Perinatal Mental Health

Perinatal mental health refers to issues a woman or a person giving birth can face during their pregnancy or the year after giving birth. These mental health issues can include prenatal and/or postpartum depression or anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar mood disorders, and perinatal psychosis. 

According to Postpartum Support International, while many parents experience some mild mood changes during or after the birth of a child, 15 to 20% of women experience more significant symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

Perinatal Anxiety

Becoming a new parent is an exciting and happy time, but it can also be quite overwhelming and stressful as well. Having some anxiety around this time is quite normal, but 1 in 5 women will experience perinatal experience during pregnancy and after childbirth. 

Perinatal anxiety is characterized by high levels of anxiety and some people may find their symptoms interfering with their daily routine, as though they do not have control or that they are very intense. 

Perinatal Depression

Perinatal depression is a mood disorder that can occur during the pregnancy and after birth. The symptoms of it can range from mild to quite severe, which may mean that the mother and her baby’s mental well-being are at risk. 

According to the National Institute of Mental Health “most episodes of perinatal depression begins within 4-18 weeks after the baby is born”. 

Symptoms

• Persistent feelings sadness or empty mood most of the day that last for a long period of time
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness or hopelessness
• Feelings of irritability, frustration or restlessness
• Loss of interest in activities, hobbies, or friends
• Fatigue or abnormal decrease in energy
• Difficulty sleeping
• Oversleeping
• Abnormal changes in appetite

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

OCD is a common mental illness that people face. When a woman has OCD during pregnancy or after birth this is called Perinatal OCD. 

Signs and Symptoms

Common Perinatal Obsessions:

• Fear of the baby getting sick or dying
• Intrusive thoughts about hurting your baby during pregnancy or after birth
• Unwanted or disturbing thoughts of sexually abusing your child
• Fear of making the wrong decision
• Worries about the baby’s soul or morality
• Needing to do all the caregiving perfectly

Common Perinatal Compulsions:

• Excessive washing of clothes, bedding, toys or bottles
• Excessive cleaning of car seats, strollers, shopping carts
• Keeping your baby away from others in case they contaminate or hurt them
• Constant checking on the baby
• Repeatedly asking for reassurance that your baby has not been hurt or abused
• Avoidance of the child 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Postnatal post-traumatic stress disorder is also known as birth trauma, and is typically developed if you experience traumatic events during labor or childbirth. 

Causes of Postnatal PTSD

• Unplanned C-section
• Emergency Treatment
• Difficult labor with a long and painful delivery
• Prolapsed cord
• Baby going to the NICU
• Women who have experienced previous trauma such as rape or sexual abuse
• Women who have experienced a severe physical complication or injury related to pregnancy or birth (such as a postpartum hemorrhage, hysterectomy, severe preeclampsia/eclampsia) 

Symptoms of Postnatal PTSD

• Flashbacks or nightmares
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Feeling a sense of detachment
• Avoidance of stimuli associated with the event (includes thoughts, feelings, people, places, details, etc.)
• Re-experiencing of a past traumatic event
• Physical sensations such as pain
• Being easily upset, angry, or irritable
• Extreme alertness
• Exhibiting self-destructive or reckless behavior
• Overwhelming feelings of guilt, shame, sadness, anger

Bipolar Mood Disorders

Bipolar mood disorder has two phases: the lows and the highs. The low time is called depression and the high time is called mania or hypomania. There is two different types of bipolar disorder people may experience, including Bipolar I Disorder (which means a person has had one or more manic episodes followed by either a hypomanic or major depressive episode) and Bipolar II Disorder (which means having at least one major depressive and hypomanic episode without a manic episode). 

Postpartum Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

• Highly elevated mood
• Wired or energized
• Racing thoughts
• Impulsiveness
• Easily distracted/lack of concentration
• Extremely talkative
• Decreased need for sleep
• Agitation, anger or irritability

Perinatal Psychosis

This is a serious mental health disorder that can affect someone soon after they given birth, most often within the first 2 two weeks of postpartum, but can appear any time in the first year of parenthood. According to Postpartum Support International it “occurs in approximately 1 to 2 out of every 1,000 deliveries, or approximately 0.1-0.2% of births”. 

Symptoms of Perinatal Psychosis

• Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there)
• Delusions
• Paranoia
• Mania – feeling very overactive
• Intense mood swings
• Severe depression

How Can We Help?

At Insight, we have a team of therapists who can treat you in-person or through video online for all of the above mental health disorders. Our therapists can help you to alleviate the symptoms you might be feeling and will help to find the best treatment method for your mental health disorder. Click here to contact us. 

[1] https://www.postpartum.net/learn-more/

[2] https://theconversation.com/perinatal-anxiety-one-in-five-women-experience-it-but-many-still-suffer-alone-before-or-after-childbirth-133667