POSTNATAL PERIOD

Having a baby is a major life event that involves many big changes, changes to our daily routines, sleep patterns, roles, relationships, and identity.  The transition to parenthood can be feel overwhelming and debilitating for many as they come to terms with managing the responsibilities and demands involved. Previous ways of coping may no longer work and many struggle with feeling overwhelmed, anxious, low or bored, all feelings they may not have expected to experience at this time in their life.  During a time that many expect to be ‘special and wonderful’, a large number of women can feel overwhelmed by the hormonal, physical and emotional change that they have just endured. This can also be a difficult adjustment for partners and other family members.

This time may be particularly difficult if a woman has experienced a traumatic birth, or when there are other life pressures (such as financial pressures, feeding difficulties, a very unsettled infant, isolation, ill health, relationship and family difficulties).  The birth of a baby may also trigger unresolved issues from the past, and can be a time when new parents fear repeating parenting patterns from their own families of origin. Many feel embarrassed or ashamed to speak about the more negative feelings they experience postnatally, carrying the burden of these feelings in silence.

Common reasons for seeking help from us around the post natal period include:

postnatal depression

Around 80% of women will experience a brief period of feeling emotional and tearful, starting usually the first few days after delivery, and commonly known as ‘the baby blues’. New fathers may also experience this. The baby blues usually last for a few days and while distressing is manageable. However, between 10-15% of women and a similar percentage of men, will go through a much deeper and longer term depression, or postnatal depression. This can come on gradually or all of a sudden in the twelve months following the birth of your baby. For some this may be characterised by low mood but for others anxiety can be the main symptom they are struggling with.

Common symptoms of postnatal depression include:

  • feeling sad and low
  • tearfulness
  • feelings of worthlessness
  • feeling hopeless about the future
  • tiredness, disturbed sleep
  • unable to cope
  • irritability or hostile feelings
    towards others
  • guilt
  • feeling hostile or indifferent
    to your baby
postnatal anxiety

Given that we all experience some anxiety at some point, it can be hard to know how much is too much and symptoms often develop gradually over time.

However, if you have one or more of these symptoms, you may need help:

  • anxiety or fear that interrupts your thoughts and interferes with daily tasks
  • panic attacks – outbursts of extreme fear and panic that are overwhelming and feel uncontrollable
  • anxiety and persistent worries that keep coming into your mind
  • constantly feeling irritable, restless or ‘on edge’
  • having tense muscles, a ‘tight’ chest and heart palpitations
  • finding it difficult to relax and/or taking a long time to fall asleep at night
  • anxiety or fear that stops you going out with your baby
  • anxiety or fear that leads you to check on your baby constantly
  • It is quite common to experience symptoms of depression as well as anxiety.
recovering from a traumatic or difficult birth

Some women experience childbirth as traumatic, and seek assistance to process the emotions associated with the experience.  This can involve dealing with losses around how they thought the birth would be, and working on managing fear and anxiety surrounding their baby’s ongoing safety and future pregnancy.  Partners can also be affected by a traumatic childbirth, often reporting having felt helpless and fearful.  In many cases, partners put on a brave face for the new mother, minimizing their own trauma as a result.  Therapy can be helpful to assist partners in processing such feelings.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Perinatal OCD

It’s normal to worry about your child’s wellbeing and want to protect your baby while you are pregnant and after giving birth. But if you start to experience obsessive and compulsive symptoms that affect your daily life and wellbeing, you may be experiencing perinatal OCD. OCD affects 2 in 100 women in pregnancy and 2 -3 in every 100 women in the year after giving birth.

Common perinatal obsessions in pregnancy include:

  • Intrusive thoughts about harm coming to your baby or of you harming your baby
  • Fear of making the wrong decision, for example about what to name your child or where to give birth
  • A fear that something is contaminated by germs or dirt. You be worried that  your baby will be harmed by contamination.
  • An image or a thought, of harming someone. You may worry that you will accidentally or deliberately harm your baby, including sexual and violent thoughts. We know that people with OCD don’t become violent or act on these thoughts.

In Perinatal OCD, thoughts are often focused on the baby. However, this is not always the case and obsessions can focus on many different things.

Perinatal OCD can be mild or severe and can affect you in a range of different ways. It may affect your confidence, your relationship with your baby or your partner and your overall quality of life.  It may also be impacting on your sleep and leaving you feeling depressed.  You can find more information about Perinatal OCD here

Therapy can help you understand what is happening and work to reduce the distress that OCD is causing you. All of our psychologists are trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which is the evidence based treatment for working with OCD.

worries about parenthood

For some the idea of becoming a parent brings up a range of issues such as worries about being a good parent or anxieties about how having children will impact on their mental health. Many parents wish to parent differently to how they were raised.  There may be things about your upbringing that you want to bring forward into your own parenting, and others that you want to leave firmly in the past and not repeat. Therapy can help to address these themes so that you feel empowered to take the steps towards the life you want for you and your family.