Understanding and Sharing the Mental Load—How Partners and Loved Ones Can Facilitate Postpartum Rest, Recovery, and Wellness

When a new baby arrives, everyone’s attention shifts to feeding schedules, sleep stretches, and baby milestones. But beneath the surface, many new parents—especially the birthing parent—are carrying something less visible but mighty: the mental load.

If you’re the partner or loved one of someone who just had a baby, understanding and actively sharing the mental load can help you show up in deeper, more meaningful ways.

After baby, Mental load, postpartum couples, Postpartum recovery, Postpartum support, postpartum mental healthSara NettSeptember 22, 2025Postpartum mental load, What is the mental load after baby, Partner support postpartum, Sharing the mental load with your partner, How to help your partner after childbirth, Invisible load postpartum, New dad/partner support tips, Reducing the mental load in parenthood, Baltimore, Postpartum anxiety, Postpartum depression, Postpartum recovery support

5 Important Ways to Support Your Partner (Or Loved One) After Having a Baby

When a new baby arrives, life changes overnight. While many people expect joy and excitement, the postpartum period can also bring exhaustion, overwhelm, and big emotional shifts. If you’re wondering how to support your partner or loved one after they have a baby, know that your role is incredibly important.

At be. psychotherapy, we see how much of a difference partner support makes during this transition. Here are five meaningful and practical ways to show up for your partner or loved one in the postpartum period.

After baby, Postpartum recovery, postpartum mental health, Mental load, postpartum couplesSara NettSeptember 11, 2025Support your partner after having a baby, postpartum support for partners, How to help your partner after childbirth, New dad/partner support tips, Postpartum recovery support, Emotional support for partner after baby, Practical ways to support your partner postpartum, Sharing the mental load, Baltimore

When Clean Doesn’t Feel Safe: Understanding Contamination OCD in Motherhood

For new mothers, keeping a baby safe and healthy is a top priority. But for some, this responsibility becomes clouded by fear, guilt, and rituals that take over daily life. This might look like: repeated hand washing and sanitizing routines; engaging in time consuming rituals that provide only temporary relief from feelings of uneasiness; choosing isolation over the company of loved ones, due to fear of illness or contamination; experiencing irritation, anger, and rage when others interrupt or do not follow important safety protocols. If safety behaviors consume your waking hours and motherhood looks and feels nothing like you imagined, this might be more than “new parent anxiety;” you might be experiencing postpartum OCD.