A Guest Blog Post by Beth Rush, the Mindfulness Editor at Body+Mind.
Many working moms experience postpartum anxiety, but it’s often missed or mistaken for everyday stress. Understanding the signs and knowing how to help yourself is vital for a healthier, happier start to motherhood.
What Is Postpartum Anxiety?
Postpartum anxiety is the term for severe anxiety after giving birth. All new mothers worry — that is normal. However, with this condition, fear may feel overwhelming. It’s usually accompanied by a sense of danger, which may begin soon before birth, right after or even a few months later. Specific worries may be rational but excessive or vague.
Common symptoms include:
- Shortness of breath
- Sleep difficulties
- Palpitations
- Nausea
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Obsessing over your baby
- Panic attacks
- Over-caution
- Avoiding going out
- Intrusive thoughts
Experts estimate that at least 20% of women experience postpartum anxiety. It is thought to be primarily caused by hormonal changes, although real-life stressors for new moms may also trigger the condition. Mothers who have previously experienced pregnancy loss are at higher risk of developing it, as are those with a preexisting history of anxiety.
Is There a Diagnosis for Postpartum Anxiety?
Postpartum anxiety is not a specific diagnosis in the DSM-5 — the gold standard manual that doctors use to identify mental health disorders. However, health care providers recognize it as a real and treatable condition.
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners and Psychiatrists use screening tools and questions to identify it, and a health care professional can make an official diagnosis. It can be treated with medication, cognitive behavioral therapy and other therapies.
Why Is It Often Misdiagnosed in Working Moms?
There are several reasons why this is a problem for working mothers.
Overlap and Confusion with Postpartum Depression
Postpartum anxiety is often mistaken for the better-known postpartum depression. Women may have both conditions at the same time, but it is also possible to have one without the other.
Both cause sleep difficulties and mood changes, but the depressive symptoms typically include feelings of intense sadness and hopelessness, instead of excessive fear and worry. Obtaining the correct diagnosis is crucial, as it will affect which medication is best suited to help you.
Confusion With Workplace Burnout
Going back to employment soon after having a baby is intensely challenging for any mother, so signs of stress are to be expected. Employers and health care providers may therefore mistake your symptoms for “normal” work-related stress. At worst, some women’s anxiety is dismissed altogether.
Unhelpful Workplace Culture
If the atmosphere is highly competitive or less aware of mental health, women may feel pressured to hide their symptoms. For this reason, some new working moms may blame themselves, suppress their feelings and not seek help.
Difficulty Accessing Screening
Experts recommend universal screening of all new mothers for maternal mental health disorders, but the implementation of this is highly patchy. Even where such screenings are readily available, working moms may face barriers to accessing them due to work commitments.
How Can I Prevent Postpartum Anxiety?
Postpartum anxiety is not your fault, and there is no foolproof way to prevent it entirely. However, there are some key strategies that can minimize your risk:
- Build a support network: Stay connected to friends, family and other moms. Don’t be afraid to ask for help with baby care, chores or just to talk.
- Talk to your health care provider: Share your feelings and concerns, and insist on being taken seriously.
- Consider psychotherapy: Specialized mental health practices can offer diagnosis and safe medication management as well as therapy.
- Limit overcommitment: You have just had a baby, and what’s more, you are back at work. Say “no” to most other things and focus on your own needs.
- Try mindfulness: Mindfulness reduces anxiety during pregnancy, but it is widely acclaimed as a useful mental health tool, so it may help you post-birth, too.
- Prioritize self-care: Eat nourishing foods and take short breaks for yourself. Even a few minutes will help.
- Consider supplements: Some herbs are known to have calming effects. Lemon balm, for instance, reduced anxiety in 95% of participants in one modern study. Check with your doctor first if you’re breastfeeding.
- Keep moving: You may be exhausted, but gentle exercise such as yoga can be calming.
- Spend time outdoors: New mothers in a recent study reported notable improvements to their mental well-being when engaging with nature. You can even do nature based therapy!
Moving Forward With Support
Postpartum anxiety is real and treatable, and not your fault. If you’re struggling, help is available. Early recognition and support can make a big difference to you and your family. Reach out, ask questions, be heard and take care of your mental health as you navigate life with your new baby.
If you are struggling with postpartum anxiety and live in Maryland, please reach out to Nurtured Well today! We can help you with therapy and medication.
About the Author: About the Author: Beth Rush is the mindfulness editor at Body+Mind. She writes about mental health during pregnancy and beyond. She also shares tips for coping with c-PTSD, PCOS, and climate anxiety. Subscribe to the Body+Mind Newsletter for more posts by Beth