Mental Health in Pregnancy: Coping Tips and When to Seek Help

In short: A pregnant woman may face emotional problems such as depression, post-traumatic stress after a difficult earlier pregnancy, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder and intense fear of childbirth. Ask for help if sadness continues despite your efforts to look after yourself. Breathing exercises, regular meals, physical activity and talking therapy help, and the doctor may prescribe a safe medicine if needed; do not take any medicine without advice.

Pregnancy is a major life event, and it’s completely normal to experience a wide range of emotions along the way. But if these feelings begin to affect your daily life, there are some things you can try that may help:

• talk about your feelings to a friend, family member or doctor
• try calming breathing exercises
• eat a healthy diet with regular meals and try to exercise
• do not compare yourself to others (everyone experiences pregnancy differently)
• avoid cigarettes or drugs to try and feel better – these can affect your baby’s growth and wellbeing.

If you’re feeling low and things aren’t improving, talking therapy may help you work through your emotions in a supportive setting.

In some cases, your doctor may suggest medicine to help manage your symptoms.

Before taking any medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, it’s important to consult your doctor. Together, you can weigh up the risks and benefits to find the safest option at the lowest effective dose.

If you are already taking medicine for a mental health condition and find out you are pregnant, do not stop it suddenly – stopping abruptly can make the illness come back. Speak to your doctor as soon as possible.

Understanding Mental Health Problems in Pregnancy

Many different mental health problems can arise during pregnancy. They can happen at any stage, even if this isn’t your first pregnancy, and can start or continue at any time in the first year after birth (postpartum).

If you feel sad most of the time, this could be a sign of depression.

If you experience flashbacks, nightmares, or intense distress when reminded of a past experience, you may be dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – this can be more common after a pregnancy loss or a traumatic birth.

If you have sudden attacks of panic or fear, this may point to a panic disorder.

If you notice obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors, this could be a sign of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

Seek urgent help the same day if you have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, or if you (or your family) notice sudden confusion, hearing or seeing things, or very unusual beliefs, especially in the first weeks after birth – this can be a sign of postpartum psychosis, a medical emergency.

If you feel an extreme fear of giving birth, this is known as tokophobia.

Some women also find it hard to cope with their changing body shape during pregnancy, especially if they have a history of an eating disorder.

If any of these feelings sound familiar, please know that support is available, and you do not have to face this alone. Speaking with your obstetrician or a mental health professional early on can make a real difference to your wellbeing and your pregnancy journey.

Dr Najeeb Layyous F.R.C.O.G

Consultant Obstetrician, Gynecologist and Infertility Specialist