Poporodna anksioznost!

Somehow, with my partner's help, I survived those first weeks, but the situation continues today, when 6 months have passed since the birth. I wake up at night and often check to see if he is still breathing. If I leave home and leave him in care, I keep checking my phone to see if they’ve called me to see if something’s wrong.

A certain level of concern is normal for new parents. An unknown situation raises concerns about how we will get along with the child. Mostly in the first weeks after giving birth, they come to the aid of their mother and mother-in-law. They ease our sense of anxiety, which is normal in any new situation. I would like to mention that the child's father also experiences anxiety, but the concern of mothers is all the greater, because the child in the first years of life depends mainly on them.

How to recognize excessive anxiety?

 

Several factors need to be closely monitored. One of them is certainly the great concern that makes our lives difficult. We do not sleep, we feel unable to take care of the child, we are accompanied by doubts about the ability to mother. We feel that something is happening to us. The second sign is intrusive thoughts. Concerns are imposed on us as if we have no control. Even after talking about worries with loved ones, we feel better only for a short time or not at all. The third thing is the impact of worrying about our physical well-being, which can lead to panic attacks. Our appetite changes, we develop sleep disorders, chest anxiety, stomach cramps, etc. Such are the signs that accompany postpartum anxiety.

The messages of the environment are also important. Partner and friends often report and see that something is wrong with us.

However, we should not neglect mothers who already have experience with parenthood. They, too, despite previous positive experiences, may experience postpartum anxiety. Pregnancy is a time of great hormonal changes, so everyone is vulnerable to the development of mood disorders. As with postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety requires professional help. If we ignore such a situation, the problems can only get worse. In my psychotherapy practice, I have a mom who experienced postpartum anxiety years ago. It took her two years to somehow float out of it on her own, but a few years after giving birth, the anxiety returned. In this case, we are talking about anxiety and no longer postpartum anxiety. When we seek help from a professional, we prevent the disorder from getting worse and recurring.

Eva Steiner, psychodynamic psychotherapist