“Dr. Walker Ladd has forged the future for perinatal mental health.”

—Jane Honikman, MA, Founder, Postpartum Support International

“The beauty of Dr. Ladd’s book, Transformed by Postpartum Depression, is that it is written not only for clinicians, but also for women who have suffered through postpartum depression. This book will provide much needed hope for mothers in the throes of this devastating mood disorder. The powerful narratives included in this book provide the readers with an insider’s view of how mothers have been transformed by postpartum depression.”

—Cheryl Tatano Beck, DNSc, CNM, FAAN, Professor, School of Nursing, University of Connecticut

“Her provocative book, Transformed by Postpartum Depression, will challenge and change clinicians, researchers, and the public. Finally, the paradigm of PPD has been broadened to include trauma and the human condition. She has exposed a missing piece of the postpartum puzzle. Thank you, Walker!”

—Jane Honikman, MA, Founder, Postpartum Support International—

“Walker Ladd has achieved greatness in the PPD community with her emphasis on trauma, transformation, and personal growth. What makes Transformed by Postpartum Depression so uniquely powerful is that Ladd stands in the face of preconceived notions and challenges them with the stories and voices of real women who speak the truth and deserve to be heard.”

—Karen Kleiman, MSW, Founder & Director, The Postpartum Stress Center; Author, Therapy and the Postpartum Woman

Recent Research

Ladd, W., & De Decker, J. (2022). The Lived Experience of Postpartum Anxiety During COVID-19: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study. The Qualitative Report, 27(7), 1316-1340. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2022.5420

Abstract

The experience of pregnancy and postpartum anxiety disorders results in adverse birth outcomes and the disrupted development of infants and children. Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has designated pregnant and postpartum women as more vulnerable to COVID-19 (CDC, 2021), and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders rates have increased. However, research regarding the lived experience of women with postpartum anxiety (PPA) during a global pandemic remains lacking. Using van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological research method, we interviewed eight women with PPA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis revealed five themes describing the lived experience of PPA during COVID-19: Wired, Trapped, Lost in Time, No Safety Net, and Doubting Myself. The lived experience of PPA was both mirrored and masked by the lived experience of a global pandemic, exacerbating PPA due to the unknown and constricting nature of the pandemic. These findings suggest the need for future research to include subjective human experiences as pivotal components in creating support practices and a deeper understanding of PPA in the context of unprecedented life events.

Ladd, W. (2021). Remembering Postpartum Depression in Later Life: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The Qualitative Report, 26(4), 1291-1308. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2021.4741

Abstract

Postpartum depression (PPD) occurs in as many as 1 in 7 women (Gavin et al., 2005). PPD remains undiagnosed and largely untreated, contributing to high societal costs and increased maternal mortality. Despite the wealth of research reporting the adverse effects of PPD on childbearing women and their offspring, little is known about how women who have experienced PPD describe or interpret the meaning of the experience in later life. I conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 10 women self-identifying as having had PPD a minimum of 13 years in the past. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), I identified three themes: (a) what PPD was like, (b) PPD changed me, and (c) I am grateful for PPD. Women reported that PPD was like falling down a black hole, perceiving themselves as bad mothers. Women identified PPD as having changed them positively, including new self-confidence, increased compassion, and a passion for helping others impacted by PPD. Women described PPD as facilitating meaningful personal growth for which they were grateful. Understanding how women reflect on PPD in later life provides new insight into the lived experience beyond the postpartum period. It highlights the need for future research on women’s experience of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders over their life span.