What we know from research over the past two decades is that the quality of the care given by the primary caregivers to infants in the first few years of life is directly related to the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of children.

 

Many times this important relationship between mother and infant or young child can be stressed. New mothers are busy recovering from childbirth while adapting to life with a new baby. This experience may go smoothly, but when it doesn’t a new mother may feel many complicated emotions such as: excessive worry and sadness, anger or irritability, panic, extreme fatigue, isolation, difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or lack of pleasure.

 

New mothers may also experience feelings that can be difficult to discuss with others, such as: struggling to bond with baby; a lack of enjoyment of baby; difficulty understanding what baby wants and needs; struggling to soothe baby; fears of being alone with baby, irrational fear that baby will get hurt; feelings of inadequacy and guilt.

 

At the same time, or as a result, baby worries can manifest as excessive crying, irritability, difficulty being soothed, sleep difficulties, nursing problems, clinginess,  or aversion.

 

When this happens both, mother and baby, suffer.

 

My unique parent-infant psychotherapy works with mother and infant together in treatment to help relieve difficult misattunements and allow for a healthy relationship to grow between mother and child.