Perinatal
Mental Health
Supporting your Perinatal Mental Health and Wellbeing
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Pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting bring dramatic changes to your life - and your emotional health.
While it can be an exciting and joyful time, the changes that accompany the perinatal period can also leave you feeling anxious, sad, guilty, overwhelmed, irritable, or unable to relax and
enjoy your developing relationship with your baby and family.
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• You might be feeling down.
• You may feel more tired than usual, yet unable to sleep or rest.
• You might be less interested in eating. Or eating too much of the wrong things.
• You may get angry and annoyed more easily.
• You might have trouble thinking clearly and making decisions.
• You may worry or get anxious for reasons that you don’t completely understand.
• You might be having thoughts or impulses that feel disturbing, scary, and irrational.
• You may even experience flashbacks or nightmares about past traumatic events.
All these reactions are normal, but they may also be signs and symptoms of a
temporary and treatable set of conditions called Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs).
REMEMBER: If you are having any of these feelings, it's ok. It's normal.
What you are feeling is temporary and treatable. And YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Many of us have felt the way you might be feeling now.
With help and support, you will feel better.
Things That Help:
Take a Break
Sometimes the emotions associated with Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders might feel like more than you can handle. If they do, give yourself permission to take a "time out."
Go for a walk. Take a shower. Take a nap. Ask for help with the kids.
If you need to, it's ok to put your baby down in a safe place and walk away for a few minutes.
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Make a Plan
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Even if you haven't had any of these feelings yet, think about what you would do if you did.
Who would you tell? Where would you go? What would you need?
Then, if you ever feel overwhelmed, you will be prepared.
Stop, pay attention, and go to your plan.
Try this Breathing Exercise.
Box breathing relaxation technique:
How to Calm Feelings of Stress or Anxiety
from Sunnybrook Hospital Health Sciences Center Department of Psychiatry
Add to Your Tools
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Box Breathing - a tool for calming my mind and body
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My Mood - naming and communicating what I'm feeling
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My Needs Today - asking for what I need
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My Not-To-Do List - prioritizing what is important to me
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Self-Compassion - reframing traumatic experiences
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When It Feels Like Too Much - strategies for coping with overwhelming feelings
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Don't Go It Alone
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Pregnancy, parenting, or a NICU stay can be incredibly isolating.
Sometimes you can go days without thinking about anything other than managing the demands of being pregnant or caring for your baby.
Sometimes, it feels like you've gone days without having a real conversation with another adult.
Try to stay connected to your friends and community.
Make time to talk to a trusted provider, partner, or friend - even if it's just a quick call, email, or text. Because when you're feeling bad, it's easy to feel like no one notices or cares.
But that's not true. People care about you.
And there are providers who are ready to help.
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Talk to Someone
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If you are worried about telling someone you know about how you feel, there is still help.
Calling a postpartum depression or suicide hotline and talking to someone you don't know - but who understands - can be a lifeline.
Talking to a trained listener allows you to share your feelings and get helpful feedback without worrying that what you're sharing will upset or burden them.
That's what they are there for. They want to help you feel better and stay healthy.
WHAT to EXPECT:
The Warmline messages are returned every day of the week.
You are welcome to leave a confidential message any time, and one of the warmline volunteers will return your call as soon as possible.
If you are not able to talk when the volunteer calls you, you can arrange another time to connect.
The volunteer will give you information, encouragement, and names of resources near you.
IN AN EMERGENCY:
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National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) or dial 988
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Website 988lifeline.org
Call for yourself or someone you care about; free and confidential; network of more than 140 crisis centers nationwide; available 24/7
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CRISIS TEXT LINE: Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the USA, anytime, about any type of crisis.
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Website www.crisistextline.org/text-us
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Crisis Text Line serves anyone, in any type of crisis, providing access to free, 24/7 support via a medium people already use and trust: text.
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DOWLOAD this list of resources that we think everyone needs to know about...
Then add your own.
Email your favorite resources to
egoyer@nationalperinatal.org
The Perinatal Peer Support Principles are a set of five values designed to give peer supporters the confidence to create and deliver peer support that meets the needs of women and families affected by mental health problems during pregnancy or the postnatal period.
Maternal Mental Health Now is helping those who want to become pregnant, are pregnant and just welcomed a baby understand and manage perinatal depression and anxiety
Emotional Wellness Self-Help Tool
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Guía de Bienestar Emocional Ayudando
a las que desean embarazarse, están embarazadas, y a las que acaban de dar a luz
The Disabled Parenting Project (DPP), which is part of the National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities, is an online space for sharing experiences, advice, and conversations among disabled parents as well as those considering parenthood. The DPP also serves as an information clearinghouse and interactive space for discussion and connection.
NICU Parent Network is the premier US-based professional organization of NICU parent leaders who collectively represent the needs and best interests of NICU families. Together, we envision a world where every NICU family is an essential and integral member of their baby’s care team.
Psychologists have unique training and skills to optimize medical, socioemotional, and neurodevelopmental outcomes for NICU infants and families.
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The National Network of NICU Psychologists (NNNP) strives to be the leading voice and resource for mental health services in NICU settings.
