Becoming a parent can be really tough. It’s a period of huge change and adjustment. So it’s very common for new and expectant parents to find themselves experiencing perinatal mental health difficulties.
These can include a wide range of symptoms. We’ve described just some of them below.
During pregnancy and as a new parent, you may be feeling -
Anxious
You’re constantly worrying – often about the same thing over and over again, like your baby’s routine or health
You’re scared about things you wouldn’t usually be scared of
Your mind can’t switch off, even when you’re exhausted
Everything is overwhelming and small tasks feel really challenging
Depressed
You’ve lost your zest for life
Everything feels like a huge effort – you can’t find joy in anything
You feel confused, like you can’t think straight
You feel sad constantly and are often in tears
You feel hopeless
Worried about bonding
You haven’t felt that wonderful wave of unconditional love for your baby that you’ve seen in films and on TV
You feel a sense of detachment from your baby
You feel frightened around your baby, and find the sense of responsibility overwhelming
Low in confidence
You feel guilty about not being the ‘perfect’ parent
You worry that how you’re feeling will affect your baby
You’re constantly comparing yourself to other parents, thinking they cope much better than you
You don’t want to socialise with other parents in case they judge you
All of these feelings are very ‘normal’ - they’re just not talked about enough! The good news? Most parents are able to manage and overcome these feelings with the right support.
At Bluebell, we support people with mild to moderate perinatal mental health difficulties for up to two years after their child is born. We offer space spaces for parents to open up about their feelings and find tools and techniques to help manage them. Find out how we can help.
We believe everyone should be able to access information on perinatal mental health in a culturally appropriate way. To support parents & raise awareness, Acacia Family Support have produced a series of films discussing perinatal mental health in Dari, Gujarati, Mirpuri, Punjabi, Slovakian and Urdu.