My Story:

I'm Emma, and like most of you, I wear many hats; I'm an Occupational Therapist, a wife, a mom to 2 boys, a PhD student, and a perinatal depression/anxiety survivor. Since I had my first son in 2019 (a sweet preemie NICU baby), I thought to myself- I cannot be the only one with these emotions. I cannot be the only person feeling isolated emotionally, powering through life because "I just have to". I am so blessed to have an awesome support system around me, but even despite that, I somehow felt alone. I felt like I couldn't speak up, particularly as a working mom, because going forward was the only option. Admitting I was struggling would have felt like defeat. Thankfully now I know these things couldn't be farther from the truth!

With my second pregnancy, I learned about the unfortunate reality that is prenatal depression. I had hoped and prayed for this baby for over a year, but I felt so sad and depressed, even guilty for not being able to enjoy it. Again I thought to myself- I cannot be the only person who has experienced this. After he was born in 2023, (and another brief NICU stay), I was determined to get my mental health back in check. I found an excellent therapist who helped me work through the perinatal depression, anxiety and trauma, I started talking about my experiences with a few very close friends and family. I started to hear more and more "Me Too's". It really validated the idea for me that something needed to change, particularly in my community. We need to break down the silos of isolation that perinatal mental health conditions create and eliminate the stigma so we can help support one another.

This is when Better Together was born (pun intended!). I wanted to make this pipe dream a reality using my 11 years of experience as a mental health Occupational Therapist. I believe that as humans, we are built for connection, and through connection we can begin healing. I want to help other moms understand that they aren't alone in this journey- wherever they're at in the perinatal journey. I've been there, I get it, and there are other moms out there who also get it and will be here-judgement free-when you're ready for support.

Can't wait to meet you,

Emma