Pregnant women often experience emotional challenges due to fluctuating hormones and significant changes in their physical and external environments. These factors can make it difficult for them to manage their emotions, leading to overwhelming stress and, in some cases, postpartum depression for new mothers. To address this issue, El Camino Health is launching a Chinese-language mental health seminar. On July 27, marriage and family therapist Dr. Zhi-Mei Chen will present on “Emotional Management During Pregnancy,” aimed at helping expectant mothers and their friends and family understand the emotional hurdles associated with pregnancy and the pressures women face.
Dr. Chen holds dual Master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and Clinical Psychology, with over 25 years of experience as a marriage and family therapist. She notes that within the Chinese community, there’s a scarcity of discussions surrounding pregnancy-related anxiety, with a greater focus on postpartum recovery rituals. This often leads to a lack of awareness regarding the psychological adjustments women need to make from pre-pregnancy through postpartum periods.
For Asian women giving birth in the U.S., even those who have lived here for years, the environment can still feel unfamiliar. Despite having good language skills, they face pressures related to various healthcare information during their pregnancies.
Dr. Chen emphasizes that pregnancy brings significant physical and role changes, making it crucial to explore mental health aspects such as depression and anxiety. In her practice, she has seen cases of postpartum depression where women describe feeling foggy and unable to recall details.
She also points out that some mothers put unrealistic expectations on themselves during parenting, causing them to lose sight of their own identities and ideals. “Some mothers believe they need to be perfect, but nobody is perfect because we are all human and capable of making mistakes,” Dr. Chen explains. She advocates for adopting a more reasonable parenting approach, suggesting that fostering empathy in children is more important.
The online seminar will take place from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM on July 27. Registration is free and available at http://tinyurl.com/msmx55n9. During the session, Dr. Chen will discuss the physiological and psychological changes that accompany pregnancy, coping mechanisms for stress, shifts in family dynamics, the potential trauma of childbirth, and how to guide pregnant women in seeking external support.
