Dr Elsa Du Toit

Dr Elsa Du Toit I am passionate about empowering women and their families during one of life’s most immersive journeys - pregnancy, postpartum and beyond.

With over 15 years of expertise exclusively focused on perinatal psychiatry.

12/06/2026

You never leave postpartum.

This powerful reflection was shared by a mother during a recent ARC workshop.

The postpartum period may change shape over time, but perhaps one thing remains true: you can never unbecome a mother.

Motherhood changes us forever.

One of the greatest privileges of my work is being invited into these conversations. Listening to mothers make sense of their stories while reflecting on my own. Watching women realise that they are not alone. Watching uncertainty become clarity.

This week marked the conclusion of our six-month Meeting of the Minds journey and another series of ARC workshops. Spaces where women feel safe enough to share their experiences with one another.

Thank you to everyone who attended, shared their stories, asked difficult questions, and trusted us with their journeys.

It has been a busy season, and I am looking forward to taking some time away with my family.

When I’m back, we’ll continue exploring the questions that matter: how we navigate uncertainty, make confident decisions, build resilience, and improve health and wellbeing throughout the perinatal journey.

Because while every mother’s journey is unique, there is something powerful about discovering that we do not have to navigate it alone.

When we talk about breastfeeding, we often hear phrases like "breast is best" or "it's the most natural thing in the wor...
11/06/2026

When we talk about breastfeeding, we often hear phrases like "breast is best" or "it's the most natural thing in the world."

What we don't talk about enough is how complicated feeding decisions can become when you're also trying to manage your own mental health.

I've spoken to so many mothers who have sat awake at night wondering:

"Can I take the medication I need and still breastfeed safely?"
"Am I putting my baby at risk?"
"What if breastfeeding is making my anxiety or depression worse?"
"What if I choose formula feeding?"
"Why do I feel so guilty no matter what I decide?"

These are not simple questions and they deserve more than simple answers.

The truth is that infant feeding decisions are often deeply personal and influenced by many factors, including mental health, medication needs, family circumstances, breastfeeding goals and overall wellbeing.

That's why I'm excited to invite you to this webinar 🧠 Breastfeeding, Mental Health & Medication: Making Informed Decisions Without Guilt

Together we'll explore what the evidence actually says about medication use during breastfeeding, how to weigh risks and benefits and how to make decisions that support both mother and baby.

Most importantly, we'll create space for a conversation that is compassionate, nuanced and free from judgment.

📅 24 June 2026
🕖 7:00 – 8:00 PM
💻 Online
💰 R99

Secure your spot now: https://www.drelsadutoit.com/breastfeeding

Whether you're breastfeeding, combination feeding, formula feeding or still trying to decide, this webinar is for you.

Because supporting a baby's health should never come at the expense of a mother's wellbeing. 💛

10/06/2026

Anxiety, Guilt, Overwhelm, Uncertainty.

These were some of the words women wrote down when reflecting on their experience of pregnancy and motherhood.

Many mothers arrive at breastfeeding carrying expectations of what it should look like and what a “good mother” should do.

But when reality looks different, it’s easy to feel lost.

Questions start to creep in:

Am I doing enough?
Should I keep going?
Should I stop?
Why does this feel so much harder than I expected?

If these questions sound familiar, you’re not alone.

Join us on 24 June for Breastfeeding Expectations vs Reality: When Mothers Get Lost as we explore the emotional burden of breastfeeding and the gap that can exist between what mothers expect, what society expects, and what mothers actually experience.

Registration is now open. Visit my website to reserve your place.

09/06/2026

I didn’t realise how much I needed this reminder until it was waiting for me on my desk this morning.

A beautiful bunch of flowers from a patient.

Over the past few months, I’ve had the privilege of facilitating workshops with mothers, many of whom are healthcare professionals themselves. One of the recurring themes has been how rarely we step out of our professional roles and allow ourselves to simply be women, mothers, and human beings.

What I’ve been reminded of, again and again, is that nurturing ourselves doesn’t just help us show up better for the people we care for. It helps us stay connected to the very experiences that allow us to understand them.

Today, the flowers were a reminder that care flows both ways.

And perhaps that receiving care with gratitude is just as important as giving it. Thank you 🙏🌷

🤱🧠 Breastfeeding, mental health & medication: Making informed decisions without guiltBreastfeeding is often portrayed as...
09/06/2026

🤱🧠 Breastfeeding, mental health & medication: Making informed decisions without guilt

Breastfeeding is often portrayed as simple and instinctive, but for many mothers, the reality is far more complicated.

If you’re navigating anxiety, depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder or other mental health conditions while trying to make feeding decisions for your baby, you may be carrying questions that feel heavy, confusing and deeply personal.

💬 Can I breastfeed while taking medication?
💬 What are the actual risks?
💬 What if breastfeeding is affecting my mental health?
💬 Is formula feeding the right choice for my family?
💬 How do I make these decisions without guilt?

Join Dr Elsa du Toit for a compassionate, evidence-based webinar designed to help mothers and healthcare professionals better understand the complex relationship between breastfeeding, mental health, medication, and maternal wellbeing.

📅 24 June 2026
🕖 7:00 – 8:00 PM (Online)
💰 R99

Book now:https://www.drelsadutoit.com/breastfeeding

Whether you are planning to breastfeed, combination feed, formula feed or are still uncertain, this session will provide practical guidance in a safe, non-judgmental space.

08/06/2026

What if the answer is not more information?
This weekend, a group of women spent a few hours exploring the questions that so often accompany pregnancy and motherhood:

Am I making the right decision?

How do I know which advice to trust?

What happens when there isn’t one clear answer?

The most valuable insights didn’t come from another expert opinion.

They came from women pausing long enough to reflect, ask questions, learn from one another’s experiences, and practise a structured approach to navigating uncertainty.

Because confidence doesn’t come from having all the answers.

It comes from knowing how to think through difficult decisions.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Confident Decisions in Pregnancy and contributed so generously to the conversation.

04/06/2026

I’m looking forward to sharing the ARC Framework in my upcoming workshops.

ARC stands for:
• Awareness
• Risk & Resilience Analysis
• Confident Choices

It is a practical framework designed to help women move from information overload to confident decisions to protect, maintain, and restore their mental health throughout the pregnancy and the postpartum period.

If this resonates with you, follow along for future workshops and resources on perinatal mental health.

29/05/2026

Next week’s Mindful Moms workshop will empower women to make confident, informed decisions during pregnancy.

It is every woman’s right to be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and support needed to navigate pregnancy and early motherhood with confidence. Yet conflicting opinions, societal pressure to be the “perfect” mother, and fear of making the wrong decision often steal joy from this journey.

For many women, particularly those navigating pregnancy alongside chronic medical or mental health conditions, fear can become a significant barrier to seeking care and making decisions that align with their values and circumstances.

I look forward to seeing women move from fear-based decision-making towards confident, informed choices for themselves and their babies.

There are still one or two spots available. Details can be found on the website- link in bio

Imagine this:A quiet Saturday morning. A beautiful space in Cape Town, warm and unhurried. A cup of coffee in your hands...
29/05/2026

Imagine this:

A quiet Saturday morning. A beautiful space in Cape Town, warm and unhurried. A cup of coffee in your hands.

You're sitting with a small group of women pregnant, postpartum, planning all carrying the same invisible weight you've been carrying. And for the first time in a long time, you don't have to explain yourself.

They get it. Because they're living it too.

For three hours, I guide you through exactly what to do with all of it, the conflicting advice, the fear, the 2am spiralling. You'll leave with a clear framework, a mapped-out personal risk profile and a next step that finally feels right.

But honestly? What my past attendees talk about most isn't the content.

It's the room.

The moment someone asked the question they'd been too scared to ask out loud. The exhale when they realised they weren't alone. The feeling of walking out lighter than they walked in.

That's what live does. That's what 15 women in a room together does.

And I have saved a seat for you.

📍 Live In-Person | Cape Town, Northern Suburbs
📅 Saturday 6 June 2026 | 09:00–12:00
💛 R1850 | Only 15 seats available

→ Claim your spot: https://www.drelsadutoit.com/Mindful-Moms-Workshops

Dr. Elsa

P.S. Questions before you book? Just hit reply. I'm here.

One of the biggest myths in pregnancy and postpartum mental health is that treatment decisions are simple choices betwee...
28/05/2026

One of the biggest myths in pregnancy and postpartum mental health is that treatment decisions are simple choices between safe and unsafe.

They are not.
Context matters, and thoughtful care means weighing risks, needs and wellbeing together - for both mom and baby.

Every option comes with considerations.

Whether you choose to:

Stop medication
Start medication
change a dose
switch medication
or continue treatment as is

But nobody explains this properly to women.
So instead, mothers carry enormous guilt and pressure while trying to make decisions with incomplete information.

Here’s what I want you to know:
The goal is not to eliminate all risk.
The goal is to understand your risks clearly enough to make the best decision for your situation.

That’s what we’ll walk through together in the Mindful Moms Workshop.
In less than 2 hours, you’ll finally have a framework that helps the noise quiet down.

And from there?
You can move forward with clarity instead of fear.
You deserve that peace.

💛 Reserve your place here: https://www.drelsadutoit.com/Mindful-Moms-Workshops

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