“Oh my goodness! You’re having a baby! You must be thrilled!!”
“Your baby is just precious, you must be loving this time as a new mom.”
How do you respond to those comments when you are pregnant or postpartum and struggling to feel joy and excitement? The honest truth is many women feel both excitement and fear while pregnant or joy and sadness while postpartum. The transition to motherhood can be shocking, especially if we aren’t encouraged to admit when it is really hard.
There are so many positive expectations surrounding conception, pregnancy, and the postpartum period that many women feel they “shouldn’t” be feeling disconnected from themselves or their baby during that time. Oftentimes women hold the role of mother and the idea of motherhood as sacred and when the reality of their experience doesn’t match with their expectation, they blame themselves. That is why women need support during this time. Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADS) do not discriminate, and it’s not a Mom’s fault when they aren’t feeling like themselves or they are struggling to connect with their baby. Struggling with a PMAD does not make a woman a bad mom, it means she is a mom in need of support and care.
What is perinatal mental health?
Perinatal mental health refers to the psychological well-being of mothers from the point of conception through the first year post childbirth. Many people think of the term the “baby blues” when they hear about Perinatal Mental Health, yet the concerns can range from mood disorders like depression and anxiety to more severe conditions such as postpartum psychosis. Even though it’s not often talked about, postpartum mood and anxiety disorders are the most common complications following childbirth with about 15-20% of women experiencing symptoms. Despite that staggering statistic many women suffering with PMADS feel shame and alone.
risk factors
Risk factors for developing a PMAD include:
previous anxiety or mood disorder
complications in pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding
birth trauma
socioeconomic issues
unplanned pregnancy
thyroid imbalance
stress (relationship, financial, occupational)
mothers of multiples
history of PMDD
inadequate social support
infertility and complications in conceiving
treatment
What does support and treatment look like for PMADS?
There is hope for any mom struggling with a Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorder and many forms of treatment available. Treatment should be tailored to each mom’s specific situation and needs but often consists of:
Psychotherapy
Medication
Nutrition Support
Exercise
Social Support
Taylor is a therapist at Here Comes the Sun Counseling trained in perinatal mental health
Additional Support
Many say it takes a village to raise a child but it also takes a village to raise a mother. The adjustment to motherhood is drastic and life changing and many women are doing it alone, away from their support systems. In addition to the treatments listed above, moms benefit from supports such as:
Lactation support
Sleep support
Night Nurses
Pelvic floor therapy
Postpartum Doulas
start early
While many women begin treatment for PMADS after experiencing symptoms, it is also possible to begin building your support system prior to giving birth. If you believe you are at risk for experiencing a PMAD, it can be helpful to collaborate with a therapist to create a postpartum plan in addition to a birth plan. Postpartum plans encompass multiple modalities of support to help prepare mothers to navigate the disorienting early weeks of the postpartum period. When well supported, mothers can come through the postpartum period feeling more connected to themselves and their baby.
“Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn’t know you had, and dealing with fears you didn’t know existed.” — Nishan Panwar
-written by Taylor Garcia, MA, LPC