Post-Partum/Perinatal Support

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You are not alone. 

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Anxiety and/or depression during pregnancy and the first year after giving birth affect up to 1 in 5 new or expectant mothers and their families. 

These illnesses – also known as perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, or PMADs — are the #1 complication of pregnancy and childbirth.

Depression:

·      Approximately 10% of pregnant women experience depression, making this illness the most common complication of pregnancy. 

·      Approximately 15% of women experience significant depression in the year following childbirth.

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Are you experiencing?

  • Lack of interest in the baby

  • Appetite and sleep disturbance

  • Crying and sadness

  • Feelings of guilt, shame or hopelessness

  • Loss of interest, joy or pleasure in things you used to enjoy

  • Possible thoughts of harming the baby or yourself

Depression is treatable, if you are feeling any of these feelings please reach out and we will connect you with a counselor that will walk with you and help you.

Anxiety:

10% of women suffer from anxiety during pregnancy and/or post-partum.

  • Constant worry

  • Racing thoughts

  • Inability to sit still

  • Disturbances of sleep or appetite

  • Feeling that something bad is going to happen

  • Physical symptoms like dizziness, hot flashes, and nausea

Post-partum anxiety is treatable.  You are not alone and this is not your fault.  If you are experiencing anxiety please reach out and will connect you with a counselor to help you.

OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder):

3-5% of new mothers will experience OCD

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  • Obsessions, also called intrusive thoughts, which are persistent, repetitive thoughts or mental images related to the baby. These thoughts are very upsetting and not something the woman has ever experienced before.

  • Compulsions, which are the repetitive acts done to reduce fears and obsessions. This may include things like needing to clean constantly, check things many times, count or reorder things.

  • A sense of horror about the obsessions.

  • Fear of being left alone with the infant.

  • Hypervigilance in protecting the infant.

  • Moms with postpartum OCD know that their thoughts are bizarre and are very unlikely to ever act on them.

If you are experiencing any of these please reach out and we will work with you to overcome.  Please know that you are NOT a bad mother and you do not need to feel guilty about having intrusive thoughts.

PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder):

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1-6% of women experience PTSD after giving birth. This is caused by a real or perceived trauma during birth and/or post-partum.

Some of the traumas that can cause PTSD are:

·      Unplanned C-Section

·      Emergency interventions to deliver the baby

·      Lack of support during delivery

·      Feelings of powerlessness and out of control during labor and birth

·      Baby going to the NICU

·      Labor complications

PTSD looks like:

  • Intrusive re-experiencing of a past traumatic event (which in this case may have been the childbirth itself)

  • Flashbacks or nightmares

  • Avoidance of stimuli associated with the event, including thoughts, feelings, people, places and details of the event

  • Persistent increased arousal (irritability, difficulty sleeping, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response)

  • Anxiety and panic attacks

  • Feeling a sense of unreality and detachment

PTSD is a scary experience and is treatable.  If you are experiencing PTSD please reach out and we can help you.