Bringing a baby home is supposed to be pure bliss, but what happens when the overwhelming emotion isn't instant joy, but intense anxiety, anger, or feeling completely checked out? This week, Megan sits down with licensed perinatal mental health counselor Katie Gerwel from Healthy Roots Counseling in Republic, Missouri, to pull back the curtain on perinatal and postpartum mood disorders.

Katie and Megan get raw about the physical reality of the massive postpartum hormone crash, breaking down the difference between the common "baby blues" and clinical postpartum anxiety, depression, or psychosis. They share practical nervous system grounding tools, why relentless sleep protection is a medical necessity, and the critical role partners play in sharing the load. Plus, Katie addresses the silent struggle of paternal postpartum depression and why 1 in 10 men experience mood dips after a baby arrives. If you are pregnant, postpartum, or supporting someone who is, this conversation removes the shame and reminds you that you are not broken—and you are never alone.