Dropping the Baby and Other Scary Thoughts: Breaking the Cycle of Unwanted Thoughts in Motherhood

What if I drop my baby when I go down the steps? What if I burn the baby in the bathtub?

Thoughts like these can be frightening to new mothers, but are a common symptom pregnant and postpartum women can experience. Dropping the Baby and Other Scary Thoughts addresses the nature of these intrusive, negative and unwanted thoughts. Kleiman and Wenzel offer answers to the women who seek information, clarification, and validation in this useful resource for healthcare professionals working with these mothers. Written by two clinicians who have established themselves as leading experts and authors in this specialized field, this book maintains a compassionate tone that will be a voice familiar to many women in the postpartum community. Whether you must confront these negative notions personally or in your practice, this book will explain what these thoughts are, why they are there, and what can be done about them.

"This is a masterful blending of current research and extensive clinical experience regarding scary thoughts, a woefully neglected problem that can haunt new mothers. A soon-to-be classic in the libraries of both mothers and their health care providers, it contains invaluable information on an 8-step process to break the cycle of scary thoughts." - Cheryl Tatano Beck, University of Connecticut, USA

"This book removes the shame and stigma surrounding a scary topic that is rarely addressed because it is so highly misunderstood. Backed by their extensive clinical backgrounds and supported by current research, Kleiman and Wenzel offer specific strategies and reassurance for new mothers who have scary thoughts, while furthering the understanding of those professionals who treat them." - Diana Lynn Barnes, PsyD, Past President of Postpartum Support International, USA; co-author, The Journey to Parenthood: Myths, Reality and What Really Matters

"This book is a gift to all new mothers and their loved ones. The Personal Treatment Plan is an extraordinarily helpful and practical guide for both new mothers and clinicians, and serves as a unique resource for women as they attempt to cope with the scary thoughts that accompany new motherhood." - Deborah Kim, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA

"The title alone of Dropping the Baby and Other Scary Thoughts confidently announces that this experience, which has historically been described in hushed tones, is now ‘out of the closet’. With an affirming nod to postpartum women, their families, and their caregivers, Karen Kleiman and Amy Wenzel have pooled their collective expertise and deftly created a comprehensive and highly readable resource that simultaneously informs and reassures." - Margaret Howard, Brown Alpert Medical School; Director, Postpartum Depression Day Hospital, Women & Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA

"Thank you to Drs. Kleiman and Wenzel for writing this book! Scary thoughts are nearly universal in new moms but, sadly, are underidentified, undertreated, and widely misunderstood. This excellent book arms mothers and their families with the knowledge they need to understand these thoughts and manage their anxiety." -Pamela S. Wiegartz, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Author, The Pregnancy and Postpartum Anxiety Workbook

"Dropping the Baby is a very accessible self-help book for new mothers who may be experiencing anxiety. The authors help to normalise the presence of anxiety during the post-anatal period by listing common examples of worries and also by emphasising the prevalence of worrying thoughts amongst new mothers. ... Whilst largely focusing on anxiety in the post-partum period, the book also briefly discusses difficulties relating to post-natal depression, birth trauma and obsessive compulsive disorder." - Sian Fitzpatrick, Journal of Mental Health (Vol. 22, No. 3)

Karen Kleiman, MSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and founder and director of The Postpartum Stress Center. She is the author of several books on postpartum depression, and an internationally recognized expert on the subject. In addition to her clinical practice, Karen teaches a specialized post-graduate course for clinicians, providing training programs for healthcare professionals and mentoring opportunities for therapists who wish to specialize in the treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

Amy Wenzel, PhD, is author and editor of many books on topics such as cognitive therapy, cognitive research methods, and close relationships. Her areas of research and clinical expertise and in perinatal anxiety disorders, interpersonal functioning in anxiety disorders, suicide prevention, and cognitive therapy. She lectures nationally on issues relevant to mental health and psychotherapy. She currently divides her time between scholarly research, training and consultation, and clinical practice.