is Lauren Brittsan and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor. I work with women across the reproductive lifespan - particularly those struggling with anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and individuals wanting to better understand all the stressors that come with life's changes and transitions. My specialty in perinatal mental health allows me to support those needing help as they navigate preconception planning, pregnancy, postpartum and beyond.
02/10/2023
Did you know the average baby requires almost 4 hands to properly get ALL needs taken care of!?
The mental and physical load of parenthood gets LONNNGGG in parenthood and it can often feel like one person is carrying the load more than the other.
We typically get two questions when this topic is brought up:
1. How do I tell my partner I feel our “load” is unfair?
2. Where do we start in figuring out how to restructure?
Answer to #1 “Hey babe the laundry is really starting to pile up and I am feeling overwhelmed with it all. Our old system of laundry isn't working right now with the season we are in. Can we find time to talk about this and find a new way to manage this?”
Answer to #2 Make a list of ALL the things that need to get done. Put your initial next to what you do and what your partner does. Then we call it Delete, Delegate or Do Different. Delete = take it off your list (either for the season or forever) Example: do Christmas cards stress you out? Can you stop sending them for a few years? Do you even enjoy sending them? Delegate = hire out (either for a season or permanently) Need a house cleaner to help? Dog Walker? Is it for a few months until the baby sleeps or maybe for 5 years? Do different = find a new way to do something that isn't working Example: grocery delivery rather than grocery shopping. Still gets you the groceries but differently.
Managing the mental/physical load is ESSENTIAL for success in parenthood. The trick is to realize the loads change season to season and then to come to gather as a TEAM to update systems! We find so many couples fall short there.
Tag your partner so they know you need to have a chat to update some systems or your friend who just told you they are overwhelmed with their list and need to start sharing the load!
02/10/2023
Spring Workshop Event Details | Pathway to Parenthood Sign up for the Pathway to Parenthood Spring Workshop Event featuring the Denver area's foremost experts providing care, advice and resources specifically for new families just like yours.
02/09/2023
Why should I prepare my relationship for parenthood?
-new topics to navigate communication around
- high stress causes more opportunities for conflict
- you two will need to find new ways to connect
- your kids learn important relationship skills from watching YOU!
The transition to parenthood is a stressful one. Ensure that your relationship is prepared! Some simple tricks, tools and skills are all thats needed to ensure your relationship is set! Follow for more!
02/08/2023
Birth Center of Denver is the first and only hospital-owned, freestanding birth center in Denver, a beautiful compromise between a home birth and a hospital birth. Families now have a more natural place to have an unmedicated birth, all with the safety net of having Saint Joseph Hospital right there for any "what-ifs."
https://www.sclhealth.org/locations/birth-center-of-denver/
| Monday | 8am - 6pm |
| Tuesday | 8am - 6pm |
| Wednesday | 8am - 6pm |
| Thursday | 8am - 6pm |
| Friday | 8am - 6pm |
| Saturday | 8am - 6pm |
