While most of us have heard about postpartum depression or the "baby blues", postpartum anxiety is often not talked about or recognized as often as it should be. It is normal and healthy for parents to feel a bit more cautious or on the look out for things as they are caring for a new baby, but for many, this increase in caution can turn into anxiety that feels overwhelming, uncomfortable, and even paralyzing.

What is postpartum anxiety?

The term "postpartum anxiety" can be a little tricky as it leaves us to believe that it can only occur postpartum- or in that period after birth. And while that may be a common time for symptoms to show up, it's important to know that postpartum anxiety is a diagnosis under the umbrella of perinatal mental health diagnoses.

Perinatal mental health includes both pregnancy and postpartum, which can extend even a year or so after giving birth. Perinatal mental health conditions can also impact us prior to pregnancy as symptoms may show up as you are trying to conceive or navigating fertility challenges.

So, what is postpartum anxiety specifically?

Postpartum anxiety is when we notice anxiety symptoms arise specifically in response to being in the perinatal phases of life. For some, this may be a shift in worries or focus from a current anxiety diagnosis, and for others this may be a stand alone experience of anxiety.

Anxiety can be hard to catch postpartum, as most parents do have a bit of extra worry or stress just being in this new phase of life. Intensity, frequency, and impact of this worry is what is helpful to note. While having a fleeting thought about safety or a bit of extra stress on routine can be helpful, feeling like these thoughts take over parts of your day or leave you feeling uncomfortable can let you know you are potentially getting into the realm of anxiety.

While, most people think about perinatal mental health conditions impacting the birth parent only, it is important to note that it can affect anyone who is a significant caregiver to the little one! Partners or other caregivers may experience hormonal changes and also are navigating shifts in identity, routine, and are going through this major life transition.

Symptoms of postpartum anxiety

Postpartum anxiety symptoms look a lot like generalized anxiety symptoms, only they occur in the perinatal phases.

Symptoms and signs of postpartum anxiety include:

Excessive worry, this can manifest in recurrent worry thoughts about the health of your pregnancy or child, racing or anxious thoughts around safety concerns, a hyper-focus on routine or doing things the "right" way, or frequent worry thoughts about the way your life has changed in parenthood.
Restlessness, which may feel like the jitters, the need to always be doing something, or an overall difficult time relaxing.
Irritability, this can look like a significant response to stressors throughout the day, feelings of anger or rage when things don't go the way you expected, or unexplained feelings of anger or rage.
Difficulty concentrating, which may show up as a difficult time being present due to worry thoughts or general feelings of disconnection to the moment.
Physical Symptoms, which can include a racing heart, sweaty palms, GI/digestional discomfort, headaches, muscle tension, or general jitteriness in your body.
A decreased ability to function in certain areas of your life. This can be a tricky one to identify as it's normal to not function at your regular levels during pregnancy or postpartum- so here, look for ways that anxiety may be inhibiting your daily tasks or relationships. This may look like an inability to rest and recover because you are constantly checking on baby, a difficult time focusing on work because you are worried about your pregnancy, or relationship tension due to irritability.
- It is helpful to note that sometimes an experience of postpartum anxiety actually shifts into postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). This can show up in intrusive thoughts, which typically look like significant worries, such as a worry around if baby is breathing while they sleep, as well as often (but not always) a compulsive behavior that you act on to prevent that fear from happening, such as excessively checking the baby while they sleep. Many of the practices that help with postpartum anxiety will help with postpartum OCD, but it can be helpful to identify the difference and specifically work on skills for OCD with your therapist if that is the case.

Factors that can increase your risk for perinatal mental health conditions

While some experience postpartum anxiety without any indication that they may struggle with anxiety, others may know that they are more likely to experience anxiety during the perinatal phases and find it helpful to prepare for that ahead of time.

Some risk factors for postpartum anxiety (as well as any other perinatal mental health diagnosis):

A history or current experience of an anxiety or depression
A current experience of a different perinatal mental health diagnosis, such as postpartum depression
A family history of postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, or other perinatal mental health diagnosis
Feelings of anxiety, depression, moodiness, or stress around hormonal fluctuations, such as around getting a period
Limited social support
Complications or trauma around trying to conceive (such as infertility or pregnancy loss), during pregnancy, or during childbirth
Stressful life events, such as losing a job, moving, or relationship conflict

While having any of these risk factors does not mean that you will experience postpartum anxiety, it can be helpful to keep in mind that you might. If you think that you could use support for your mental health during this time in life (which, couldn't we all?) it can be helpful to get some things in place to help you identify if postpartum anxiety shows up and be able to manage it best. More on these practices at the end of this article!

Is my experience normal?

If we are using the term "normal" to mean "common", yes! While postpartum anxiety has been shown to impact at least 10% of folks in the perinatal phases, it is important to note that this number is likely much higher as most do not identify or report the experience of postpartum anxiety.

On an anecdotal note, I am a mom who experienced postpartum anxiety, and I feel like most people I know (who share their full experience with me) have experienced some level of postpartum anxiety during the perinatal time period.

Now, if we are using the term "normal" to mean "healthy", then- not so much. Your experience of postpartum anxiety is common, you are not alone in it, and you also need support for it. Experiencing anxiety at any time in your life can feel extremely uncomfortable, but it can be uniquely challenging during the perinatal phases.

You are going through a significant transition in life. Whether it is trying to grow your family, pregnancy, or raising a little one- this transition is already hard enough. It's already challenging to be able to relax, get the sleep that we need, and find the time to take care of ourselves. New parents are navigating taking care of a little one, possible breastfeeding challenges, wonkky sleep schedules, household chores, and feeling overwhelmed with the new daily tasks. When we add anxiety to the mix, our energy levels and resources to take care of ourselves decreases even further.

While these are busy and stressful times in life, we also deserve to be present and enjoy the wonderful moments of it. Postpartum anxiety has a tendency to make it hard to enjoy the good moments while also leaving us feeling more stressed and overwhelmed around the tough moments.

What can I do about it?

Postpartum anxiety can feel all-consuming at times, but it doesn't always have to feel this way. If you notice symptoms of postpartum anxiety, now can be a great time to reach out for support and connect to practices that help your symptoms.

Therapy

Getting therapy for postpartum anxiety can be a crucial step in navigating this experience. Working with a professional to treat anxiety can help you to process your experience and connect to skills that will actually help. If you are looking to start therapy to treat postpartum anxiety, look for a therapist who specializes in perinatal mental health. They are going to be the best at assessing your symptoms, understanding your experience from a postpartum perspective, and helping you build the tools that you need to heal.

If you are in Minnesota and looking for a therapist, we've got you covered. Perinatal mental health is one of our main specialties, and we have therapists who would love to help you to feel seen and supported. Learn more about our providers here!

Medication

Those that are struggling with postpartum anxiety may feel anxious about taking medication, and, it can be a really nice tool when that anxiety is feeling high. Talk with your primary care doctor about your options, as there are many medications that are safe for pregnancy as well as during breastfeeding. They can provide you with the information you need as well as get you set up with something to see if it helps. It can be helpful to note that medication doesn't have to be forever. This may just be a tool you utilize as you navigate symptoms during this time, and you will likely not need to continue them long term.

Connecting to your support system

These perinatal phases of life are times that you need support. While being vulnerable about our experiences and needs can feel hard, it can be the best way to let our family members, friends, neighbors, or other loved ones know what we need so that we can show up in ways that are helpful to us. Start by having a honest conversation with the people that you feel most safe with, and you can expand from there as it feels right.

Unfortunately, not everyone has a solid support system they can lean on postpartum. If you don't feel like you have a trusted support system nearby, this can be a nice time to try to build it- and yes, I want to validate how hard that is to do right now. But, when you have the space, try to connect to local parenting groups, infant classes, support groups, or- you might even just start off with a therapist to support you and help you build your network.

Postpartum Support International has free virtual groups available to anyone who needs them. Learn more about those groups here.

Limiting exposure to triggers

Being mindful of the information we are taking in is important for anyone in the perinatal phases of life, and is especially important for those navigating postpartum anxiety, postpartum ocd, postpartum depression, or any other mental health condition.

Social media is a big one here. What we see online can already set us up to feel more anxiety based on comparing how we are navigating this phase of life to how others show that they navigate this phase of life (reminder: social media is not real life, and it probably doesn't look as nice behind the scenes as it does on their posts). And, on social media, we may be exposed to instances of trauma or fear-mongering posts that elicit us to worry that the same thing will happen for us.

If you experience any intrusive thoughts or specific worries, the social media algorithm will probably pick up on that- and target that content to you because it knows that you will watch it. So, if you are noticing specific triggers from any avenues of social media, taking a break or implementing boundaries around that might be helpful. Not only can limiting our social media exposure help with postpartum anxiety, but it can help us have time to connect to things that feel more supportive to us- such as getting more sleep.

Likewise, you might tell those around you to limit conversation around specific triggers. If you have a lot of anxiety about your baby's sleep routine, it might be wise to avoid or get out of conversations around infant sleep that don't feel supportive to you. And- if you need some infant or toddler sleep support that normalizes how challenging this time can be and gives you tools that are specific to your needs and sleep goals, check out our sleep consultations, which are available to you wherever you live!

Building a regular self-care routine

I know, I know. It's a hard time to have any semblance of a self-care routine. And, working to get this in where you can may make a big difference in how you feel. Start with the foundational things, such as getting enough (or, more than you're getting now) sleep, eating food that feels nourishing, showering when you need it, and getting little breaks here and there where you don't have to focus on family related tasks. This might require connecting with your partner or someone in your support system who might be able to help you carve out that time.

And, since self-care is going to look different in parenthood than it did before parenthood, setting goals around self-care that are attainable might be helpful. These might be small things that we connect to in the moment. For example, when you're stuck in that contact nap, opt for reading an e-book instead of scrolling the web. Co-bathe with your little one at the end of the day. Add in a walk where you can. These small things might not make a huge difference on their own, but when we can regularly connect to small acts of self-care, they start to add up.

Reminding yourself that this phase is temporary

When we are in the trenches of postpartum anxiety, it can be easy to wonder if we will ever feel more peace again. Reminding ourselves that this phase is short term and temporary can help to ensure that our anxiety doesn't go on a spiral about the long-term nature of this experience.

You are in a major transition in life, navigating significant hormonal changes, and adjusting to new roles. It makes sense that your mental health will be impacted for this time. And, it won't feel like this forever. So, yes, get support for what you are feeling now. And, know that things will feel easier down the road.

More about Minnesota Attachment Collective

Minnesota Attachment Collective is a small group practice driven to supporting clients in healing and growth. Our aim is to help folks heal, connect to their authentic selves, and feel worthy as they navigate relationships and the world. We specialize in perinatal mental health, trauma, as well as a number of other specialties that you can learn more about here.

We offer therapy both in person in Eagan as well as virtual anywhere in Minnesota, as well as infant and toddler sleep consultation that is available wherever you live. Learn more about our therapy offerings here and more about our sleep consultation offerings here.

Do I have Postpartum Anxiety?

What is postpartum anxiety?