Takeaway: Many new mothers experience postpartum anxiety. Anxiety symptoms can take over and make you feel out of control and unsure. Everyone’s experience is unique, but there are some common and effective ways to cope with and even learn from anxiety as a new parent. In this post, we'll cover what you you need to know about postpartum anxiety and give some tips and strategies for how you can cope with worry and anxiety as a mom.

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Welcoming a new baby is an exciting and happy time for most parents- but it can also be filled with worry and fears. Parents worry, but if you're experiencing excessive worrying, feeling overwhelmed with anxious thoughts, intense fear, or unwanted thoughts, then read on to learn more about postpartum anxiety, common signs and symptoms to be on the look out for, causes of an anxiety disorder in postpartum, and treatment options for all - from mild cases to more severe cases.

WHAT IS POSTPARTUM ANXIETY?

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) like postpartum anxiety can begin in pregnancy and last through the first years of parenthood. This umbrella term for mental health conditions in the perinatal period also includes postpartum depression, postpartum panic disorder, postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder, postpartum psychosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, and postpartum bipolar disorder. Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are common and treatable. You are not alone. 1 in 7 women struggle with symptoms of postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety. Understanding what postpartum anxiety is and what a postpartum anxiety disorder looks and feels like can help you recognize the signs and get the right treatment for you.

Postpartum anxiety can make you feel like everything has to be done “right” - being very rigid about your baby’s feeding or sleeping schedule, for example. You might feel constantly worried or preoccupied and find yourself spending a lot of time researching, trying to find the perfect way to go forward when you need to make a decision or try something new. Intrusive thoughts about something bad happening to you or your baby, obsessive thoughts like worries that your baby will stop breathing, or worries about your baby being sick might feel hard to shake.

New moms are hardwired to respond to distress in their babies and protect them. When your brain and body are in this constant state of high alert, you can become susceptible to anxiety. Postpartum anxiety is excessive worry and fear after giving birth. It’s normal to want to protect your vulnerable new baby. but when you're easily worried and these thoughts take over and cause you pain and distress, many parents find they need additional help and support.

SYMPTOMS OF POSTPARTUM ANXIETY

Postpartum anxiety can look different for different people, but here are many common symptoms. Here are the main ones to look out for:

Racing thoughts
Difficulty controlling worries
Feeling like something bad is going to happen
Difficulty sleeping
Difficulty concentrating
Change in appetite and sleep patterns
Feeling irritable and overwhelmed
Uncharacteristic rage
Physical symptoms, like chest pain, panic attack dizziness, tension, trouble sitting still, heart palpitations, and hot flashes

WHAT CAUSES POSTPARTUM ANXIETY?

There are many factors that increase the chances that someone will experience postpartum anxiety. These include a change in hormone levels, lack of sleep, and feelings of responsibility. A personal or family history of depression or anxiety as well as stressful events like infertility, previous miscarriage, a difficult pregnancy, a traumatic birth, or issues with breastfeeding can make you more susceptible to postpartum anxiety symptoms too.

PERSONAL OR FAMILY HISTORY

Women who have a history of generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder, or other mental health conditions may be at a higher risk for developing postpartum anxiety symptoms. If a family member has experienced a perinatal mood or generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks, or severe anxiety, you may be at a higher risk.

POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

There is a strong relationship between postpartum depression and anxiety in the postpartum period. About half of women with some anxiety disorder also show symptoms of postpartum depression two months after childbirth. Two in three women suffering from depression during the postpartum period in the first seven postpartum months also have an anxiety disorder. Learn more about baby blues and postpartum depression here.

REPRODUCTIVE TRAUMA

Experiencing reproductive trauma, such as infertility, previous prenatal loss, a difficult pregnancy, a traumatic birth, or a NICU stay can increase your risk for

Generalized anxiety and worries about your baby's health makes sense in light of what you have been through. But you don't have to live with a constant sense of fear and dread.

If you feel scared, out of control, unsafe, or unsupported when you gave birth, learn more about birth trauma and healing from birth trauma here. Experiencing reproductive trauma puts moms at higher risk for developing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

LACK OF SOCIAL SUPPORT

Social support has a huge impact on how women cope with the transition to motherhood. Having support from your partner, family members, friends, and especially others moms can mitigate some of the turbulence that can come with a new baby. Not having this kind of support can make the postpartum period more difficult.

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DO I HAVE POSTPARTUM ANXIETY?

CONSULT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER

A great first move is to let your doctor know if you're struggling. Even if you're not sure whether you have baby blues, perinatal depression, postpartum OCD, or any mental illness at all, it's best to talk with your doctor about what you're experiencing. Your doctor may assess your symptoms and talk with you about appropriate ways to have your postpartum anxiety treated.

More important than fitting into a diagnosis like a postpartum anxiety disorder or postpartum OCD is getting help and support if you aren’t feeling like yourself. You deserve support and you do not have to go through this alone.

If you’re struggling with postpartum anxiety, it’s important to know that there’s nothing you did or didn’t do to cause this and you can feel better with support. This is a mental health condition, not a character flaw. You are not a bad mom and you are the best mother for your child.

COPING WITH POSTPARTUM ANXIETY

Getting help and support is essential. When left untreated, postpartum anxiety disorders can last beyond the first year, so it's important to treat anxiety as soon as possible. You deserve help and support.

POSTPARTUM ANXIETY TREATMENT

There are many ways to treat anxiety and cope with anxiety, even severe anxiety. It's important to find what works for you. There are lots of options for managing symptoms, including talk therapy, anti anxiety medication, support groups, and mindfulness training.

CONSIDER TALK THERAPY

Therapy is highly effective in reducing anxiety. Evidence-based interventions and treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy can address excessive worry by helping you understand and make changes to your thought and behavior patterns and reduce the stress that causes anxiety.

A trained perinatal mental health therapist can help you manage postpartum anxiety symptoms like intrusive thoughts, control your excessive worries and fears so they don't control you, build up social support and coping skills that work for moms like you, and increase your ability to tolerate uncomfortable feelings and find peace.

MEDICATION

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the mostly commonly used and most researched postpartum anxiety medication.

Many moms have concerns about how medication may effect them, especially with breastfeeding. Medication can be safe to take even while breastfeeding. Have a conversation with your doctor or psychiatrist about your options.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Being a new mom can be isolating and lonely at times, especially if you are struggling. Connecting with other moms can be a powerful reminder that you are not alone and can be so healing and validating. A strong network of support can help you manage the demands and stresses of motherhood and help you feel less isolated.

Your local hospital, churches, or businesses in your area many offer groups. Postpartum Support International offers virtual support groups. Check out Poppy Therapy's Support and Connection groups for virtual groups and in-person groups in Long Beach, California.

PODCASTS

Podcasts can be a helpful and information way to learn from others and get support wherever you are. My podcast, Blooming in Motherhood, features interviews with moms about their experiences and expert interviews on all kinds of issues that new parents and moms face in the early days, months, and years of motherhood.

SELF-CARE STRATEGIES

Caring for yourself is vital. This is so much easier said than done when you're also learning how to care for a new baby and manage postpartum depression or anxiety. Time and energy are limited, and when you experience symptoms of anxiety, you may not be able to drop everything to focus on yourself.

What works for you will be different from what works for another mom - and it might be different from what has worked for you in the past, too! In tough times, it can be helpful to go back to the basics, like nutrition, moving your body, sleep, and time to yourself. Sleep deprivation can worsen anxiety symptoms, so it's definitely worth making a plan to get uninterrupted sleep to support you. You can learn more about managing sleep deprivation while caring for a baby here.

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GET THERAPY FOR POSTPARTUM ANXIETY

Therapy can give you the space you need to make sense of your experience as a new mom. This is probably not what you expected. Therapy can help you make sense of and process the feelings and experiences that come with becoming a mother.

As a therapist for postpartum anxiety, I use a combination of evidence-based methods, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness-based interventions to help you learn different ways of thinking, reacting, and behaving and to develop and build the skills you need to cope with fears and worries so you can learn how to manage anxiety and feel in control of your thoughts and your life again.

Stress and anxiety are part of life and part of motherhood - but strengthening healthy thinking patterns and behaviors and learning new ways to respond to stress and anxiety can make a huge difference. You can feel like yourself again.

You can feel better, find peace, and enjoy being the parent you’ve always wanted to be. If you have questions about how therapy for postpartum anxiety works, contact me today for support.