Do You Have Post Partum Anxiety?

Everyone knows about postpartum depression. It is a serious problem. But people are not as aware of a possibly more common problem, postpartum anxiety. A study out of Canada, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, shows that perinatal anxiety may be more prevalent than postpartum depression.

If You Have Post Partum Anxiety, You Are Not Alone

310 pregnant women were screened for anxiety, with follow-up interviews conducted around three months after they gave birth. Nearly 16 percent of the mothers had anxiety and anxiety-related disorders during pregnancy, and 17 percent experienced anxiety postpartum. On the other hand, 4 percent of pregnant women and nearly 5 percent of postpartum mothers experienced depression.

This is not to take away from the seriousness or prevalence of postpartum depression, but it is to show that anxiety, which affects more than 40 million adults and children in the US, may also be a problem with pregnant and new mothers in numbers greater than previously realized.

Symptoms of Post Partum Anxiety

The symptoms of anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum anxiety are constant worry, the feeling that something bad is going to happen, racing thoughts, disturbances to sleep and appetite, inability to sit still, dizziness, hot flashes, and nausea.

Post Partum Panic Disorder

Besides general anxiety, there is also postpartum panic disorder. This causes recurring panic attacks in which the woman may experience shortness of breath, chest pain, claustrophobia, dizziness, heart palpitations, and numbness and tingling in the extremities.

There Is Help

If you are pregnant or a new mother, and you are feeling any of these symptoms, nothing is wrong with you, and you’re not a bad mother. This is a condition that many women have associated with pregnancy and childbirth. You are not alone. And things will get better. Counseling can help you process and manage the emotions you are going through. Please, read about anxiety therapy, and then reach out to us at SoulCare Counseling to help you with postpartum anxiety or depression.