What are the signature techniques used by Hilary Erickson for postpartum anxiety management?

Hilary leans on a few “signature” ideas and tools when talking about postpartum anxiety:

• Normalize the worry: Anxiety often ramps up after going home because you suddenly feel alone. Some worry is part of motherhood; the key red flags are when it keeps getting worse or never eases.
• Watch the trend, not one bad day: If anxiety keeps climbing instead of slowly settling, that is a sign to get help.
• “Make friends” with worry: Instead of fighting every scary thought, acknowledge it (“I’m having the thought that…”), then refocus on what is actually happening and what you can control.
• Use the ACE technique (from guest Kara Kushnir, which Hilary teaches and reinforces):
  • Acknowledge the feeling or thought
  • Come back into your body (notice breathing, sensations, grounding)
  • Engage with what you were doing (sleeping, feeding, work, etc.)

Hilary also strongly encourages planning for postpartum in pregnancy (not just the birth) and reaching out early to perinatal‑trained professionals or Postpartum Support International if things are not improving.

Would you like some concrete ACE examples you can use during middle‑of‑the‑night worry spirals?