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Unlikely HousewivesAuthor: Unlikely Housewives Language: en Genres: Christianity, Kids & Family, Parenting, Religion & Spirituality Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Postpartum Anxiety Mistakes Christian Moms Don’t See Coming | EP 155
Monday, 2 March, 2026
In this episode, we sit down with licensed professional counselor and perinatal mental health specialist Emma Donaldson, who walks alongside Christian moms in the postpartum season. She shares how becoming a mom herself shifted her from trauma work into perinatal mental health, and why so many women quietly spiral with anxiety while still loving Jesus and their babies deeply. Emma helps us name the postpartum anxiety mistakes Christian moms don’t see coming: spiritualizing symptoms and assuming it’s “just a faith issue,” hiding intrusive thoughts out of fear of being judged or seen as unsafe, and buying into the “super-mom” myth that a good mom does it all alone with a smile. She also unpacks the massive hormonal crash after birth, the reality of baby blues versus postpartum depression, and how long hormones, breastfeeding, and sleep deprivation can keep your nervous system on high alert. We get honest about Christian clichés like “just be grateful” or “just pray more,” how they unintentionally deepen shame, and what it looks like instead to anchor your heart in God’s character without denying your mental health. Emma shares why intrusive thoughts are far more common than most moms realize, why they don’t mean you want to hurt your baby, and how safe, faith-informed support can make your shoulders finally drop. If you’ve ever thought, “I should be grateful, so why do I feel so anxious and crazy?” this conversation will help you see that you’re not broken, you’re not a bad Christian, and you don’t have to keep doing this alone. Guest bio Emma Donaldson is a licensed professional counselor and perinatal mental health specialist who supports Christian moms in pregnancy and postpartum. After years of specializing in trauma, becoming a mom revealed just how unique and intense postpartum anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts can be—and how often they’re minimized or spiritualized away. Emma now focuses her practice on pregnant and postpartum women and couples, offering flexible virtual counseling that fits real nap schedules and real-life chaos. She is also the founder of Joyful Mama Mental Wellness, an online space created to educate and support moms with mental-health–informed, faith-integrated care so they never have to feel like they’re “going crazy” alone. Connect with Emma: https://www.instagram.com/joyfulmamamentalwellness/ Joyful Mama Mental Wellness: https://www.joyfulmamamentalwellness.com/ ********************* 💙 Support the Unlikely Housewives! Represent with our UH Merch! bit.ly/unlikelymerch 🧖♀️Sunlighten Sauna Sponsor: https://get.sunlighten.com/unlikely Save up to $1700! 🗣️Join our community on Facebook and connect with us on Instagram! 🎙️Want to be a guest on Unlikely Housewives? Send Tori Shirah a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/unlikelyhousewives ⭐️Write an apple review and YOUR review could be read on our next episode! 🇺🇸Hosted by Tori Shirah and Tracy Stine 💌Contact us ➡️ UnlikelyJoCo@gmail.com
