Pregnancy
For a lot of people I work with, pregnancy can be a time of complex and even conflicting emotions. There can be friend and family expectations, cultural messages, identity shifts, not feeling “at home” in our bodies, worries about the future, prior miscarriage or loss, and so much more, at a time when we can already be feeling out of sorts.
If you have risk factors for a Perinatal Mood and Anxiety disorder (see below), therapy during pregnancy can be preventative by helping fortify support and care when you need it most.
In over a decade of my practice, I’ve found that beginning therapy during pregnancy (whether first, second, third…) can be incredibly helpful in setting your postpartum and parenting days up for success. Even if you find you don’t need therapy after your baby arrives, having built a connection with a therapist you trust during pregnancy can feel really helpful. Also, people often find me after they’ve had postpartum depression or anxiety with their first child- we can do a lot to make the experience much better during a subsequent pregnancy and postpartum.
Risk Factors for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders
I list these so you can get a sense of if it might be a good idea to seek more support during pregnancy. Not to create fear, but empowering you to get the care you deserve.
Having these risk factors does not mean you will experience Postpartum Depression or Anxiety, and not having any of these does not mean you won’t benefit from more support.
-Personal or family history of mental health disorders such as anxiety or depression.
-Personal or family history of trauma including fertility challenges, having an infant in the NICU, miscarriage or infant loss.
-Life stressors such as financial worries, partnership tensions, a move, job loss, etc.
-An unwanted or unplanned pregnancy.
-Intense worries that begin during a planned and wanted pregnancy.
-Severe PMS or PMDD in the past, as PMADs and menstrual cycle symptoms are both often caused by a sensitivity to hormonal changes.
-Medical issues such as a thyroid imbalance or Diabetes (Type 1, 2 or Gestational).
-Lack of the physical and/or emotional support that would help you feel your best.
Additionally, I have found that Postpartum Anxiety often shows up in people that are wonderfully conscientious, care deeply about being a good parent and doing things “right,” and who have often achieved high levels of academic and professional success.
Pregnancy and the newborn phase can cause us distress when we are used to a certain level of effort equalling a predictable outcome. The combination of super high-stakes and low-control during pregnancy and postpartum make us feel like we’re “failing” or not doing enough because even though we are doing everything we can, things might not work out how we planned or hoped.
This, particularly, can be such an expansive time for growth if we’re in an environment to explore and be curious about ourselves, and it’s perfect for therapy.