Category: Happy Healthy Momma

In the Netflix series Virgin River, Season 7 Episode 7 “It Takes a Village,” new mom Lizzie reaches a breaking point and receives a diagnosis of postpartum anxiety. As an advocate for maternal mental wellness, I am always glad to see this theme represented in pop culture, and it’s high time postpartum anxiety got some airtime. While no two women have the same postpartum journey, there are signs that pointed toward Lizzie definitely experiencing postpartum anxiety and not postpartum depression, which gets talked about more frequently. Having had postpartum anxiety myself, I’m eager to explore this episode here with you, highlighting not only what the show did well, but also pointing out one critical error in the storyline.

Let’s back up a bit and introduce Lizzy to the Pump Momma Pump community

Elizabeth “Lizzie” is a troubled young woman living in the town of Virgin River. Her character arc, begins in Season 2 when she moves to Virgin River under the guardianship of her aunt Connie after she becomes too much trouble for her parents.  By Season 7, she is settled within the community, living with her boyfriend in his grandparent’s house, surrounded by supportive family and friends. With a little help from ChatGPT, let’s explore where Lizzy is in season 7. In Virgin River Season 7, Lizzie is firmly in her young-mom era, and her storyline focuses on the reality of parenting, emotional strain, and figuring out her future. Lizzie is raising her baby Fumiko (Koko) with her boyfriend Denny Cutler, and a big part of her arc is adjusting to motherhood. It’s not portrayed as easy—she’s dealing with sleep deprivation, anxiety about doing things “right,” and generally feeling overwhelmed by this new responsibility. Season 7 really leans into the fact that Lizzie is still young and figuring things out. She has moments where the pressure builds up—like at her baby shower (Episode 7), where she becomes visibly overwhelmed. It shows just how isolating early motherhood can feel, even with support around her. Lizzie’s storyline is about the messy, real side of growing up fast—balancing youth, motherhood, and an uncertain future. It adds a more emotional, grounded layer to the season alongside the bigger drama happening in this small mountain town.

Spotting Lizzie’s postpartum anxiety

As soon as we hear Lizzie telling Denny she’ll try to get some sleep, but we see her remain nervously fixated on Koko’s bassinette, I knew something was wrong. We continue to see symptoms of a growing problem throughout the episode.

Excessive worry or fear

In the previous episode, we find out that Lizzie’s parents are coming for a visit, to meet their new granddaughter. Lizzie didn’t plan to allow her parents to hold the baby, since they will have been exposed to germs on their recent cruise, and on the plane to Virgin River. She also doesn’t leave the house with Koko when invited out for lunch or to social gatherings in town. We also see Lizzie exhibit controlling behaviors over the baby’s eating and sleeping routine, even when the baby does not seem hungry or tired. Rigid control, avoidance of leaving the house, and overly cautious behaviors are all signs of postpartum anxiety (PPA).

Insomnia

People keep asking Lizzie if she got sleep, and she replies with vague answers, not taking their advice to sleep when the baby sleeps or while someone else is caring for the baby. Women experiencing PPA insomnia get these “tired but wired” feelings, where they desperately need sleep but feel unable or unwilling to do so.

Intrusive thoughts and catastrophic thinking

After their visit with Lizzie’s parents, Lizzie is convinced that Koko picked up an illness from being held by per mother after her mother’s airline and cruise ship germ exposure. While there is no evidence of illness in baby Koko, Lizzie’s catastrophic thinking has got her assuming the worst. When Koko becomes overwhelmed by people and noise at the baby shower, Lizzie can’t get her to stop crying and assumes the worst.

Rage and mood swings

By this point in the show we know that Lizzie is a spitfire who always speaks her mind and wears the pants in her relationships, but her outbursts at boyfriend Denny are uncharacteristic of how we normally see them interact. Irritability and feelings of being on-edge are also warning signs of PPA.

Physical manifestations of PPA

During Lizzie’s baby shower at Jack’s bar, we see her growing increasingly uncomfortable in the crowded space, with many well-wishers holding and breathing on her baby. She ends up locking herself in Jack’s office and experiencing a kind of panic attack. Anxiety can manifest in physical symptoms like rapid breathing, racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, even dizziness and nausea.

While these are common postpartum anxiety symptoms, keep in mind that PPA is different for everyone, and can often be difficult to self-diagnose, especially for new moms who are experiencing sleep deprovision and are feeling cautious about the care of their new baby.

A critical error in Lizzie’s care

After Lizzie’s breakdown at the bar, Virgin River’s star nurse practitioner Mel sits with her on the bathroom floor and diagnoses her with postpartum anxiety. “I just can’t stop thinking about all these awful things. All these terrible things playing through my head. I see them happen and I feel like what it might feel like to lose her. Is this normal?” Lizzie asks, to which Mel answers, “It’s really common, post people don’t know they have it.” I can personally attest to both of these points. I didn’t know what was wrong with me before I was diagnosed, I just knew something needed to change. Now, the more I talk to new moms, the more I see how common PPA is, not just postpartum depression (PPD) which is still the only thing they routinely screen for at postpartum doctor appointments.

While I am glad to see Lizzie getting this diagnosis and on her way to feeling better, I have a new major issues with her care. In Episode 8, Mel, now in her role as the town Midwife, meets with Lizzie and Denny in the birthing center. She explains how an anxiety disorder affects the brain. Her first suggestion is putting Lizzie on an SSRI to treat her postpartum anxiety. Lizzie has a strongly negative reaction, declining medication, even after Mel tells her that it is safe for breastfeeding mothers and Denny encourages her to remain open to Mel’s suggestions. After a brief pause, Mel suggests alternatives such as breathing exercises, outdoor activities, and meditation. Denny suggests his own practice of Shinrin Yoku, forest bathing mediation. That’s all fine and dandy but….

No. Mention. Of. Therapy. Major major error here in Lizzie’s care, here! There’s no way SSRIs should have been the first course of action. Are SSRIs useful for treating PPA? Absolutely! I am on a low dose of Sertraline and it has made a huge difference. What I use daily, however, are all of the strategies I’ve learned in therapy. While taking time to speak with a therapist can be seen as just one more thing on your plate as a new mom, even a virtual session every other week can be a game changer in learning more about anxiety and distorted thinking, and how to deal with the stressors of daily life.

It takes a village… even a country, if necessary.

While sitting with the fragile Lizzie, Doc’s wife and town mayor Hope points out the importance of a village coming together to support the new mom, and that they are all learning how to do this together. “My first lesson is, never take your eyes off the mom. I promise to keep a better eye on you, ” Hope says. The women of the town come together to organize childcare, chores, and a meal train to support Lizzie and Denny. “It takes a country.” Hope says “You mean it takes a village!” Aunt Connie interjects. “No… it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a whole country to look out for a mother.”

I really believe that this episode, and subsequently this blog post, is part of the “country” taking care of you new mommas. The more people talk about their experience with PPA, the more it’s normalized on TV, and on social media, the more mommas we can reach and help support.

Get the help you deserve

New mommas… Any of this hitting a bit too close to home? Like Lizzie, do you feel like something is off, that you’re just not yourself, but you can’t put your finger on it? Contact Postpartum Support International, talk to your OBGYN/Midwife, or your GP (general practitioner), or see what local therapists are covered by your insurance. You deserve to feel better than this. Your mental health matters.