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You’re a new parent and having a baby is everything you dreamed of, except when it isn’t. You find yourself feeling anxious about everything surrounding your baby, feeling isolated, alone, maybe even sad. Maybe you’ve even had thoughts about not wanting to be a parent any longer. Maybe your partner is feeling this way and you are not sure what to do. Maybe you don’t feel a bond with your baby, and it is making you feel like a bad parent.
Or maybe this is your second or third child and you are not sure what is wrong with you because you did not feel this way after your first child. This is making taking care of your other children difficult and making being with your partner even more difficult.
Maybe you are having difficulty getting pregnant or have suffered a loss.
Maybe you are currently pregnant and are not sure how to cope with having a child because it is already so hard.
There are no “supposed tos” in parenthood. Sometimes it is hard, sometimes it is joyous, sometimes it is isolating. And, unfortunately, we usually only talk about the joy and that brand new child. We are here to talk about the parents; they are important, too.
Did you know that perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) affect 1 in 5 to 7 women and 1 in 10 partners? PMADs affect every income level, race, culture, and age. You are not alone. You are valid. You deserve support.
When most people think of challenges with perinatal mental health in pregnancy, they typically think of the Baby Blues or Postpartum Depression, and think this is something that only happens following birth and only to the birthing parent. This, unfortunately, leads to a lot of stigma and leads to some parents not feeling like their concerns are “normal” or worth talking about. Know that whatever it is you are struggling with, it deserves a space and can improve.
What are perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs)?
Perinatal is defined as the period all around birth, so typically encompasses pregnancy through the first 12 months following birth. Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are a wide variety of disorders that can result in this period, such as perinatal anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, psychosis, and more.
When do individuals develop perinatal mental health concerns?
PMADs can start at any time during the perinatal period. Most commonly, they occur following the birth of a child, but can occur prior to birth, or even in parents that are not birthing parents!
What causes PMADs?
These disorders can be caused by a wide variety of things such as hormones, individual history, and psychological and biological stressors. Developing one of these disorders is not your fault!
What are symptoms of PMADs?
Symptoms can include feeling overly anxious about things surrounding your new life with your new little human, feeling down, depressed, or hopeless, needing to constantly check things (clean bottles, baby, etc), reliving or constantly thinking about birth trauma, thoughts that your baby would be better off without you, among other things. If you think you may be suffering from a PMAD, it is important to seek out help.
What kind of treatment helps with perinatal mental health concerns?
Research indicates that certain types of therapies are very helpful in treating PMADs. It is recommended to seek out a therapist with extra training or background in treating PMADs and/or someone with a perinatal mental health certification. EMDR or Brainspotting can also be helpful; learn more about EMDR here or Brainspotting here.
What about medications for perinatal mental health?
Medications can be very helpful for some individuals and many can be safe during breastfeeding. It is recommended that you talk to your OB/GYN doctor about this and/or find a psychiatrist that specializes in the perinatal period.
I have more questions!
Contact us! Our certified perinatal mental health clinician would be more than happy to answer any questions. Unfortunately, it is impossible to know everything about parenthood, postpartum, etc, and this period is not talked about enough, so it is very normal to have a lot of other questions!
How do I get started?
Contact us! We will start by setting up a 1x appointment to talk a little bit more about you, your concerns, and talk about how we can help. Learn more about our clinician that is certified in perinatal mental health here. Learn more about our general psychotherapy services here.
Not sure what support you need or have more questions?
Pregnancy and Postpartum Therapy Group
Are you a new parent? Are you a parent with older children that is feeling overwhelmed? Are you currently pregnant? Are you looking for support?
We are starting a group for parents that are either currently pregnant, or are within the first year or two postpartum. We designed this group to really be a space for individuals to share and feel a sense of support with others going through the same thing! Pregnancy and parenting can feel very overwhelming and isolating, but it doesn’t have to be that way!
This group will be 50 minutes long and will most likely be 1x a week. There is not a set day/time for this group, yet, as we are working on building up interest and catering scheduling to those interested. Contact us to learn more!
This group will be led by Kielyr Luthi, MSW, LICSW, PMH-C. Click here to learn more about Kielyr!
Not sure if group therapy is right for you? Schedule a free consult!
Looking for additional resources? Visit Postpartum Support International.
