Maternal Mental Health at Repose Therapy
What is Perinatal Wellness?
Having a child come into this world can be one of your life’s most marvelous moments. It is a time of joy, laughter, and splendor. We feel love, deep compassion, and unshakeable passion for our child. However, this may not always be the case for all parents. Along with all that we have stated above, some parents may also experience distance, frustration, anger, sadness, and fear surrounding their baby. Thousands of parents and child-bearing people all over the world have this experience. This is why positive maternal mental health in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut is crucial before, during, and after the birth of your child.
Maternal mental health and wellness don’t only focus on one area of distress, it is trifold and involves care of the mind, body, and spirit. The body is, of course, a crucial factor in wellness, and when that foundation is experiencing drastic adjustments, we are at risk of mental instability and a whole host of other issues.
What Are Some Common Maternal Mental Health Issues Addressed at Repose?
Breastfeeding Difficulties
Pregnancy
Appetite changes
Postpartum
Returning to work
Family Planning
Fertility Issues
Miscarriage and Loss
Single Parent by Choice
Depression
Anxiety
Marital & Relationship Changes
Adjusting to a new role & identity
Stay at home parenting
What Are Some Risk Factors That Can Impact Maternal Mental Health?
Lack of a support system
Personal history of a mood disorder
Financial stressors
Having a strained relationship with a partner
Family history of a mood disorder
History of physical or sexual abuse
An unplanned pregnancy
Recent life transition
Having a difficult pregnancy process
Strained relationship with ones own mother
Societally informed negative perception of the birthing experience
Experiencing breastfeeding related issues
Having a health-compromised infant
Previous loss of child or pregnancy
Twins & Multiples
Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders & The Baby Blues
Maternal mental health professionals to Postpartum Depression as Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders. Also known as PMADs. This is because the name encompasses the full spectrum of conditions that pregnant and postpartum women can develop.
If you are experiencing symptoms of perinatal depression or anxiety like 15-20% of all childbearing people, don't wait. Get support for your symptoms to get out of control before seeking support. Make the brave decision to seek help now. Our team at Repose ensures that you will receive compassionate and knowledgeable support. We want to help guide you through this common and very treatable illness.
We know that symptoms of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) may overlap with the “Baby Blues”. In fact, we know that 80% of new mothers experience, PMADs are different because they last longer than 2-3 weeks after childbirth. Generally, this does not get better on its own.”
Stress Center and Selini Insitute With time, gentle patience, good daily habits, and the support of family and friends, symptoms associated with the Baby Blues will often fluctuate and eventually disappear within a few days or weeks after birth.
Symptoms of the Baby Blues:
Crying frequently without reason
Difficulty staying asleep
Feeling exhausted
Difficulty falling asleep
Experiencing issues around thinking clearly, feeling out of touch
Feeling anxious around the baby
Experiencing irritability and anger without reason
Feeling as though nothing will ever be the same
Not feeling entirely like yourself
Symptoms of Peripartum Depression include (APA, 2000):
Having a depressed mood
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
Appetite changes
Feelings of being a bad mother
Fear of harming the baby or oneself
Hypersomnia or insomnia
Loss of energy or increased fatigue
Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., inability to sit still, pacing, leg tapping) or slowed movements or speech.
Feeling worthless or guilty
Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
Thoughts of death or suicide
Crying for “no reason”
Lack of interest in the baby, not feeling bonded to the baby, or feeling very anxious about/around the baby
Some Common Perinatal Anxiety & Mood Disorders Include:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
You may experience, excessive and uncontrollable worry; being “on edge” or irritability; chronic fatigue, poor sleep, attention, and concentration. Physical symptoms can include: headaches, muscle tension, nausea, diarrhea, and other GI issues. Postpartum anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, OCD, and GAD appear to be as common as postpartum depression and commonly overlap with depression. You may experience panic attacks, hyperventilation, excessive worry, restless sleep, and repeated thoughts or images of fearful things happening to your child.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
It is estimated that as many as 11% of new child-bearing people experience intrusive thoughts or vivid images often related to the safety and endangerment of the baby. These distressing thoughts may be accompanied by avoidance of certain things or repetition of other things. You may know your obsessive-compulsive thoughts are bizarre and feel horrified by them, however, you are also very unlikely to ever act on them.
Panic Disorder
This is a form of anxiety that also occurs in up to 11% of child-bearing people. Symptoms include: feeling very nervous, sudden intense fear or distress; having recurring panic attacks (shortness of breath, chest pain, heart palpitations), many worries and fears such as a fear of going crazy or of losing control.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD can develop after experiencing an event that threatened the child-bearing parent or a loved one's life such as a childbirth trauma or an infant's NICU stay. Symptoms include intrusive and recurrent memories, nightmares, and flashbacks; avoidance of trauma-related thoughts, feelings, or external reminders; irritability; angry outbursts; difficulty concentrating, hyper-vigilance; easily startled; sleep and appetite changes.
Postpartum Psychosis
This only occurs in only 1-2 out of 1000 childbearing people. Symptoms include rapid shifts in mood, confusion, erratic behavior, delusions, and hallucination, feeling very irritated, hyperactivity, decreased need for or inability to sleep, paranoia and suspiciousness, rapid mood swings, and difficulty communicating at times. This condition requires immediate help.
What About Fathers?
According to a study conducted in 2010, approximately 4% of fathers experience depression in the first year of their child’s birth. By a child’s 12th birthday, 1 in 5 fathers has experienced at least one or more episodes of depression. Fathers were more likely to develop this if they were:
Young fathers
Fathers living in poverty or financial stress
Those with a history of depression were most likely to experience depression.
Like other types of mental health disorders, perinatal anxiety and depression are manageable with accessible treatment. This may include the use of psychotherapy (talk therapy), medication, lifestyle changes, or a combination of these.
What Happens if Maternal Mental Health is Left Untreated?
When a PMAD is left untreated, it may grow to have negative and unwanted effects on your family. Research has found if a PMAD is left untreated, relationships suffer. Couples may talk less, smile less, and be less likely to engage with or touch each other during the first year of their child’s life.
Babies too are impacted. Babies may experience more feeding, development, sleeping, and colic challenges as well. Children may also develop behavioral, attention, and learning difficulties in adulthood as a result of an untreated PMAD. Children also may experience a sense of disconnection from their parents and may grow to get depressed or become anxious as teenagers.
Myths vs Facts About Maternal Mental Health in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey
MYTH - Only people that identify as female experience PMAD’s
FACT - False! As mentioned before studies show that 1 in 10 dads experience Paternal Postpartum Depression. Fathers may struggle with increased work/financial stress, attachment, role & identity changes, and may even feel excluded and distanced by the childbearing parent. This may show up as anger, irritability, or social withdrawal.
MYTH - Experiencing vivid and scary images is the same as experiencing psychosis.
FACT - Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is the most misunderstood and misdiagnosed PMA disorder. The most salient symptom of Postpartum OCD is intrusive and scary thoughts or images about one’s baby. These thoughts or obsessions are deeply upsetting for the person experiencing them, and are always antithetical to the person’s desired wishes.
Repose can provide you with:
Pregnancy & Postpartum Support
Our Mental Mental Health Online Therapists for child-bearing people, are skilled, knowledgeable, and handle this very sensitive conversation with extreme care, and compassion. Our specialists can meet with your weekly, or twice weekly to help support you through a crucial time of your life. If interested, please schedule a 15-minute consultation here.
Infertility, Miscarriage & Loss Support
If you are having difficulty conceiving or have experienced a pregnancy loss, we can help you cope with it. It is painful to deal with the grief at the core of this experience, along with the depression, anxiety, and physiological distress you may be in. Whenever necessary, The Repose Team also collaborates with outside resources that you may need. Working with REPOSE THERAPY you will find compassion, support, and guidance throughout this complicated process.
When it comes to maternal mental health It is important to remember:
You did not deserve this, or do anything to cause this.
Know that you are not a bad, broken, or weak parent. You have a very common, but very treatable illness. PMAD’s develop as a result of several factors such as medical history, how your body processes hormones, levels of stress in your life, and the amount of support you are getting. If we know one thing, it is that this is not your fault.
The sooner you get help, the better.
You are deserving of health, and happiness and your child needs a healthy parent to thrive. Help is available here at Repose. Research shows that your child’s wellbeing and development are directly related to your emotional and physical health.
Are you ready to get support with your maternal mental health in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut?
Schedule a consultation
We make it simple to find support. Conveniently SELF-SCHEDULE A 15-MINUTE CONSULTATION so we can understand your reasons for seeking counseling and gather information in the most efficient and sensitive way possible.
Chat with our Client Concierge
During your consultation, your concierge will listen to you, ask questions, and discuss your options. Based on the information gathered, they will be able to recommend which of our SKILLED THERAPISTS would be well-suited to meet your unique needs.
Meet with your Repose Therapy Therapist
It’s time to begin the collaborative work with someone who supports and understands you. After the initial session with your maternal mental health therapist, your concierge will follow up to ensure you had a positive experience.