Centre for Perinatal Psychology COVID-19 Resources
May 13, 2020 11:49:36 GMT -5
Tanya Munroe, Marena Burnett, and 2 more like this
Post by Jo Koumouitzes, MPH on May 13, 2020 11:49:36 GMT -5
Good Morning All,
I wanted to pass along this link to some resources put out by the Centre for Perinatal Psychology in Australia.
www.centreforperinatalpsychology.com.au/resources/covid-19-resources/
In theory, these are for patients, but I sure appreciated the tools for myself in: MANAGING OVERWHELM AND DISTRESS THROUGH
THE AGE OF CORONAVIRUS. See suggestions below.
Take good care!
Jo
Look at what you can control and lean into that. Lead with what you feel certain about and make
an action plan where possible. Decrease uncertainty by becoming informed about labour, birth,
breastfeeding and hospital policies. Look for things in your daily life where you have decision-making
power. Taking action and making decisions gives a sense of agency. Ask yourself, “What can I do?
What decisions can I make in this situation?”
Note what you can’t control – set that to the side and as much as possible, let it be. Of course, you may feel
disappointed, anxious, angry. It feels unfair or sad that you can’t have your family visit you in hospital or hold
your precious baby. Acknowledge and label your feelings, recognise you can’t control the situation and set it
aside to refocus. Make decisions about ways you can work around the situation to meet your needs as best
as possible given the limitations. To accept something doesn’t mean that you need to like it or agree with it.
It means simply seeing things as they are.
Tolerating uncertainty and distress is a capacity we can increase. Being open to noticing uncertainty
and sitting with it, without becoming overwhelmed can build a resilience. Notice and pause. Practice
deep breathing and staying as calm as possible while acknowledging and allowing your distress to settle.
Bring gratitude into your daily life by leaning into what you enjoy, what you love, what you appreciate.
Orient your mind to what you are thankful for. That doesn’t mean pretending all is perfect, it means
choosing to focus on things that are meaningful to you and noticing the joy, love or appreciative feelings
you have. Gratitude may emerge from noticing your baby move in utero or holding your baby if s/he has
arrived, it may come from noticing nature, or from the physical feelings of relaxation while you shower.
Gratitude can also be cultivated by actively asking yourself what you are grateful for today. This can be
enhanced with a daily gratitude diary – writing down three things you are grateful for at the end of each
day. Direct some energy to being grateful.
Hand-on-heart – a mindful, compassionate practice can provide soothing comfort from distress. Research
shows that placing our right hand on our heart-area and slow breathing can help to create calm. More
generally, we can practice self-compassion by treating ourselves with kindness and care, as we would a
good friend. You can find more on self-compassion, including guided exercises, by Dr Kristin Neff:
www.self-compassion.org
Hands-on-belly or around baby – remember what this time is about for you. Refocus away from the
worries of the rest of the world and orient your mind to your baby and yourselves as a family unit. Hold
tight to what is meaningful for you. If you are in pregnancy, think about what life might look like when
baby arrives. Consider where baby will sleep, feed, bathe and be changed. Develop a safety net of
support. Make a list of support services and have these on the fridge, for instance your GP, obstetrician,
maternal and child health line, Australian Breastfeeding Association.
Creative use of connection and support – given the limitations brought by social distancing and isolation,
we need to get creative to connect with loved ones and feel supported. Use technology to your advantage
to connect. Consider ways you can be supported in the postpartum by family who are available – for
instance, can they drop a meal and supplies at the front door and wave through the window. There are
numerous online parents’ groups for connection and support – see our website under ‘Groups’. Look after
each other – having a baby is known to put a strain on all relationships – if you notice your partner
is looking distressed, quickly help soothe them by voice, touch, humour or helpfulness.
Self-care – the best self-care activities are the one you actually do. What works for you? Any of the above
list can be acts of self-care. In addition, focused breathing, mindfulness, yoga, gentle walking all provide
soothing calm. Distraction provides a refocus and a break from worrying thoughts. Intentionally engaging
in self-care also gives a sense of agency – this is something you have control over. Lead with things that
provide you pleasure, meaning, connectedness and soothing relief.
Limit media exposure – by all means stay updated for practical and safety reasons. Use reliable sources
that are government-based or from peak professional groups, such as the Royal College of Obstetricians
and Gynaecologists Australia (RANZCOG) or Australian College of Midwives. Go news-free overnight
(8pm-8am) and only check once during the day or when necessary. If you become too anxious reading
updates, ask your partner or someone trusted to keep up-to-date and let you know of any changes.
I wanted to pass along this link to some resources put out by the Centre for Perinatal Psychology in Australia.
www.centreforperinatalpsychology.com.au/resources/covid-19-resources/
In theory, these are for patients, but I sure appreciated the tools for myself in: MANAGING OVERWHELM AND DISTRESS THROUGH
THE AGE OF CORONAVIRUS. See suggestions below.
Take good care!
Jo
Look at what you can control and lean into that. Lead with what you feel certain about and make
an action plan where possible. Decrease uncertainty by becoming informed about labour, birth,
breastfeeding and hospital policies. Look for things in your daily life where you have decision-making
power. Taking action and making decisions gives a sense of agency. Ask yourself, “What can I do?
What decisions can I make in this situation?”
Note what you can’t control – set that to the side and as much as possible, let it be. Of course, you may feel
disappointed, anxious, angry. It feels unfair or sad that you can’t have your family visit you in hospital or hold
your precious baby. Acknowledge and label your feelings, recognise you can’t control the situation and set it
aside to refocus. Make decisions about ways you can work around the situation to meet your needs as best
as possible given the limitations. To accept something doesn’t mean that you need to like it or agree with it.
It means simply seeing things as they are.
Tolerating uncertainty and distress is a capacity we can increase. Being open to noticing uncertainty
and sitting with it, without becoming overwhelmed can build a resilience. Notice and pause. Practice
deep breathing and staying as calm as possible while acknowledging and allowing your distress to settle.
Bring gratitude into your daily life by leaning into what you enjoy, what you love, what you appreciate.
Orient your mind to what you are thankful for. That doesn’t mean pretending all is perfect, it means
choosing to focus on things that are meaningful to you and noticing the joy, love or appreciative feelings
you have. Gratitude may emerge from noticing your baby move in utero or holding your baby if s/he has
arrived, it may come from noticing nature, or from the physical feelings of relaxation while you shower.
Gratitude can also be cultivated by actively asking yourself what you are grateful for today. This can be
enhanced with a daily gratitude diary – writing down three things you are grateful for at the end of each
day. Direct some energy to being grateful.
Hand-on-heart – a mindful, compassionate practice can provide soothing comfort from distress. Research
shows that placing our right hand on our heart-area and slow breathing can help to create calm. More
generally, we can practice self-compassion by treating ourselves with kindness and care, as we would a
good friend. You can find more on self-compassion, including guided exercises, by Dr Kristin Neff:
www.self-compassion.org
Hands-on-belly or around baby – remember what this time is about for you. Refocus away from the
worries of the rest of the world and orient your mind to your baby and yourselves as a family unit. Hold
tight to what is meaningful for you. If you are in pregnancy, think about what life might look like when
baby arrives. Consider where baby will sleep, feed, bathe and be changed. Develop a safety net of
support. Make a list of support services and have these on the fridge, for instance your GP, obstetrician,
maternal and child health line, Australian Breastfeeding Association.
Creative use of connection and support – given the limitations brought by social distancing and isolation,
we need to get creative to connect with loved ones and feel supported. Use technology to your advantage
to connect. Consider ways you can be supported in the postpartum by family who are available – for
instance, can they drop a meal and supplies at the front door and wave through the window. There are
numerous online parents’ groups for connection and support – see our website under ‘Groups’. Look after
each other – having a baby is known to put a strain on all relationships – if you notice your partner
is looking distressed, quickly help soothe them by voice, touch, humour or helpfulness.
Self-care – the best self-care activities are the one you actually do. What works for you? Any of the above
list can be acts of self-care. In addition, focused breathing, mindfulness, yoga, gentle walking all provide
soothing calm. Distraction provides a refocus and a break from worrying thoughts. Intentionally engaging
in self-care also gives a sense of agency – this is something you have control over. Lead with things that
provide you pleasure, meaning, connectedness and soothing relief.
Limit media exposure – by all means stay updated for practical and safety reasons. Use reliable sources
that are government-based or from peak professional groups, such as the Royal College of Obstetricians
and Gynaecologists Australia (RANZCOG) or Australian College of Midwives. Go news-free overnight
(8pm-8am) and only check once during the day or when necessary. If you become too anxious reading
updates, ask your partner or someone trusted to keep up-to-date and let you know of any changes.
