Perinatal Mental Health
The perinatal period, which includes pregnancy and the first year following childbirth, can bring significant emotional, psychological, and physical changes. While this time is often associated with excitement and joy, it can also involve anxiety, uncertainty, overwhelm, and challenges adjusting to new roles and responsibilities. Perinatal mental health concerns can affect anyone, regardless of their circumstances, previous mental health history, or feelings about becoming a parent.
Experiencing emotional difficulties during pregnancy or postpartum does not reflect a person's ability to parent or the love they have for their child. Understanding these experiences and recognizing when additional support may be helpful can be an important first step toward improved well-being.
Postpartum anxiety, depression, and OCD
For a brief check-in on your mental health during pregnancy or postpartum, you can complete the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). It isn't a diagnosis, but it can be a helpful starting point for a conversation with a healthcare professional.
Emotional changes are common during pregnancy and after childbirth, but persistent feelings of anxiety, sadness, or distress may indicate a perinatal mental health condition. Postpartum anxiety can involve excessive worry, racing thoughts, difficulty relaxing, and persistent fears about a baby's health or safety. Postpartum depression may present as sadness, irritability, emotional numbness, guilt, difficulty experiencing enjoyment, or feeling disconnected from oneself or others.
Perinatal obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) involves unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that cause significant distress. These often centre around fears of harm coming to the baby and may lead to compulsive behaviours such as checking, reassurance-seeking, avoidance, or mental rituals intended to prevent feared outcomes. These intrusive thoughts are typically inconsistent with a person's values and intentions, which can make them particularly frightening. Importantly, experiencing unwanted intrusive thoughts does not mean someone wants to act on them.
Evidence-based treatments, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), can be effective in addressing perinatal mental health concerns. CBT helps individuals understand the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and behaviours while developing strategies to manage anxiety, low mood, and the challenges of adjustment. ERP, a specialized form of CBT for OCD, focuses on gradually approaching feared situations or thoughts while reducing compulsive behaviours, avoidance, and reassurance-seeking. These approaches aim to reduce distress, increase psychological flexibility, and support individuals in navigating pregnancy and parenthood with greater confidence.
Postpartum Support International
Postpartum Support International (PSI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing awareness, education, and access to support for individuals and families experiencing mental health challenges during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
PSI offers free online support groups, educational resources, peer support, and assistance connecting with professionals specializing in perinatal mental health. Resources are available for individuals experiencing postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, and other perinatal mental health concerns, as well as their partners and families.
PSI HelpLine
If you're looking for support, information, or help finding resources, you can connect with PSI's confidential HelpLine.
📞 Call: 1-800-944-4773 (press 2 for English)
💬 Text: HELP to 800-944-4773
HelpLine volunteers return messages seven days a week, during service hours of 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time. This is not a crisis or emergency service.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis in Canada, call or text 988 for immediate crisis support. In an emergency, call 911.