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Antenatal Support

Counselling & Psychotherapy for Antenatal Support

Antenatal Depression & Anxiety

Professionally as a midwife, health visitor and integrative therapist, I am aware that an array of feelings can be experienced on discovering that you are pregnant. For many, it is a joyous and magical time, however for others it can provoke overwhelming anxiety, negative emotions and ‘antenatal depression’.Your experience and needs will also change from early pregnancy to the later stages.

Feeling momentarily low, anxious and overwhelmed during your pregnancy is not unusual. It is understandable that you will be feeling a rollercoaster of emotions that you haven’t experienced before. There would be an expectation however that these feelings surface and then pass. Antenatal depression is when you experience feelings of depression and / or anxiety during your pregnancy, that is ongoing.

Postnatal depression is well known, however antenatal depression is not. Research highlights that 10% of women are thought to be affected, however, if women choose to suffer in silence the risk of experiencing postnatal depression is increased.

Common emotional symptoms of antenatal depression & anxiety

  • If overwhelming feelings of emotion and / or feeling unable to cope becomes more permanent
  • Feeling irritable, tearful, restless and experiencing mood swings
  • Feeling low and depressed
  • Feeling a sense of numbness / emptiness, or a sense of being detached
  • Experiencing overwhelming anxiety and worrying excessively (a degree of anxiety is normal. This anxiety may focus on the birth, or the health of your child, or what it will be like to be a parent)
  • Panic attacks and feeling constantly on edge, even though there is nothing specific to feel on edge about.
  • Social isolation - You may begin to feel more comfortable avoiding social interactions.
  • Becoming overtly concerned of a limited support network
  • Having difficulty concentrating
  • Insomnia and experiencing your mind psychologically racing
  • Becoming concerned and preoccupied with your physical appearance

What are the causes of Antenatal Depression?

There are a multitude of causes of antenatal depression, and there will be a unique set of circumstances for each individual. Women who have experienced depression in the past may be more at risk, however antenatal depression can also affect those with no previous history.

  • The physiological condition of being pregnant initiates hormonal changes, which can bring about / trigger antenatal depression
  • Physical changes to your body will occur, which will vary from woman to woman, as would an individual’s reaction to them.
  • Your roles and responsibilities will be changing and this can trigger overwhelming worries, fears and concerns regarding the impending change to your life that you may not feel prepared for.
  • Your pregnancy may trigger memories of your past, of the way in which you were parented and fears around being a ‘good enough’ parent
  • You may have relationship difficulties or issues that are exacerbated by your pregnancy, or you may be experiencing pregnancy without a partner which initiates different feelings and worries
  • You may be anxious about your finances and the increased pressure that pregnancy brings.
  • You may have been pregnant before and / or had children before and this pregnancy is triggering anxiety based on previous experiences.
  • It may however be none of these reasons, but something else, for each individual’s experience is unique and different.
  • What can often exacerbate these symptoms is a sense of SHAME that you are experiencing some or all of these symptoms. There are many expectations placed on a woman to feel a certain way during pregnancy and to feel a certain way about becoming a mother. If you find that you’re not feeling these ‘expected’ feelings, it can lead to a sense that there is something ‘wrong’ with you, or that you are abnormal in some way.
How can counselling for antenatal depression and anxiety help during pregnancy?

Counselling for antenatal depression provides a supportive, safe, non-judgemental and confidential space, where you can fully explore your feelings, away from your day-to-day life. Furthermore, to enable you to understand your psychological difficulties and how to proactively manage your symptoms by developing the necessary tools to initiate changes to your thoughts, emotional responses and behaviour.

What’s important is that anxiety and depression in pregnancy can be treated, and the sooner that the symptoms are recognised, the sooner you can receive the support that you need in order to enjoy your pregnancy.

Throughout a pregnancy, the focus is often on the woman who is pregnant. However, if you are the partner, it is very likely that, although you are not experiencing the physical changes and impact of a pregnancy, you will still be experiencing many of the fears and concerns that can exist around it.You may feel a sense of shame for having these feelings, that all the focus should be on your partner and that your feelings are not valid. This is not the case; a pregnancy and approaching parenthood will have an impact on both of you, and be a significant transition in your relationship and life.

I offer a variety of psychological talking therapy options which are successful in treating mental health difficulties, the consequential symptoms and reducing your suffering.

ANTENATAL TREATMENT IN GUILDFORD:

Therapeutically, my treatment plan for antenatal depression will be tailored for you and your unique needs. This will incorporate Integrative psychotherapy, Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which is recommended by the NICE guidelines and the NHS.

The biggest step is acknowledging that you are struggling and require support. Reach out and arrange an initial 15-20 minutes consultation, to explore your difficulties, needs and goals. We can collaboratively work together to enable you to feel psychologically better, so that you are able to experience your pregnancy journey with a feeling of hope, joy and excitement.