In my previous blog, Perinatal Mental Health: Baby Blues and Beyond, we explored the importance of building a thoughtful and proactive support plan tailored to your unique needs during pregnancy and postpartum. A key part of that plan is establishing a strong professional support network, which can make all the difference as you navigate the physical, emotional, and psychological challenges that come with this significant life transition.

Imagine this: instead of sitting in an office across from your therapist, you’re strolling together through a peaceful setting, with sunlight filtering through the trees and the soft rustle of leaves underfoot. You might find yourself walking along a winding path, pausing to sit on a park bench, or laughing at a pair of squirrels chasing each other around a tree.

When you think about pregnancy and parenthood, what comes to mind? For many people, it might be images of serene, glowing mothers cradling their newborns in a sea of soft pastels, like something out of a Johnson & Johnson commercial. Or maybe it’s that family feel-good movie where the baby is sleeping soundly, the doctor tells the birthing caregiver they may experience some sadness after delivery, and everyone settles into their new identity with ease and a smile.

Typically caregivers are thrust into this new Special Education world abruptly, carrying with them worries about their child on their shoulders. Special Education is difficult enough to navigate on its own, let alone when the well-being of someone they care about is at stake.

I feel like it’s safe to say every single person who reads this blog has experienced a sleepless night and can remember the side effects they suffered the next day: lethargy, low motivation, trouble concentrating, desperate for a cup of coffee or tea, and maybe even being just outright cranky. (For me, the coffee mug seems permanently glued to my hand in an effort to recover.)