Postpartum Anxiety: What It Is, Symptoms and Treatments

By Kirstie Ganobsik HealthDay Reporter

You may have heard ofpostpartum depressionand “thebaby blues,” but did you know that there's another widely studiedmental healthcondition called postpartumanxiety?

Dr. Erica Newlin, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Westlake, Ohio, said in a Cleveland Clinic podcast that, “Peripartum and postpartumanxietyanddepression, and justmental healthconcerns in general, are super, super common. Most studies really cite a prevalence of around 10%. But we think that that might be vastly underreported."

And postpartumanxietydoesn't just affect mothers: A recent review published in theJournal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecologyrevealed that about 1 in 10 dads were impacted.

To understand how to better manage postpartumanxietyand reduce your risk factors for developing the condition, it's important to learn what it is, its causes and key symptoms, and the treatments that are recommended by doctors, including commonly prescribed medications.

What is postpartumanxiety?

Postpartumanxietyis named after the time period immediately following delivery or becoming a parent.

“You can start to experience it any time during thepregnancyand in that first year after delivering,” said Newlin.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, what sets postpartumanxietyapart from normal worry is the severity of its symptoms.

The condition is marked by irrational fears that go well beyond the natural concerns parents have for their children's health and well-being. For example, you might have unfounded, repetitive thoughts that someone or something is going to harm you or your baby.

Postpartumanxietycauses

The causes and risk factors for postpartum anxiety are varied and may include:

• Shifts in hormones, which decrease in women afterpregnancyand make it more difficult to managestress
• Added life stressors, such as difficultybreastfeedingor issues duringpregnancyand delivery
• Being overwhelmed due to the responsibilities of caring for anewborn
• A lack ofsleep, which is common for new parents
• Certain health conditions, such as a history ofeating disorders, anxiety ordepression
• Life events that increase your risk for developing anxiety, such as a previousmiscarriageor loss of a child
• Lifestyle factors, such as caring for multiple children at once or having a child with health issues

“There can be an expectation of how motherhood will be,” said Newlin. “And sometimes if reality doesn't always match expectations, that can be a contributor [to postpartum anxiety] as well."

Postpartum anxiety symptoms

根据哈佛大学卫生, postpartum anxiety shares some symptoms in common withpostpartum depression, including irritability, issues with relaxing, and trouble falling or staying asleep.

The Cleveland Clinic states that other common postpartum anxiety symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath
• 心palpitationsor increasedheartrate
• Restlessness
• Nauseaanddecreased appetite
• Racing or irrational thoughts, particularly fearful ones
• Poor focus
• Social avoidance
• Control issues
• Overly cautious behavior

QUESTION

Panic attacks are repeated attacks of fear that can last for several minutes.See Answer

It's also not uncommon for postpartum anxiety to manifest as a type ofanxiety disorderknown asobsessive compulsive disorder(OCD), according to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.

Postpartum anxiety treatments and medications

Luckily, there is help for postpartum anxiety. These include:

• Therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy is used to treat different types of anxiety, including postpartum anxiety andOCD. A psychologist or counselor helps you identify your thoughts, emotions and behaviors, and helps you work to change them.
• 药物治疗:产后焦虑药物prescribed by your doctor to help you manage and improve the physical, behavioral and emotional symptoms of the condition. These include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and theantidepressantmirtazapine.
• Social support: “There are national postpartum support groups that provide both virtual outlets, as well as organizing things like stroller walks or get-togethers that may help,” said Newlin. “Just talking with women that are going through the same thing and validating these feelings that you're having for some women is enough."

Harvard Health offers additional suggestions to help you ease your symptoms:

• Cuddle your child to release mood-enhancingoxytocin
• Include workouts that incorporate calming breathwork, such asyoga
• Wean your child frombreastfeedingslowly to help keep hormone levels from shifting too quickly
• Do everything you can to get moresleep

When to seek help

“If you find that you're having what I call perseverating thoughts — like if you can't move past that worry, if the worry is keeping you from living your life, or if you're constantly worried about something happening to you or something happening to the baby, or it's affecting yoursleepor ability to function — that's not on the normal side of things. And that would be a reason to seek care,” Newlin advised.

If you're wondering if you may have postpartum anxiety, you can start by taking this short anxiety quiz from Anxiety.org.

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