There are lots of things to worry about in pregnancy and with a new baby. So a certain amount of feeling down or anxious can be normal. It’s when these difficulties get worse, last longer, or interfere with your life, that it turns into a mental health problem.
Mental health problems in new parents and during pregnancy are very common. They could have started before the pregnancy, and continued or got worse. They could be an old problem that was ok for a while, but comes back during this difficult time. Or there can be new symptoms that you’ve never experienced before.
The most common problems are low mood, depression, anxiety and stress, but other conditions include PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), personality disorders, complex-PTSD, health anxiety, and phobias (such as birth phobia, needle phobia and hospital phobia).
Everyone is different, so symptoms will be different for everyone, but please seek help if you experience any one of the following (you don’t have to experience all or even several to need help):
- The difficult thoughts or emotions carry on for more than two weeks
- They are difficult to control - you find it difficult to put negative thoughts aside even if you need to
- Your difficult thoughts or feelings are accompanied by physical symptoms
- They are preventing you from carrying on with your daily activities. They might cause you difficulties with work, relationships, going out, bonding with the baby/bump or looking after yourself or others
- You feel you can’t cope
There are also some symptoms that are specific to certain mental health problems. Seek help if you experience:
- Panic attacks
- Unpleasant thoughts that keep coming back and you can’t control them
- You are thinking about harming yourself, or are doing so
- You are so afraid of giving birth that you don’t want to go through with it
- Feeling very afraid of, or anxious about, needles, medical examinations, or hospitals in general
- You find yourself repeating an action or thought to try to make yourself feel better
If you are unsure about whether to seek help with emotional difficulties, try speaking to your midwife or a trusted friend or family member.