Diapers, dopamine & distractibility - ADHD in pregnancy, birth and early parenthood

ADHD Powerful Possibilities: New and Late Diagnosis & Beyond

ADHD Coach Katherine Sanders - ADHD Coach Katherine Sanders AACG

In this episode, ADHD Coach Katherine explores the unique challenges and changes women with ADHD may face during pregnancy, childbirth, and early parenthood. She shares her personal journey, emphasizing the impact of hormonal changes on ADHD symptoms and mental health, such as increased sensitivity to estrogen and progesterone levels, which can affect mood and brain function. Katherine also addresses the inequalities in healthcare and maternity leave, particularly affecting women of color, and the additional strain these disparities place on mental health. Offering practical advice, she suggests strategies for managing ADHD symptoms postpartum, such as adapting household organization to suit ADHD needs. Importantly, Katherine encourages open communication about mental health, the benefits of structured routines, and the importance of self-care and exercise for new parents with ADHD. This episode aims to empower women with ADHD through their pregnancy and parenting journey by acknowledging the challenges they face and providing supportive strategies to navigate them.

00:00 Welcome to the ADHD Journey: Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Beyond

00:08 Understanding ADHD's Impact on Pregnancy and Childbirth

02:50 Navigating Hormonal Changes and Their Effects

06:47 Preparing for Birth: Mindfulness and Expectations

09:19 The Postpartum Experience: Challenges and Support

12:49 Breastfeeding, Sleep, and Adjusting to New Parenthood

16:26 Navigating Motherhood with Neurodivergence

16:55 Finding Your Tribe: ADHD-Friendly Support Groups

17:36 Embracing Change and Seeking Support

17:49 Therapeutic Activities and Art Therapy

18:50 The Joy and Amazement of Parenthood

19:33 Managing ADHD as a New Parent

22:40 Household Organization and ADHD Strategies

23:57 Flexible Parenting and Meeting Your Child's Needs

25:28 Self-Care and Wellbeing for ADHD Parents

29:34 Looking Ahead: Next Episode Teaser

Connect with Katherine here:

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ADHD Babes - A peer led group for black women & non-binary people with ADHD - https://www.adhdbabes.com/

Post-Partum Support International - includes group for ADHD parents as well as Black, BIPOC, Hispanic and minority women in a large number of groups throughout the week - https://www.postpartum.net/get-help/psi-online-support-meetings/

- ADDISS (www.addiss.co.uk)

- CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) (www.chadd.org)

- Attention Deficit Disorder Association (www.add.org)

- ADHD Australia (www.adhdaustralia.org.au)

- Centre for ADHD Awareness, Canada (www.caddac.ca)

- United Kingdom:

- ADDISS http://www.addiss.co.uk/

- ADHD Foundation https://www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/

Scotland

Scottish ADHD coalition - https://www.scottishadhdcoalition.org/

Ireland:

ADHD Ireland - https://adhdireland.ie/

United States:

CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) https://chadd.org/

ADDA (Attention Deficit Disorder Association) https://add.org/

Australia:

ADHD Support Australia https://www.adhdsupportaustralia.com.au/

ADHD Foundation Australia https://adhdfoundation.org.au/adhd

Canada:

CADDAC (Centre for ADHD Awareness, Canada) https://caddac.ca/

New Zealand:

ADHD NZ https://www.adhd.org.nz/about-us.html

Europe:

ADHD Europe https://adhdeurope.eu/ - Offers resources and links to national organizations across Europe.

Hypnobabies (active birth and pregnancy self hypnosis) - https://www.hypnobabies.com/

La leche League - ‘take what is useful, leave the rest’ - https://llli.org/

Lactation Consultants - UK - https://lcgb.org/

Lactation Consultants - USA/Internatinoal - https://uslca.org/

Life Edit home organisers (Scotland) - https://life-edit.me/

Dr Kathleen Nadeau - ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life: Strategies that Work from a Professional Organizer and a Renowned ADD Clinician

- I apologise for not formatting these in my usual way - I'm just too sick to tidy up the research.

Uchida, M., Driscoll, H., DiSalvo, M., Rajalakshmim, A., Maiello, M., Spera, V., & Biederman, J. (2021). Assessing the Magnitude of Risk for ADHD in Offspring of Parents with ADHD: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Attention Disorders, 25(13), 1943-1948. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054720950815

Cognitive functions of regularly cycling women may differ throughout the month, depending on sex hormone status; a possible explanation to conflicting results of studies of ADHD in females, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, Vol. 8,2014- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00191

Roberts, Bethan & Eisenlohr-Moul, Tory & Martel, Michelle. (2017). Reproductive Steroids and ADHD Symptoms Across the Menstrual Cycle. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 88. 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.11.015.

Hormonal Changes and Their Impact on ADHD Symptoms in Women

Mu E, Kulkarni J. Hormonal contraception and mood disorders. Aust Prescr. 2022 Jun;45(3):75-79. doi: 10.18773/austprescr.2022.025. Epub 2022 Jun 1. Erratum in: Aust Prescr. 2022 Aug;45(4):147. PMID: 35755988; PMCID: PMC9218393.

ADHD and Pregnancy

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Pregnancy: Prevalence, Treatment, and Implications for Mothers and Offspring by Erika F.H. Saunders, et al. in American Journal of Psychiatry.

Baker AS, Freeman MP. Management of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder During Pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2018 Sep;45(3):495-509. doi: 10.1016/j.ogc.2018.04.010. PMID: 30092924.

Obstetric complications in mothers with ADHD ,Walsh Caroline J., Rosenberg Sofie L., Hale Elijah W., Frontiers in Reproductive Health, vol 4; 2022., https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frph.2022.1040824 , DOI=10.3389/frph.2022.1040824

Nichole L. Nidey, Allison M. Momany, Lane Strathearn, Knute D. Carter, George L. Wehby, Wei Bao, Guifeng Xu, Francesca A. Scheiber, Karen Tabb, Tanya E Froehlich, Kelli Ryckman, Association between perinatal depression and risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among children: a retrospective cohort study, Annals of Epidemiology, 2021

Volume 63:1-6, ISSN 1047-2797, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2021.06.005., (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1047279721001563)

ADHD, Parenting, and Family Life

Parenting Stress and ADHD: A Comparison of Mothers and Fathers by Mark A. Ellen and Patricia J. Links in Journal of Child and Family Studies.

The Impact of Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder on Parenting and Child Behavior" by Andrea Chronis-Tuscano, et al. in Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology.

Postpartum Depression and ADHD

Postpartum Depression in Women with ADHD: A Comparative Study by Maria A. Oquendo and Barbara L. Milner in Psychiatry Research.

The Intersection of ADHD and Postpartum Depression: Clinical Considerations by J. Russell Ramsay in ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders.

Strategies for Managing ADHD in the Context of Parenting

Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Attention and Executive Function in Adults with ADHD by Lidia Zylowska, et al. in Journal of Attention Disorders.

ADHD and Parenting: A Systematic Review of the Literature by Sarah E. Hall and Ellen L. Mickelson in Child: Care, Health and Development.