34. Postpartum Anxiety and Growing Up With Fear-Based Parenting with Stephanie Feng

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In this episode, host Lina Forrestal chats with mom of three,
Stephanie Feng, about postpartum anxiety (PPA) and growing up
with fear-based parenting style, “tiger parenting”. 


Both Stephanie Feng and Lina Forrestal suffered with postpartum
anxiety and recount their experiences, specifically around not
being able to leave their babies, scary thoughts, and feeling
crippled by their anxiety.


They break down their experiences and start to unpack why they
felt the way they did, which led them to explore their
relationship with their parents and how they grew up with
fear-based parents. 


Growing up with immigrant parents in America, both Stephanie and
Lina grew up with fear-based parenting. They were often told that
if they didn’t do something right, something bad would happen to
them: for example, being told that if they didn’t finish their
food the ‘bad man’ would take them away from their family. 


Symptoms of postpartum anxiety:


Excessive worry

Feelings of dread

Racing thoughts

Lack of concentration

Changes in eating and sleeping patterns

Dizziness

Hot flashes

Rapid heartbeat

Nausea



While any new mom can develop postpartum anxiety, some factors
can increase your risk:


A personal or family history of anxiety

Previous experience with depression

Certain symptoms of PMS (such as feeling weepy or agitated)

Eating disorders

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)



Tiger parenting is the term coined by Yale professor Amy Chua a
few years ago, in her book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, to
describe her fear-based and hard-driving parenting style. 


Connect with Stephanie on Instagram at
@simplystephsfavs 

Connect with Lina:


Personal Instagram: @linaforrestal

Blog: www.linaforrestal.com

Podcast Instagram: @newmamaspodcast

Clubhouse Username: @newmamaspodcast



Artwork Credit: Gabi's Media


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