One of life’s unfair paradoxes occurs when a new mother faces mental health issues. At least 10 percent of women experience anxiety after giving birth. In some cases, this can lead to a diagnosis of postpartum anxiety. This condition can look a lot like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In fact, some new moms can also struggle with OCD. Whatever the specifics, this is a daunting reality that feels cruel when all you want to do is bond with your newborn.

Fortunately, you’re not alone, and effective treatment options exist. Let’s dig deeper to learn more about postpartum anxiety, OCD, and the healing steps you can take. 

What is Postpartum Anxiety?

This disorder is all about feelings of intense anxiety during the first year of your baby’s life. Here are a few ways such thoughts can show up:

• Chronically checking on the baby beyond any reasonable expectation
• Becoming exhausted from hyper-vigilance
• Going to extremes to create a “fully” safe environment 
• Your baby-related fears become increasingly irrational

Behaviors like this occur in addition to signs and symptoms like:

• Restlessness 
• Rapid heart rate 
• Shallow breathing 
• Irritability
• Feeling out of control
• Ability to focus, concentrate, or make decisions
• Forgetfulness 
• Physical signs like digestive problems, sleep disturbances, and muscle aches

Now, what is OCD?

As the name implies, OCD is about obsessions and compulsions. Let’s get a brief explanation:

Obsessions

These intrusive thoughts create massive amounts of anxiety. They can relate to a wide range of fears or concerns. In a postpartum situation, a woman’s obsessions will almost certainly revolve around their newborn. 

Compulsions

To relieve some of the obsessive-driven anxiety, a person will create rituals designed to “address” the worries. Such behaviors don’t have to make sense. They are designed to offer even a modicum of relief.

5 Ways to Cope with Postpartum Anxiety and OCD

1. Acceptance and Awareness

It’s never easy to acknowledge the presence of a mental illness. However, it’s most often the best first step toward recovery. After giving birth, you may feel tempted to brush off symptoms as being caused by fatigue and having too much to do. These factors play a role, of course, but you must accept that anxiety and possibly OCD are involved. The sooner you embrace such awareness, the sooner you can benefit from the guidance of a professional.

2. Practice General Mindfulness

Anxiety disorders thrive when the person is overstimulated. Being a new mother is decidedly overstimulating. This combination can facilitate the development of obsessions and compulsion. Therefore, getting to the root of the cycle can be hugely helpful. Take stock of your surroundings and mindfully assess what you can change. How can you reduce triggers and other known issues?

3. Practice Meditative Mindfulness

Anxiety is essentially a grouping of distorted thoughts. There are rarely facts. The art of witnessing rather than reacting to thoughts is meditation. Through such a practice, you can become adept at accepting anxiety, obsessions, and compulsions without being overwhelmed by them. The ability to observe oneself without feeling controlled by what you see is a superpower of sorts when postpartum anxiety and/or OCD are present. 

4. Breathing Exercises 

Adding to your newfound meditation skills, breathing exercises are a proven way to slow things down — regardless of the circumstances. Anxiety is launched by the part of your nervous system that responds to stress. Slow, deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which reverses your natural stress reactions. 

5. Healthy Eating and Drinking Choices

Gut health is strongly linked to mental health. Hence, a healthy digestive system can be a powerful buttress against mental triggers like anxiety and stress. I know, I know, you hear this all the time but it’s so true! We’ve seen clients have anxiety symptoms in response to certain foods and/or ingredients like aspartame or a certain food dye. Being able to make these connections can go a long way towards eliminating unnecessary symptoms. Your therapist can help you with this too!

Most of all, however, you must connect with an experienced, compatible mental health practitioner and you’re in luck! We have several specially trained certified perinatal health therapists on staff who are willing and excited to help you! You can schedule here any time or reach out to us through our contact form. We’ve got you!