Becoming a mom can be a beautiful experience filled with newness, bonding, and awe at the little being your body has produced. Yet, at the same time, this season can also bring unexpected loneliness and difficulty, both physically and mentally.
Up to 85% of women experience mood fluctuations shortly after giving birth, which can include increased tearfulness, anxiety, or irritability.
This means that most women who have had a baby have shared this feeling of overwhelm. For some, these symptoms go away on their own after a few weeks. However, others may not experience relief, and instead, those symptoms may persist.
What’s important to understand is that you are not alone.
The Basics:
- Psychiatric disorders are considered perinatal when someone experiences symptoms (even pre-existing symptoms) during pregnancy or up to a year after delivery.
- Several mental health disorders can develop or worsen in the perinatal period, including depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, or psychosis.
We’ll do a deeper dive into perinatal depression and anxiety here due to their prevalence, but if you suspect any of the other disorders listed above in yourself or someone else, please seek professional support.