Postpartum's Lesser-Known Relatives
There is growing awareness of postpartum depression in the medical community, within mother-baby support communities, and in recent years, it is even screened for 6 weeks after delivery at Ob and Peds follow-up appointments.
There are however, a host of other postpartum disorders that often present themselves in the postpartum period that are lesser-known and lesser-diagnosed though they can be as impactful as depression in the perinatal period. We will cover some signs and symptoms of postpartum anxiety, postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder, and more rarely, postpartum psychosis.
Before you dive in, remember that our professionals are always here to help
What is Postpartum Anxiety?
Having a newborn at home, especially for new moms, can feel like a whole new world. There are often so many things to think about, things to learn, to plan for, to schedule around, etc. It is very common for new moms to find themselves overwhelmed.
Sometimes this overwhelms spirals into anxiety. Postpartum anxiety is often missed by PCPs, ObGyns, and even family members because the symptoms do not align with typical symptoms of depression, and are often incorrectly over-attributed to the sudden life change of having a baby. So, what exactly is anxiety and what does it look like in new moms?
Anxiety is an adaptive response that our bodies and brains have when we feel threatened. The threat can be explicit e.g. walking into a dangerous situation or more of a feeling or foreboding of something bad about to happen.
From a strictly evolutionary perspective, anxiety is helpful in avoiding danger and staying safe. However, especially in the postpartum period, this helpful response can become hyperactive. Some may feel anxiety in their bodies with increased heart rate, sweating, flashes of panic, chest tightness, and knots in their stomach.
Often moms will have difficulty falling or staying asleep, despite being exhausted and sleep deprived. Others experience in the form of racing thoughts, worrying, and obsessing out of proportion to the situation. And finally, others experience it in their behaviors and will notice they are persistently avoiding certain situations, engaging in checking behaviors, and or constantly seeking reassurance.
Anxiety can present in one or multiple ways and can wax and wane over time. Postpartum anxiety is fairly common, about 15% of new mothers will experience this. Often cognitive behavioral therapy, mind-body interventions, and sometimes medication is very effective in treating this.
What is Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a very close sister of postpartum anxiety. It is estimated about 3-5% of new moms will have symptoms of perinatal OCD. Common symptoms of postpartum OCD are repetitive, intrusive images and thoughts that can come up randomly and feel very alarming.
Sometimes the thoughts or images are disturbing and or gruesome. They often cause shame for the woman experiencing them and women fear that sharing these thoughts will result in their babies being taken away or judged by others.
Sometimes OCD presents as compulsions where a new mom will do certain things to help avoid and reduce fear. Examples of this are counting behaviors, checking behaviors, or time-consuming rituals.
Feelings of hypervigilance and fear of being left alone with the infant are common. The important thing to note is that these thoughts are very rarely dangerous and moms seldom act upon them. The other silver lining is that postpartum OCD is very treatable. SSRIs are often the mainstay of treatment in addition to therapy that may include exposure and response prevention as well as cognitive behavioral therapy.
What is Postpartum Psychosis?
Finally, postpartum psychosis is one of the rare but serious disorders that can develop in the postpartum period. Typically, a combination of genetics (personal or family history of bipolar disorder or episode of psychosis) as well as hormonal fluctuations with sleep deprivation can result in a psychotic episode.
Usually, these develop suddenly, often within the first two weeks of birth but up to six weeks postpartum, and affect 0.1-0.2% of new moms. Symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, irritability, paranoia, mania, decreased sleep, and/or mood swings.
Postpartum psychosis is considered a medical emergency for both mom and baby. Postpartum psychosis is treatable with medication and supportive measures, but early detection and immediate treatment are imperative.
Reach out to our Therapists and Psychologists today!
I know, I’ve just written a two-part series about all the things that can go wrong in the post-natal period! But, there is so much hope! As both a perinatal psychiatrist and as a mom of 4 littles myself, I think the biggest barrier to moms living their best life is often the detection of the mood disorder as so much is normalized and chalked up to the “difficulties of being a mom.”
I hope with these articles and the incredible power of education around these stigmatized disorders, that more women are empowered to get the support and treatment that they need. Help is just a phone call away! Please check out our resources section for more information.
Postpartum Depression Counseling
If you’re feeling overwhelmed as a new mom, know that you are not alone. Many women experience similar feelings of anxiety and depression in the postpartum period. Fortunately, help is available. At our practice, we provide targeted psychotherapy, to support mothers through this challenging time.
We understand that every woman’s experience with motherhood is unique, so we offer a variety of services to meet your specific needs. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help – it could make all the difference for you and your baby.
LunaJoy services are available in Florida, Georgia, California, Illinois, Alaska, Minnesota, and Texas.
We welcome clients in Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Atlanta, Athens, Macon, Alpharetta, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Sitka, Minneapolis, Nebraska, Omaha, Lincoln, Bellevue or from anywhere in these states. We offer individual counseling for women, anxiety counseling, depression treatment, counseling for expectant and new mothers, and counseling to help process trauma. Please note, due to licensing laws, our providers are only able to deliver services in the states they are currently licensed in.
