A lack of support during her postpartum transition inspired today’s guest, Kate Turza, to become a certified postpartum doula. She decided to offer women the support she wished she’d had by becoming a doula and by joining the board of a non-profit that facilitates a monthly birth circle.

Evan Manskey, always wanted a family but doubted her body’s ability to have children. A self-proclaimed late bloomer, her monthly menstruation didn’t come until after she started driving. When she experienced excessive bleeding during her first two pregnancies, both of which ended as miscarriages, she was overcome with anxiety and fell into depression.

During her first pregnancy, Amanda was euphoric and felt a profound spiritual connection to her son but after he was born, the separation triggered a severe postpartum loneliness which lasted for eighteen months. And after struggling with the decision of her readiness to have another child, her daughter was born with an undetected, random form of Down Syndrome.

When Dr. Kat experienced postpartum depression after the birth of her first child she was unsure exactly what was happening. Like many women, she felt ashamed…And as a psychologist, she thought she should be able to figure it out on her own.

Ellen has spent most of her career working with women through the deep-rooted confusion that can lead to eating disorders and body image issues. She helps women sort through the culturally handed-down and media-driven information that has created unrealistic ideals of what it means to be a woman.