New or expecting parents may already be familiar with postpartum depression. Yet there’s another perinatal mood disorder that’s often overlooked – and it’s an incredibly common complication of pregnancy and postpartum.
Up to one in five mothers can experience perinatal anxiety. It can happen any time during pregnancy and up to the first year following childbirth. Perinatal anxiety refers to symptoms occurring during pregnancy while postpartum anxiety refers to symptoms that appear after pregnancy.
“There is a lot of confusion between postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety,” said Kim Kapinos, licensed clinical social worker with Yale New Haven Hospital’s Maternal Wellness Program. “Postpartum anxiety is much more common than we give it credit for and I think part of that is being able to decipher the difference between postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety.”
What are the symptoms of perinatal or postpartum anxiety v. depression?
Symptoms associated with perinatal or postpartum anxiety can include:
- Constant worry
- Thinking something bad might happen such as fear with your or your baby’s health
- Racing thoughts
- Feeling anxious, on edge, overwhelmed
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Physical symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, difficulty breathing
- Disturbances with sleep or appetite
- Intrusive, unwanted or scary thoughts
Meanwhile, symptoms associated with perinatal or postpartum depression may include:
- Sadness
- Irritability
- Agitation
- Loss of energy or motivation
- Low self esteem
- Guilt
- Difficulty sleeping or loss of appetite
- Loss of interest
Kapinos says there can be some overlaps and it’s possible for patients to experience both anxiety and depression. However, excessive worry is often a red flag for anxiety.
Some common risk factors for perinatal or postpartum anxiety may include a history of anxiety or depression, significant sleep deprivation, psychosocial stressors or impacts on the baby’s wellbeing such as a NICU stay. However, anyone can experience anxiety, including dads.
How to get help for perinatal or postpartum anxiety
New parents typically complete a screener during a pregnancy and/or postpartum visit with their provider called the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. This tool is designed to help identify and assess for both depression and anxiety.
But any time a new parent is feeling off, they should tell someone, whether it’s their ObGyn, midwife, primary care doctor or partner.
“If your worries feel bigger than the moment, you’re having a difficult time sleeping even when your baby is, or your mind won’t stop racing about all the what if’s, it may be more than just 'new-parent worry.' Any one of theses are reason enough to start the conversation that, ‘Hey, I’m not feeling like myself,’” said Kapinos.
Treatment for perinatal or postpartum anxiety
Kapinos says perinatal mental health disorders are often temporary once patients get help from a professional, whether that’s with an individual therapist, couples’ counselor or group therapy.
Treatment may include cognitive behavioral therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), medication management, as well as help with nutrition, improving sleep, adding in movement and behavior modification.
Yale New Haven Health’s Maternal Wellness Program includes a team of licensed clinical social workers to help patients get the treatment they need. It is open to anyone in Connecticut and is accepted by most insurance providers.
“You don’t have to wait until you’re overwhelmed to ask for help. You deserve the support,” said Kapinos. “There are resources available, we are here to help.”
Additional resources: The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline provides 24-hour support to individuals experiencing significant symptoms to their mood. That number is 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262). Postpartum Support International also provides resources for those experiencing perinatal anxiety and depression such as virtual free groups, access to resources, and support in Connecticut. The PSI Helpline is 1-800-944-4773.
