A Mom Like That: A Memoir of Postpartum Psychosis

by Aaisha Alvi

“A brave and lyrical exploration of motherhood and mental health … as terrifying as it is riveting.” — Susannah Cahalan, NYT bestselling author of Brain on Fire

A powerful exploration of postpartum psychosis and motherhood — and a call to end the stigma and blame.

Early motherhood is supposed to be joyous, but for Aaisha Alvi, those early days were ruined by terrifying, delusional thoughts about her baby and family. Far beyond the trials of breastfeeding and getting her baby to sleep, Aaisha’s experience was the antithesis of everything she had ever been told about motherhood.

When her second pregnancy ended in miscarriage, Aaisha’s psychosis returned. This time, however, she was blindsided by the unimaginable: voices urging her to stab her daughter and to harm innocent people. Aaisha felt evil, worthy of taking her own life. But each time she sought medical help, she was turned away.

With unflinching honesty, Aaisha takes readers beyond the vitriol and blame flung at women — particularly women of colour — suffering from postpartum psychosis. Her story is a clarion call to increase awareness of a condition that need never result in tragedy and to build support for those affected by it.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography Memoir

272 pages, Paperback

Published September 24, 2024

Reviews

[Lindsay L · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!

Raw. Emotional. Eye-opening. Informative.

Aaisha suffered from postpartum psychosis following her two pregnancies. This is her story.

Misdiagnosed countless times after seeking medical support, Aisha wrote this book to educate others, reduce stigma and let other women feel less alone. I believe anyone who reads this book will surely be impacted and gain empathy for those individuals, and family members of individuals, suffering from this.

Mental health illnesses are often misdiagnosed, brushed off and/or judged which prevents patients from receiving proper treatment. Women who show postpartum psychosis symptoms after pregnancy, are often told they have the “baby blues” and it will subside on its own with time (as is what happened to the author multiple times). This is a large problem that needs attention and this book addresses this important topic.

Postpartum psychosis has a variety of symptoms and is a treatable illness that women can make a full recovery from. Unfortunately this illness can be judged harshly as most often it happens during a time when a woman has a newborn and “should” be happy and thankful. Women often feel guilt for having these symptoms, making a strong support system critical to recovery.

Told through the perspective of someone in the depths of suffering the symptoms of postpartum psychosis as well as after a full recovery, this narrative was brutally honest and so very powerful.

I applaud the author for being brave enough to share her story which will, no doubt, comfort many who may be going through a similar situation and inspire and empower them to seek proper support. Proper mental health support is critical to surviving this illness and making a full recovery.

The more people who read and learn about this means there will be less victims we lose to this illness in the future.

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy!

[Wendy Jonson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars! Postpartum psychosis is an extremely serious and potentially dangerous illness, and unfortunately, not enough medical professionals are trained to recognize the signs. Aaisha Alvi shares her story about developing, living with and eventually overcoming this sickness. She did a great job of describing her reasoning behind her actions which was not usually apparent to those around her. She explains how she was feeling on the inside and how these unhealthy thoughts and emotions were hard and many times impossible to control. She exposes the lack of support from the medical community and how she was faced with ignorance, blame and punishment. This was an important and courageous story to tell. Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the digital ARC.

[Anayah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the idea of this.

This information is SO important, especially for:
- women
- marginalized women
- people who support women
- anyone who wants to carry and birth a child
- anyone who has ever carried or birthed children
- psych majors
- DOCTORS.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aaisha Alvi’s memoir of her two experiences with post partum psychosis, the first after the birth of her daughter, Lina, when she was expecting a busy, but full life filled with snuggles, breastfeeding and learning to live as a family of three. What she got instead was voices in her head, depression and hallucinations, but she eventually recovered.

Several years later she got pregnant again. She lost the baby. However, after the miscarriage the postpartum psychosis returned, only much worse. She heard voices urging her to harm Lina and others. She considered suicide. She sought medical help multiple times but was turned away. By relating her own story the author discussed the issue of post partum psychosis and the ways it is often misunderstood and undertreated, especially in women of color.

Between sixty to eighty percent of women who deliver children report having the “baby blues” after delivery, a sense of unhappiness or dissatisfaction in the two weeks following childbirth. About one in five women will suffer from a post partum mood disorder, there are several, including post partum depression and post partum OCD. (post partum depression in one in seven). However, one or two in a thousand women will have full on post partum psychosis, like Andrea Yates, the mother in Texas who drowned her five children. These women are not truly psychotic, their problems will, eventually, resolve, with proper treatment, but they, and their children are at extreme risk.

It is extremely important that these women not feel afraid or ashamed. They desperately need help. And “stigma is tricky - it doesn’t always look or feel like judgment; sometimes it feels like we’re being reassuring (“you’re not that kind of mom”), girding our fear (“post partum psychosis is very rare…”),. These women need help, not reassurance that they are OK when they are not.

The two main hallmarks of psychosis versus depression are hallucinations and delusions. If those are present, do not wait. Do not leave the person alone or with the child alone. And get help. Ten percent of women suffering from post partum psychosis suicide or kill their infants. It isn’t common, but when it happens it is so serious and often doctors don’t recognize what they are seeing and/or patients are not totally honest about what is occurring.

I learned so much reading this. It was really well done and I hope it reaches the right people.

[Ⓢ Ⓨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Mom Like That follows Aaisha and her experiences with postpartum psychosis.

Postpartum psychosis occurs in one to two out of everyone one thousand deliveries and can even occur after a miscarriage or termination.

In a study reference by the Center for American Progress, the rate of postpartum mood disorders is between 13-19% across all women. What is striking is the fact that this percentage rises to 38% in women of colour. Women of colour are also, sadly, less likely to seek help. Aaisha discusses medical racism and cultural differences that hinder racialised women accessing the correct help when struggling with postpartum mood disorders.

As someone who is diagnosed with bipolar and experienced command hallucinations, this book was terrifying in places. The way it’s written, especially with the recurring intrusive thoughts, made me really feel like I was experiencing it with her. The writing is personal, emotive and highlights a desperate need for more awareness.

I’d definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to understand more about postpartum psychosis. It will certainly open your eyes, and your heart, to the women who have suffered this debilitating illness.

“I’m just sick and tired of people suffering and dying because of this illness while sane people are ignorant”

Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for my advanced copy.

[Marl · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3 stars]

Postpartum psychosis, though the rarest of any postpartum mood disorder, still occurs just as frequently as giving birth to a child with down syndrome (1/1000) and does not require any history of mental illness to occur. In this memoir, the author writes about her two experiences with postpartum psychosis (PPP) back in the early and mid 2000s (the first following the birth of her daughter and the next following a miscarriage, five years apart). She writes this memoir as written out experiences of her day to day life as the illness (the author uses “illness” as opposed to “condition” or “disorder” in the book, so I will do the same in this review) progresses and the symptoms become more severe, starting with intrusive thoughts and depression and advancing into violent delusions and hallucinations. The author is writing in present tense as these events occur, not looking back. She interlaces these experiences of hers with some facts about PPP as well as some other well known cases that ended in tragedy.

I want to start by saying that this memoir is well written. Alvi is amazing at capturing how the loss of reality feels as the illness progresses as well as how she rationalizes. I think a point that was very interesting to me was how she rationalized telling the doctors about some parts of her illness, but not others (she recognized that her beliefs would be seen as delusional, but she “knew” that they were not delusions). It provides such a great look into how a psychotic episode can progress from the point of view of the one suffering. I also appreciate her discussion of the medication she took during her illness and how thankful she was to have access to it. Though I agree with those who have reservations/criticism of psychotropic medications who took them, the destigmatization of anti-psychotics (especially in such a misunderstood and stigmatized illness) is important.

On top of this, Alvi focuses greatly on the ways that she was failed by the medical system (she went to 5 doctors while actively describing depression and auditory hallucinations before she was take seriously!) especially as an Indian woman. She goes into detail in statistics - plus her own experiences both as an Indian woman and as an advocate who has worked with non-white women) - to showcase how women of color are misdiagnosed or just left to suffer by the system.

I just have many opinions of the author that leave a sour taste in my mouth. I cannot agree with her whe she describes being put in a psych ward against your will as an “inconvenience”. The author is Canadian (I’m American) so maybe there is a difference (I doubt it), but this felt so inconsiderate to countless people with psychotic disorders (postpartum or otherwise) who have been abused in these facilities. The author was not institutionalized during her experiences (though she says she feels she would have suffered much less if she was) so I really don’t think she understands the risks that come with institutionalization. PPP is a completely temporary illness and maybe that comes with an out when it comes to institutionalization (I really have only read/heard from those around me about non-postpartum psychotic disorders in relation to this) so I understand that there is less of a risk of long-term abuse. However, it still felt inappropriate to not ever touch on any of the risks that relate to this and instead claim that every woman experiencing hallucinations/delusions should be immediately institutionalized for weeks until it stops.

Another thing was her eagerness about calling the cops on someone experiencing a psychotic episode. The book opens with Alvi and her family helping a family friend who is also experiencing PPP and violent delusions/hallucinations. In this, she/her family calls 911 (or the Canadian equivalent) and the cops and ambulance shows up. I was hoping that, since this scene took place in ~2005 and she had not begun her advocacy work, she would later reprimand this choice and speak on the different, modern alternatives (mental health crisis hotlines, which can still be flawed/immediately call the cops themselves but I still would have liked to have heard them talked about). She never did, though, and seems to be totally fine with this choice of hers. The unnecessary risk of armed officers showing up to a person in active psychosis needs to be pointed out before doing a blanket recommendation of it. I am glad that her experiences in the book turned out all good, but surely she is aware of the risks (insert Canada/America comparison here even though I’ve heard the cops are the same on either side of the border).

Also, this doesn’t really affect my review and is maybe a tangent, but she does not paint her husband in a good light in this at all. Yes, this is a book on PPP so the bad events are pointed out and I am sure they have a great relationship/he is a good person, but he seems horrible in this. Yelling at his wife during a psychotic episode, refusing to answer her calls/visit her, and calling the cops on her for crying because he thought she was in a psychotic episode (even though she had been cleared by her doctor for weeks to not need antipsychotics anymore and she was just crying about a reasonable thing to cry about??). I know that he was fearful of loosing his wife and was torn between trusting the doctors who said she was fine and his wife’s concerning behavior, but wow. I try not to treat people in a memoir as characters while reading because these are just real people in the author’s life, but I was dreading scenes with him because he made me so uncomfortable in so many of them.

Anyways, I still think that this is an incredible memoir to read to really gain perspective on such a stigmatized and feared illness from the POV of a woman going through it. I really appreciated the "case studies" she did after each of her experiences where she explores the specific symptoms she experienced in depth and named them. It helped ground the memoir as well as allowed it to act as an even better resource. Lastly, I recommend reading about anti-institutionalization and the risk that those with psychotic disorders experience during institutionalization and in interactions with police officers alongside this, though, and to do further research into any her of blanket recommendations before agreeing.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Become a mother is often framed as one of the most amazing experiences in life, and for many people it is, but for the significant number of people who experience perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, it can be overwhelming and terrifying. In A Mom Like That, Aaisha Alvi writes about her slide from postpartum depression to postpartum psychosis after her first child was born and again after a second pregnancy that ended in a miscarriage. I could not put it down. One of the most shocking things she describes was how she knew something was really wrong, that she and her daughter were not safe, and sought help from her doctors, including OBs and mental health professionals, and her alarming symptoms were minimized or normalized again and again. She and her family were crying out for help and by the time things reached a very dangerous level, she had normalized sone of them to herself so she wasn’t able to answer screening questions in a way that would trigger the more appropriate diagnosis. There are less than a handful of books from the perspective of a mother who recovered from postpartum psychosis. Sadly we more often read about the aftermath of tragic infanticide/ suicides and wonder what happened. Halfway through reading this, I went to my library website, and seeing that it was not in their catalog, submitted a request for them to consider purchasing it for the library. It is so important, especially in bringing awareness to postpartum mood and anxiety disorders in non-white women. I highly recommend reading it and recording it to libraries.

““Don’t look at me like that, okay,” I said, anger rising in me. Why was she taunting me like this, acting like she was a baby, when we both knew she wasn’t? “Just tell me what you want, you idiot!” I screamed into her face, restraining the intense urge to give her a shake and force her to tell me. Lina’s bottom lip began to tremble and slowly push forward. She closed her eyes and wailed with intense sadness. I looked at her and felt wicked.”

““But what about Aaisha, doc?” Adam piped in, taking Lina from Dr. Menko. “Yes, you,” she said, nodding sympathetically. Patting me on the knee, she looked me in the eyes. “Motherhood is hard, isn’t it?” I looked down, biting my bottom lip. It was beyond hard, I thought. It felt like torture. “It’ll get better. I promise,” she said, getting to her feet. I doubted it.”

““I have blamed myself unnecessarily when things went wrong,” she said, reading off the paper. “No, never,” I said. I had no time to blame myself. “I have been anxious or worried for no good reason,” she said, looking up. “No, never.” I had an excellent reason for being anxious and worried. “Wait.” I couldn’t help but interrupt. “You’re going to send me home and tell me I’m fine and handling things well, aren’t you? Listen, I don’t need you to ask me all these questions. The fact is that I’m sick, and I need medication.” I felt terror rising up inside of me at the thought of being sent home, empty-handed. “I’ve got these scary intrusive thoughts, and I keep seeing these violent images involving my daughter, and I want them to stop!” I said, getting to my feet. Dr. Robyn nodded her head. “That’s all a part of being depressed. As long as you don’t feel like stabbing your daughter to death with a knife, it’s depression.” Stab Lina! Stab Lina! Stab Lina! The thoughts screamed gleefully, overjoyed at being tossed a bone.”

“The grim reality is that racialized women, who already experience higher rates of postpartum mood disorders, are more likely than their white counterparts to be misdiagnosed. At least one study found that Indian women like me, with postpartum mood disorders, were more likely to be misdiagnosed than diagnosed properly.1 This can have devastating implications.”

“What would help every woman with a postpartum mood disorder is having a provider who takes the time to really listen and understand what is going on, even if it takes more than fifteen minutes.”

“Postpartum psychosis occurs in one to two out of every one thousand deliveries, Down syndrome occurs in one in seven hundred live births, and cerebral palsy occurs in two to three out of one thousand live births. Given that postpartum psychosis can also occur after pregnancy loss or miscarriage, its incidence is not that unusual. Nobody would suggest that people need not know about Down syndrome because it is “relatively rare.” In fact, most women who give birth after thirty are told of its very real possibility and given the option to be tested for it. Why? Because knowledge is power, and it enables women to be better prepared in the event such a circumstance finds its way into their lives.”

“I wanted to give voice to women who have gone through this frightening experience and not made it out. Another was to humanize those who have committed tragic acts of violence as a result of this illness. I also wanted to show the devastating consequences that ignorance about postpartum psychosis among healthcare providers can have on those struggling.”

Thank you to Dundurn Press for providing this book for review consideration to NetGalley.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished “A Mom Like That: A Memoir of Postpartum Psychosis” by Aaisha Alvi, and wow—what an incredible journey. People often tell me I’m brave for sharing my own story, but Alvi’s courage in confronting postpartum psychosis and motherhood is truly inspiring. She opens up about her struggles, driven by a deep desire to break the silence and make sure no one else feels like a monster due to society’s ignorance. It's time we shine a light on taboo topics like this—our stories matter, and they need to be told. Highly recommend this raw, honest memoir.

[Paul Sutter]

Sometimes people just don’t realize what happens when a woman gives birth. It is more than just nine months of morning sickness, discomfort, and so much more. We are hearing more stories of women who have suffered long after giving birth, and that is not just in having children and dealing with the first few months of raising that child.
Aaisha Alvi in her book A MOM LIKE THAT: A MEMOIR OF POSTPARTUM PSYCHOSIS, offers a most eye-opening tale of dealing with postpartum issues, some which get to the point that the mother finds them to limit their activities, and cause lasting issue that are not that easy to recover from. Aaisha discuses in detail the postpartum problems that were associated with her two pregnancies. It is sometimes common for women to experiences certain issues of guilt and emotional traumas, but when they persist as we read about in this book, it is like entering a very dark tunnel of which you are unsure if you will ever see the light at the end of that tunnel.
Aaisha tells us in great detail, that it did seem like a bottomless pit, where there was no positives or hope that was to be found. She seemed to spiral deeper and deeper into a personal despair, where irrational thoughts were compounded with hallucinations and very violent thoughts and impulses. In fact they got to the point that there was the notion of wanting to harm one’s own children. With her first child Lina, it began, and was much more than concerns about the child on a constant basis. It got to the point that harmful thoughts were prevalent, delusional ones about the family in general. She envisioned her own suicide, and when she did seek help, there was not much support from the medical world on more than one occasion. When she became pregnant again, this time losing the child through miscarriage, it spiraled again.
More than once she heard easy diagnosis, that she was just depressed and this was normal. But it was more than that, and Aaisha talks about her thoughts and battles between God and Satan, and even hallucinating corpses hanging from the ceiling.
This is a most important book for women and men to read, and come to an understanding that professionals must not turn a blind eye to issues during and after pregnancy. It is one of the most moving books you will ever read on the subject.

[Hayley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a memoir all about our main character, Aaisha, as she suffered from post partum phycosis after the birth of her daughter. I feel that this was a important book for people to read because it shows not only what post partum psychosis is but how it can happen to anyone and it doesn't make you a bad person. This was a sad read because our main character knew what she was feeling wasn't right however that didn't seem to stop the terrible images that played out in her mind. Knowing that she isn't the only one to suffer like this makes it extra sad to me that so many women choose to suffer alone. The exact thing that made this such a sad book was the exact same thing that made it so powerful. The fact that our author is speaking from real life experience gives her the insight and the knowledge to share with the world her warning signs and to hopefully help others who are going through what she went through. What I didn't like about this book to much was it was a bit cold and clinical in points at the beginning where I expected this book to be all first hand experience it was a lot more of almost stats and than first hand experience. Minus that one part at the start I loved this book and really felt for our main character. I believe that this is a book all expectant mothers, women who want to be mothers, and current mothers should all read in their lifetimes. This struggle while not often takes about is real and needs to be address for everyone's sake. With so much truth and raw honesty this book is one that really tugs at your heartstrings as you feel for our author and the horror she lived through. I really enjoyed this book, because it was about something I had never heard of before so it opened my eyes to what some people experience. I think that more people need to be educated on this disorder because it will save lives and families. Very interesting read, and I hope that when this book is released it gets across to all those that need to hear it's message.

[Courtney Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A memoir addressing mental health and postpartum that is SO needed and needs to be talked about more. Emotional, terrifying, and brave.

I am a mother of two. My first pregnancy and the aftermath was tiring, but I handled everything like a pro and bounced right back better than before. It was sunshine and rainbows. My son was EVERYTHING.
My second pregnancy was tough, with an almost 10 pounder inside my petite body. I didn't bounce back. I had the blues. Depression set in later. I felt like I had no one to talk to about it. I hated that I felt that way and it's wasn't like the first go around. It's taboo to not feel joy being a mother. I felt so much guilt. After this pregnancy, I heard about Lindsay Clancy (mentioned in the book) and the news of what happened crushed me. I had never even heard of postpartum psychosis. It SHOULD be something pregnant women and their partners are informed of! It can affect any mother post-birth, even if she had a child before. It's terrifying!

Hearing Aisha's story and her desire to help other mothers and bring awareness to this mental health issues was powerful. There is too much judgment on postpartum issues and not enough resources and knowledge. Mothers and babies suffering or in danger due to misdiagnosis or lack of knowledge or doctors brushing off the possibility of psychosis.

I applaud Aisha for telling her journey through the terrors of psychosis. I learned a lot from this book and I hope it reaches the attention it needs in order to make sure care for psychosis is available.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for access to the ARC version of this book. I greatly appreciate the opportunity.

[Michelle Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, author Aaisha Ali and Dundurn press for the opportunity to review this book.

The author’s story was absolutely heartbreaking to read but it is also an eye opener for anyone suffering with a mental health condition. I had lost part depression after the birth of my second child and received very little in the means of support. Thankfully, it never went further into psychosis but having to advocate for yourself in the throes of post partum anything is ridiculously hard.

I’m presenting a truthful review I found this book hard to read. The beginning I was very close to just not continuing. While I understand the author was writing from her personal experience the beginning lacked for me. It didn’t grab my attention and want me to read more. I continued because I felt it had to get better and I have a vested interest in mental health.

It was a slow paced read, boring in spots. Maybe I was just expecting more but for me it wasn’t captivating. I was looking for more depth, more into the mind of the author and more of a history/details.

It is a good read for those who don’t have any experience or knowledge with post partum depression and/or psychosis but for me it just felt like each chapter just repeated itself over and over with just a slightly few new details.

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ more so for the author’s bravery in putting her experience out for the world to read.

[Willemijn De Bruin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this memoir Aaisha does not only shine a very important light on the perinatala mental health condition postpartum psychosis, she dares to go next level by narrating its darkest symptoms: hallucinations, and ideation of self-harm, suicide and infanticide. As a survivor of postpartum psychosis I have my own lived-experience and read various memoirs by peers yet I am of the opinion that Aaisha is the first one to truly give voice to women who sadly did not survive the disease and were part of truly tragic stories. Her memoir brings value in so many ways: it gives critical insight into the symptoms and manifestation of the disease, it shines light on systematic shortcomings of healthcare providers and healthcare systems, entrenched inequalities in healthcare and society overall and eloquently addresses stigma (including self-stigma) Though Aaisha lives and was ill in Canada I also value the fact that she gives voice to women of colour and members of the Muslim community around the world. Your memoir is admirable Aaisha and I can recommend it to EVERYONE who is interested in this topic but more so to those who know very little about it. You already saved lives yourself but your book will save even more. Hug from a peer - Willemijn

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a glimpse into postpartum psychosis and the lack of information surronding the diagnosis. It is shining a light on a topic that is not talked about. Aaisha shares her experience which is both devastating and uplifting. The challenges she was met with when doctors did not understand what was happening to finally finding the right person to support her. She highlights that this can impact anyone, anywhere and works hard to normalize mental health.

I'll be honest, I did not know much about postpartum psychosis. But this story gave me not only an idea of what it might be like, but also what to look out for and when to get help. The strength to share her story and experience in the hopes of helping others is so inspiring.

I am better for having read this book and I would highly recommend it.

Trigger Warnings: miscarriage, delusional thinking (including violence towards others, young children and oneself), brief mentions of deaths of children)

It is difficult to list all of them - so please check in if you have concerns.

Huge thank you to the author for sharing her story and to Dundurn Press for gifting me a copy of this book.

[Enid Wray · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the water I least like to tread in - critiquing a personal memoir! But there are so many things wrong here…

I’ll start with the positives…This scared the shit out of me while I was reading it for many many reasons.

Sadly, the issues outweigh the positives.

First, this is billed as a personal memoir, but it doesn’t know what it wants to be… and it needed to not have been framed/written as a personal memoir.

Second, is that there are so many - internal - contradictions within these pages.

Third, there are moments that make me just shake my head and pass beyond incredulity.

Fourth, there are things that I had trouble believing at all…. I am prepared to withdraw these criticisms if I can find evidence to support the position.

Fifth, there are serious matters of structure and organisation… the total absence of a necessarily firm guiding editorial hand.

This title is both timely and important, but it falls short.

Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me access to an early digital copy. Apologies for the delay in getting this post up.

2.5 rounded up to 3

[Stephanie Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Though is is relatively rare when compared to other Postpartum’s disorders, its incidence is actually on par with the incidence of having a child with Down syndrome or cerebral palsy.” - Aaisha Alvi 💜💜💜💜💜 This is truly one of the most raw and heartfelt memoirs I have had the honour of reading. Aaisha Alvi has written a powerful first hand account of not only her lived experience of postpartum psychosis but also her brave support of other moms struggling with the disorder. I was shocked, but not surprised, by the lack of support within Canada’s health care system and the prevalence of postpartum psychosis that is so easily overlooked. This book is for everyone, not just those who live through the diagnoses but also their family, friends and birth workers. As both a mama and a doula, I will forever be recommending this book to everyone I know. Thank you @aaishaalviwrites for this addition to my bookshelf and the lives that will be bettered simply because you took the time to bravely share this with the world. “….a mom with this condition is not a bad mom but is suffering from a severe illness. She is not safe to make decisions for herself or her baby at the moment, but she can get better and go on to care for her infant. And lastly, a mother suffering from postpartum psychosis is still worthy and deserving of being near to and surrounded by her loved ones.”

[Sharon M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for gifting me a digital ARC of this heartbreaking memoir by Aaisha Alvi. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Aaisha thought early motherhood would be happy, but it was anything but. She had scary, delusional thoughts about her and her baby. Then when she suffered a miscarriage during her second pregnancy, her psychosis returned. This time, it was much, much worse.

While this was a difficult book to read, I can only imagine how difficult it was to write. As far as we have come, mental health issues are still seen as shameful, to be hidden, and not prioritized or recognized when patients try to seek help. Postpartum issues can range from the baby blues to full blown psychosis, and this book should be a must read for all pregnant women - not to scare them, but to educate them and their families as to any troubling signs. I did feel the book was a bit repetitive, especially stating how women of color are especially vulnerable, but it was gripping. Kudos to Aaisha's support group as well!

[Heather Ratych · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a perinatal therapist, A Mom Like That profoundly shifted the way I will practice moving forward. This book is both heartbreaking and deeply illuminating. The author’s willingness to share the raw, unfiltered details of her experience with postpartum psychosis really highlighted just how easily mothers can be dismissed, misunderstood, and overlooked by the systems and people meant to protect them.

What struck me most was the vulnerability and courage with which she tells her story. The layers of pain, confusion, and oversight she endured, and the way her voice was minimized, were so moving. Her honesty provides an invaluable window into an experience that so few understand but that so many need to hear.

For clinicians, this book is an essential reminder of the importance of listening, asking the right questions, and truly seeing the parents we support. For parents and families, it offers education, awareness, and insight into what postpartum psychosis can really look like, and why it is an emergency.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Thank you, Aaisha.

[Reanna Erixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book stopped me in my tracks. I read the entire thing in one day. I could not put it down.

A Mom Like That is raw, courageous, and painfully real — a true story that lifts the veil on postpartum psychosis and reminds us that motherhood and mental health deserve open, honest conversation.

As a counsellor, doula, and mother, I have lived, seen and supported so many versions of this pain, this strength, this rebirth. Aaisha Alvi’s story is not just a memoir — it’s a mirror and a message. A reminder that vulnerability is strength, that healing is possible, and that no mother should ever feel alone in her struggle. And that our doctors don’t always know what’s best. There is much to learn.

Here’s to breaking silence, ending stigma, and embracing compassion — for ourselves and for every mom who’s ever whispered, “I’m not okay”

#AMomLikeThat #AaishaAlvi #PostpartumAwareness #MaternalMentalHealth #HealingJourney #BreakingTheStigma #MotherhoodUnfiltered #YouAreNotAlone #DoulaSupport #CoachForMoms

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because I'm a licensed clinical social worker and a certified perinatal mental health provider. I don't specialize in postpartum psychosis. However, I believe being educated on this disorder is imperative to treating my clients so that I can refer them to the appropriate medical professionals.

I rated this book a 4 because I listened to it on audiobook and didn't love the narrator. Otherwise, this book is a realistic depiction of postpartum psychosis and the flaws within the medical field regarding the disorder.

If you're a healthcare provider who sees perinatal patients, please read this book. If you're someone who is or knows someone who is pregnant or postpartum, please read this book. Don't self diagnose. Just increase your awareness!

[Stephanie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a memoir about post partum psychosis in a similar vein to Brain on Fire. It was scary but informative on a subject I knew next to nothing about.

I would say it dragged on a bit longer than it needed to. The ten myth busting facts at the end kind of felt like she was scrambling to get to an even ten. I would also say the book was a tad repetitive, but the subject matter that was being repeated was definitely important.

This was hard to read because from the reader’s standpoint, you felt the frustration and wanted to scream at doctors and even occasionally family members who said completely the wrong thing or misdiagnosed her.

Overall, this was an interesting read that I learned a lot from.

[Ashlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A difficult but engrossing read for anyone with an interest in postpartum mood disorders or abnormal psychology more generally. Alvi’s memoir shines most in its descriptions of her personal experiences with PPP. It does occasionally get clunky when the author attempts to connect her story to other newsworthy cases or to broader issues like medical racism and lack of research into maternal care, which she does through end-of-chapter paragraphs that have a bit of a “tacked on” feeling. These discussions would have been more effective had they been more smoothly integrated into the narrative as a whole. Still, I found this to be a fascinating and necessary intervention into the harrowing and grossly under-researched phenomenon of postpartum psychosis.

[Elena Lamprecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished A Mom Like That: A Memoir of Postpartum Psychosis by Aaisha Alvi, and one passage lodged itself in my mind: “I was officially in another dimension… Terror gripped me at the possibility that I might actually be able to see the Devil now that I’d crossed over to this new dimension.” Reading it felt like stumbling on a mirror of my own past, the same visual, tactile and auditory hallucinations I’ve experienced. It was Aaisha’s fierce honesty that gave me language for what I had previously carried alone. As a neurodivergent researcher who has had autistic clients with psychotic experiences, her memoir sharpened patterns I’ve long suspected and deepened my understanding of their lived reality.

Thank you Aisha for your groundbreaking story ❤️

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5☆
|| A MOM LIKE THAT ||
#gifted @dundurnpress

A Mom Like That follows Alvi's experiences with postpartum psychosis. Following the birth of her first child and then again following a miscarriage. I'm always appreciative when a women is willing to be honest and brave enough to share about her experiences with maternal mental health. So many women do not for fear of shame. This memoir is great for understanding postpartum psychosis better and or for feeling like your not alone in it. It's heartbreaking and relevant and there's a lot to take away from it.

For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong

[Yollanda Zhang · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has experienced prenatal psychosis, A Mother Like That felt like a mirror reflecting parts of my journey I thought no one else could understand. The author’s raw vulnerability and unflinching honesty brought tears to my eyes, making me feel deeply seen in a way few books ever have.

This book explores the complexities of motherhood, love, and healing with such courage that it invites readers to reflect on their own journeys. It is a profound reminder of the resilience within us and the transformative power of vulnerability.

A Mother Like That is more than a book—it’s a gift to anyone seeking connection, compassion, and hope.

[Madeline Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fascinating and heartbreaking. I find both pregnancy and mental health interesting, so this was a combination of two interests. You really feel for Aaisha, and other women with the postpartum psychosis, throughout the narrative. It seems a lot has changed since her experience with it, but a lot has unfortunately stayed the same. This is a necessary read about something that’s not often talked about.

Thanks to Dundurn Press for a gifted copy of this book and Aaisha for sharing her story. All opinions are my own.

[Rebecca Reddin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This heartbreaking yet incredibly powerful memoir is a true window into the experience of postpartum psychosis; a condition so rarely spoken about, yet crucially important to discuss. Aaisha takes a brave step into the limelight to bring awareness to this important maternal mental health complication that usually lives in the shadows. A must read for all of my students and anyone interested in maternal mental health.
- Rebecca Reddin, Psychologist
Founder of the Perinatal Mental Health Institute

[Cynthia Wickert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is profound in so many ways. I am a Social Worker who works in the perinatal population and the information and insight the author was able to share with her readers changed my understanding of how psychosis can look/present. Her frustrations with the medical system ignited a fire in me to ASK MORE QUESTIONS and advocate hard for women who are struggling with mood disorders. Thank you for writing this important book, it is a gift and should be read by ALL health professionals and therapists. I will most definitely keep spreading the word about it!

[Heather Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a pelvic health physical therapist (who works with the pregnant and post-partum population) and mom of two, I LOVED this book and will be recommending it to all my fellow practitioners. This book drew me in - I think I finished it in less than 48 hours because I could not stop once I started. Her story is incredible and so very important. I learned so much about post-partum psychosis, the associated racial disparities, and how often women are turned away and misdiagnosed during this dangerous time. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

[Kate Kripke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaisha’s story of motherhood is one we can all relate to, whether or not we have suffered through postpartum psychosis. Mons who have been through the same incredibly challenging postpartum issues will find validation, compassion, and support here. Folks who haven’t will walk away with a greater understanding of the universal experiences in motherhood that bring us together rather than divide us. All moms want to be good moms. And this book reminds us of that.