Here is the Best Treatment for Postpartum Anxiety
Imagine this, after 40 weeks of exhaustion, morning sickness, swelling, and excitement, your little bean has been brought into the world.
You bring them home and you get them situated in their little crib and you breathe a sigh of relief because the hard part is over.
Then after a week or two the worrying starts.
Your free time is fraught with constant panic about your little one. Why are they crying so much? Are they eating enough?
Your nights become plagued with exhaustion as you stay awake watching your baby to ensure they are alright. Your days are busy because the thought of leaving your little one in the care of anyone else besides yourself is so gut wrenching your heart begins to race.
Your relationship with your partner starts to strain because you don’t even trust them with your baby.
This may just be a scenario to you or it may be your real life. This is what it looks like to have postpartum anxiety, and it’s far more common than you think.
What is Postpartum Anxiety?
Postpartum anxiety begins to display symptoms shortly after giving birth or symptoms could begin even throughout pregnancy.
Postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression can have similar symptoms and thus make it hard sometimes to identify. However, providing you with the correct diagnosis is incredibly important as postpartum anxiety may not respond to certain postpartum depression treatment methods.
Postpartum anxiety is generally known as the excessive fear or worry that appears following childbirth.
Now, it’s important to keep in mind that a little bit of worry is okay when you bring your baby home. It’s when these worries consume your life and impede on daily activities that you should become concerned.
Postpartum anxiety is hard to diagnose because there isn’t a direct screening or form to fill out to determine if you have it. It’s estimated, though, that approximately 11% to 21% of birthing parents get postpartum anxiety.
If you are having trouble deciphering if your anxiety is normal or postpartum anxiety, try making a log of your thoughts and keeping track how often these thoughts occur.
Signs and symptoms of postpartum anxiety:
Physical symptoms:
Sleep disruptions
Increased heart rate or heart palpitations
Nausea or stomach cramps
Appetite changes
Difficulty sitting still or staying in one place
Muscle tension
Emotional symptoms:
Difficulty relaxing or staying calm
Racing thoughts specifically those that revolve around worse-case scenarios
Obsessing over fears that are irrational
Forgetfulness
Feeling on edge or antsy
Behavioural symptoms:
Avoiding certain situations or people that bring you stress
Being too cautious in situations that don’t warrant it
Constant checking
Overly controlling
Postpartum anxiety does require treatment and can become serious and last for a long time if untreated.
This results in not only a strain on your relationship with friends and family but your relationship with your baby, too.
We know that seeking help or admitting you need it will always be the hardest part but there is no reason to feel ashamed or upset that you need a little bit extra support.
Becoming a parent is scary and stressful and if you need help getting back to yourself then that’s okay. Be kind to yourself the way that you would be to your baby.
Risk Factors and Causes of Postpartum Anxiety
Similar to postpartum depression there is not one singular cause which results in postpartum anxiety there are several different factors which can contribute. If you have any of these risk factors it doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to get postpartum anxiety, it's just something to be mindful of.
Some causes include:
Hormone changes: Hormone changes are extremely normal after pregnancy but you aren’t used to the highs and lows of hormones. The sudden lows sometimes make it harder for us to rationalize stress and we overreact.
Stressful life events:Stressful life events, such as challenges in your personal life or difficulties with your baby, like breastfeeding issues, can contribute to symptoms of anxiety.
Sleep deprivation: A new baby is a new job where you’re on call 24 hours a day. Forget your schedules, your world revolves around your baby now. Sleep is one of the leading ways to combat any mental health condition and lack of it following delivery puts you at risk for one.
Just as any other perinatal mental health disorder there are some risk factors to consider. Risk factors are important to consider prior to experiencing symptoms or if you’re already experiencing symptoms. If you have any of the following risk factors, be sure to talk to your healthcare practitioner and tell them your concerns. An open dialogue is crucial.
Risk factors:
A personal or family history with either depression or anxiety
Prior experience with pregnancy loss, child loss, or pregnancy complications
A history with an eating disorder
Not having a strong support system following delivery
Being a natural worrier
Best Treatment for Postpartum Anxiety: 3 Things to Try
While all of this might be evoking your anxiety or scaring you further it’s important to note that postpartum anxiety is treatable and you can get help if you’re willing.
We know it’s scary to have to talk to your physician about these feelings and we know you feel a lot of pressure because you want to be the perfect parent.
You can’t be the perfect parent if you don’t get yourself some help first and make yourself a priority.
Counselling
The most talked about and most effective form of counselling for postpartum anxiety is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
With postpartum anxiety your brain is constantly filled with catastrophes and what ifs. This tricks you into believing that these fears will actually happen. CBT aims for you to identify these patterns and thinking patterns and you learn how to rationalize them. You and your therapist will work together to identify triggers and to see things more objectively rather than with a cloudy mind full of fear.
Once you find these thinking patterns you are able to learn how to organize them and work through them and you and your therapist will find a way to monitor and manage these thoughts together.
The goal of CBT is to give you the tools to be able to cope and manage and even reduce symptoms on your own when they begin to present themselves.
CBT also teaches you how to manage your physical feelings associated with your anxiety using varying methods such as deep breathing, and muscle relaxation.
If your anxiety is causing you to avoid situations or places CBT helps you work through this avoidant behaviour and get back to the things you used to do with ease and without worry.
Support Groups
Support groups are a fantastic way to talk to other parents who are going through the same thing as you. This can help alleviate some of the anxiety and guilt surrounding your symptomatology.
Pharmaceutical Treatments
The most common type of medication prescribed for postpartum anxiety are SSRIs.
SSRI stands for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. They do their job by increasing serotonin levels in the brain.
If you are concerned about taking medication and breastfeeding synonymously fear not! There are several medication options which are breastfeeding safe, just speak to your healthcare provider about it.
Other medications can be used to treat postpartum anxiety but SSRIs are the most common due to their low side effects.
Focus on You
Postpartum mental health disorders are serious and can only get worse if you ignore it. Letting your symptoms fester without treatment can lead to long term consequences for yourself, your baby, your spouse, and others who care for you.
You’re not helping anyone if you don’t let someone help you.
Toronto Therapy Practice has many incredible therapists who specialize in perinatal mental health conditions and they want to help you.
Remember you can’t be great to everyone else if your not great to yourself first.
