PERINATAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

The term perinatal refers to the period from the start of pregnancy through to the first year after birth. Perinatal anxiety is often overlooked by healthcare professionals as it is not yet as widely researched and discussed as perinatal or postnatal depression. However, many people experience anxiety during pregnancy and after birth. This is especially more so for first time mums and dads who are just starting to navigate parenthood, learning how to care for a newborn, managing their views/expectations of parenting as well as family, community and societal expectations. It can be quite an overwhelming and challenging time.

It is actually quite common to experience some level of anxiety and depression during this time. However, if your anxiety or low mood worsens or persists, it could be helpful to seek support. Common symptoms of anxiety include finding it hard to sleep even when you have the chance to, worrying about the baby, feeling restless, feeling tense, unable to relax, or thinking of worst case scenarios. Symptoms of depression can include feeling persistently low or sad, extreme tiredness, a sense of hopelessness, a sense of guilt, lack of appetite, tearful and experiencing negative feelings towards your baby.

If you think that you may be experiencing pre or postnatal anxiety or depression, please do the following checklist and consider making an appointment to address this further in therapy. It is important to prioritize your needs at this time and therapy is effective in managing these conditions. It will do you wonders to take the time to care for yourself so that as your needs are being met, you can start making space to fully engage with and bond with your little one.