Path to Healing: Knowing When to Seek Therapy After a Traumatic Birth or Pregnancy

Certain periods in someone's life are often associated with times of happiness, blessings, and even miracles. One of those events is expecting a child or giving birth.

But life is filled with ups and downs. As with all things in life, events can both be filled with good memories and not-so-great memories. While expecting and giving birth are often known as joyous occasions, there are a lot of unknowns and unexpected things that can take place throughout those nine-plus months that unfortunately aren't as widely talked about.

The pregnancy and birthing process isn't sunshine and rainbows. There can be complications, emergencies, stressors, and even loss that can occur for a mother and/or child.

If you went through a traumatic birth or pregnancy, it's important to know that you're not alone. Healing is possible. You just have to find the right path. This is how to know when to seek therapy after a traumatic birth or pregnancy.

Conditions to Watch Out For

Many perinatal mental health conditions can occur during pregnancy and the postpartum period. These conditions can have an impact not only on the pregnant individual but also on the partners or family members. Let's learn more about what some of these conditions are, what they look like, and the risk factors associated.

Anxiety

Perinatal anxiety is another common but treatable mental health condition that can occur during pregnancy or following a birth. A person showing signs of perinatal anxiety will excessively worry about their baby, have an extreme fear of leaving the home with their baby, and experience physical aches or pains like digestive issues, headaches, or dizzy spells.

Bipolar Mood Disorders

A bipolar mood disorder is a little harder to diagnose during pregnancy and childbirth, as it can look like anxiety and depression. Someone experiencing this condition will show signs like hallucinations, overconfidence, racing thoughts, and not needing to sleep.

Depression

Perinatal depression is a common but serious mental health condition that can occur throughout one's pregnancy or within the first year of giving birth. A person with perinatal depression will experience anxiety, fatigue, and feelings of sadness. These feelings can get in the way of a person's day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

OCD

Perinatal obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can also occur through pregnancy and within the first year of giving birth. Similar to other forms of OCD, a person will experience a series of obsessions and compulsions that bring on added stress. Their obsessions may be related to contamination, fear of harming their child, perfectionism, or sexual thoughts. The compulsions will involve obsessively cleaning, checking and rechecking, or repeating phrases to themselves until they feel better.

PTSD

Perinatal post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is another common mental health condition that can happen during pregnancy, childbirth, and up to the first year after giving birth. PTSD is typically linked to pregnancy complicated, unplanned C-sections, physical complications or injuries during pregnancy or the birthing process, or a baby having to go into the NICU after they're born.

Psychosis

Perinatal psychosis and postpartum psychosis are serious disorders that can be experienced up to a year after giving birth. These conditions are less common compared to the others. They're still serious conditions that can include symptoms of confusion, delusions, mania, and paranoia.

How to Move Forward

You're not alone if you went through a traumatic pregnancy or birthing experience. It's important to remember that this experience is not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong, and it definitely doesn't mean that you're unfit or unworthy of becoming a parent.

It may be beneficial to talk to a licensed and trained mental health professional if you're showing signs of lingering traumatic thoughts and feelings. If you're been struggling with signs or symptoms, reach out to us today to learn more about how trauma therapy can help you find the path towards healing.