I'm a Perinatal Mental Health Consultant certified through Postpartum Support International, based in Cherry Hill, NJ, serving moms across South Jersey, the Jersey Shore, Philly, and Delaware. My road to birth work began in 2008 with a devastating second-trimester loss, followed by infertility and then IVF. When my son was finally at term, he'd decided to flip breech, which turned my planned home birth into a C-section. It was the opposite of what I'd envisioned.

When I brought my baby home, I was completely blindsided by the realities of postpartum life. Everything felt harder than I'd imagined it would be. And all the planning I did meant nothing. My routines were shattered, the sensory overwhelm was unmanageable, and the support system I thought I had was nowhere to be found. I believed I was prepared — I had the information, I had the plan — but I didn't know I had an ADHD and autistic brain. I didn't realize that my history of loss and fertility struggles, combined with my perfectionist tendencies, put me at significantly higher risk for perinatal mental health disorders.

Inevitably, I developed postpartum anxiety and rage. I survived, but looking back now — with my children ages 17 and 12 — I don't remember that time with joy. I remember it with sadness, grief, and regret. I missed it. I was physically present, but mentally and emotionally, I was gone. I lived in a state of hypervigilance. To me, every cry meant something was seriously wrong, which caused me to spend every minute desperately trying to stop the crying before it became an emergency.

There was so much I didn't know about myself that made it hard to be the mother I wanted to be. That realization is why I created Lighten the Load. I help neurodivergent moms build systems that actually work for their brains, so they can start motherhood feeling empowered, not exhausted. Along the way, I've also been South Jersey's go-to placenta encapsulator since 2012 — over 1,500 placentas turned into pills for families here in Cherry Hill, Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties, and beyond. Whether you need hands-on help, a postpartum plan, or both, I'm here for the whole fourth trimester, not just the six-week check-up.

You shouldn't have to survive postpartum just to get through it; you deserve to be present for the moments that matter.

Get in touch: Text 856-278-1847 (I read texts fast) · bethechange@tiffdee.com · Cherry Hill, NJ — serving South Jersey, the Jersey Shore, Philly & Delaware