Pregnancy is a time of many changes — both physically and emotionally. This period can be transformative. But it’s also overwhelming and challenging, which can lead to stress and complicated feelings.
The sleepless nights and all-consuming worries about the baby can lead to postpartum anxiety, depression, and other concerns. If you are having difficulty coping with mental health problems during pregnancy or beyond, you don’t have to just push through it and face things alone.
Know that support is available. With the right help, you’ll feel like yourself again and enjoy this important time in your life.
How Common Are Mental Health Issues During Pregnancy?
If you are experiencing pregnancy-related changes in your mood or mental health, you are not alone. Postpartum depression and other mental health issues are more common than you might think. According to the World Health Organization, one in five women experience a mental health condition during pregnancy.
What Kind of Mental Health Problems Are Common in Pregnancy?
Some of the most common mental health disorders that occur during and after pregnancy include:
- Postpartum (perinatal) depression
- Postpartum anxiety
- Postpartum psychosis
- Postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Eating disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Some research indicates a potential link between postpartum depression and rage. One study researching maternal anger after childbirth found that many factors were at play. These factors include the number of children they had, the presence of depressive symptoms, issues with infant sleep patterns, and maternal quality of sleep. This same study found that addressing maternal anger through the creation of a strong support system and ensuring maternal needs are met may be extremely helpful, especially during the first few months after giving birth.
Additional research suggests that when women battle mental health issues during their pregnancies, it can have an impact on their growing baby, primarily on neurological development and fetal heart rate. Stress-related symptoms experienced by women during pregnancy may increase their child’s risk of developing neurobehavioral disorders later in life. For these reasons, it is crucial to learn how to identify and treat mental health concerns during pregnancy and beyond.
Recognizing the Symptoms: What To Look Out For
Mood fluctuations are common during and immediately after pregnancy. As many as 80 percent of new moms experience the “baby blues,” or general feelings of sadness, after pregnancy.
While feeling occasional sadness or anxiety during pregnancy is completely normal, if you experience severe changes in mood that last for a long time, it can be a sign that something more serious is going on.
While the “baby blues” is transient and usually resolves within two weeks without treatment, postpartum depression and anxiety are much more serious conditions that require professional help through counseling or medication.
Recognizing the differences between the “Baby Blues” and postpartum depression and anxiety can be challenging. However, here are some symptoms to look out for:
- Persistently feeling tearful, sad and hopeless
- Experiencing severe mood swings or irritability
- Difficulty sleeping or oversleeping
- Not having an interest in the baby
- Trouble forming an emotional bond with the baby
- Feeling overwhelmed or anxious
- Difficulty thinking or concentrating
- Experiencing thoughts of hurting yourself or the baby
Feeling angry towards your spouse or the baby is also a common symptom of prenatal or postnatal depression. Additionally, anxiety symptoms during pregnancy and after giving birth can develop as a component of depression or as a standalone diagnosis. Both conditions can deeply affect your bond with your newborn and may worsen over time without receiving proper treatment. Understanding the signs of postpartum depression and anxiety can help you recognize when it’s time to seek professional help.
Types of Mental Health Support
The first to know is that mental health concerns during pregnancy are highly treatable. You can feel better, which is good for both you and your baby, as well. It might feel difficult to open up about what you are experiencing, but it is so important to do so. You deserve prenatal and postpartum support and care. There are many types of support available, including:
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy – EMDR is one type of therapy that can be used to treat perinatal anxiety and depression. It can help you cope with any trauma that you have experienced as a result of a difficult pregnancy or birth.
- Art therapy- Research suggests that art therapy can help women overcome perinatal depression.
- Virtual counseling – It can be hard to do in-person therapy if you are pregnant or postpartum. Fortunately, online depression therapy can be a wonderful solution.
All of these treatments can help stabilize your moods and adjust to the stress of being a new parent.
How To Get Help
If you are in New York, Pennsylvania or Connecticut, Bloom Therapy can provide you with 1:1 online postpartum depression counselling, EMDR therapy, or art therapy from compassionate and professional counselors in the comfort of your home.
At Bloom Therapy, we are all parents and will walk this journey with you with empathy and understanding.
Contact us to learn more about our online therapy options and how you can start feeling better today.