Therapy for Pregnancy & Postpartum Anxiety

“There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.” — Jill Churchill

Anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum is common, but the problem isn’t you.

People around you may be well-intentioned, but the “shoulds” and expectations surrounding pregnancy and motherhood only exacerbate what already can feel like an overwhelming transition.

If you feel like you’re drowning, it’s not because you’re not good enough. It’s because our society is structured in a way that almost ensures you will feel this way.

Pregnancy and postpartum can feel like a whirlwind of contradictions:

  • wanting to be with your baby and also wanting a break

  • being grateful for the opportunity to be pregnant and also feeling scared

  • wanting to sleep and rest and being unable to due to anxiety and worry

  • knowing that online fear-mongering isn’t useful and getting swept away in the anxiety anyway

  • wanting to utilize your village and also being afraid to leave your child with anyone else

  • appreciation for your changing body and struggling with it at the same time

  • wanting to return to work and feeling guilty for using childcare

  • knowing you are doing a great job and also having thoughts that you’re not

My goal in supporting anxiety perinatal anxiety is to help potential, future, and current mothers to:

  • acknowledge and understand the structural issues that make this so hard

  • feel empowered to use evidence-based tools to work through anxiety and worry spirals

Here are some common ways anxiety can manifest during pregnancy, postpartum & beyond:

Before Pregnancy/TTC:

  • anxiety over making “the right choice”

  • anticipation of how your life and relationship will change

  • life starting to revolve around tracking, ovulation strips, and basal body temperature to the point where it feels consuming

  • grief over others’ celebration of becoming pregnant as well as an anger that you feel guilty acknowledging

During Pregnancy:

  • worries about something being wrong with your baby’s health

  • anxiety over the fact that you don’t feel connected to your baby like you think you should

  • worries about your ability to become a mom

  • hyperfixation on what foods you consume, what skincare and household products you use

  • worries about feelings of regret, “what ifs” about the future that can’t be tamed

  • frequent checking for baby kicks that goes beyond your provider’s recommendations

Postpartum & Beyond

  • worries about something happening to your baby

  • persistent, upsetting thoughts about your baby

  • fear of being left alone with your baby

  • frequent checking to ensure your baby is breathing

  • “baby monitor hyper-vigilance”

  • obsessing over scheduling, feeding, stimulation

  • a sense of urgency requiring you to engage in something excessively such as:

    • cleaning, checking for safety, seek reassurance from others

  • fear of acting on impulse to do something that you would never do

  • a relationship with Google where you feel like you should start paying them rent (please don’t!)

  • worries about the kind of relationship you have with your baby/children

  • anxiety over feeding your baby (“does switching to formula make me a bad mom?” “will switching to formula cause a drop in IQ?”

The list goes on and on. Do we see why telling new and future mothers “enjoy the best time of your life” might not feel too great? Not to mention, anxiety can be further exascerbated by experiences with issues trying to conceive, grief and loss during pregnancy, and any special circumstances.

Our society is not designed to help mothers. You’re not crazy for struggling. You’re not meant to go at it alone.