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.

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.