Article
How teens can help friends with anxiety and depression
Having a baby can be an exciting, joyful time. But many people also experience unexpected emotional challenges. Conditions like anxiety and depression are common during pregnancy and during the months after your baby is born, called the postpartum period.
Katherine Magnuson, Psy.D., Pediatric Psychologist at Children's Health℠ and Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern, shares information about common mental health challenges during pregnancy and postpartum, signs and symptoms of these conditions and resources to help.
Common mental health challenges during pregnancy
Depression and anxiety are the most common mental health challenges during pregnancy. Anyone can develop these conditions during pregnancy. But people who have had anxiety and depression in the past can be at higher risk.
Depression during pregnancy happens when you feel very sad, irritable and hopeless. A pregnant person may experience sadness, guilt, low self-esteem, lack of interest in enjoyable activities and changes in appetite. These feelings are more than “feeling down” or having a bad day — they usually happen most days for two weeks or more.
Anxiety during pregnancy happens when a pregnant person experiences many worries that are hard to control and they may have trouble doing their typical activities. Often, these worries can be about the health or safety of the baby or themselves, and they can contribute to feelings of nervousness such as shortness of breath, muscle tension and restlessness.
Earlier in pregnancy, anxiety often revolves around the health of the baby. Families may be anxious about prenatal scans or just generally worried that something may go wrong. This is especially true for people who have previously experienced complicated pregnancies or miscarriages.
As pregnancy progresses, anxiety can shift to questions and challenges around changes in identity.
"Studies show that the changes that happen in your brain during pregnancy look similar to the ones that happen during adolescence," Dr. Magnuson says. "But you have seven or eight years to go through adolescence and you have just nine months to go through pregnancy. It is possible that these rapid changes contribute to increased anxiety or mood changes as you explore a new identity (being a parent) and adjust to a whole new set of circumstances."
Tips for managing anxiety during pregnancy
Any big life change can cause some anxiety, and pregnancy is no different. You may be able to manage anxiety by:
Calling a friend
Taking a walk
Doing some breathing exercises
Listening to music
Journaling your thoughts
"Another thing you can try is shifting your perspective from 'I'm anxious' to 'I'm having anxious thoughts,'" Dr. Magnuson says. "This makes it more about the thoughts you’re having, rather than an all-encompassing feeling or identity. Then, you can investigate those thoughts, and think about what you can do about them."
For example, say you're worried that your baby hasn't moved very much today. You can investigate that thought by asking:
When was the last time I felt my baby move?
Did my doctor say anything about this at my last appointment?
Should I take a walk and see if my baby moves in the next few hours and call my doctor if it doesn’t?
"Investigating our thoughts is a hard skill and I think everyone struggles with it, even outside of pregnancy," Dr. Magnuson says. "But thinking about what you can do rather than being overwhelmed by your thoughts can be very helpful."
Getting professional help for anxiety
If you have so much anxiety that it's getting in the way of your daily activities – like eating, sleeping, working or taking care of other children – it may be time to talk to your pregnancy provider or get help from a mental health care provider.
Can anxiety and depression during pregnancy impact your baby's health?
Scientists have found that carrying a baby when you're anxious or depressed might negatively impact a baby's health, but more research is needed. For example, studies have linked having a mental health condition to a higher risk of having a preterm birth or a low-birth-weight baby.
If you are worried about how your mental health symptoms might impact your developing baby, talk to your pregnancy provider.
Common mental health challenges after birth
The "baby blues"
Many people experience "the baby blues" in the first two weeks after giving birth. This can include loneliness, crying and restlessness.
"The baby blues are different from postpartum depression," Dr. Magnuson says. "Around 80% of moms will experience these feelings and it's usually related to hormonal shifts after giving birth."
Postpartum depression
Around 1 in 7 new moms experience postpartum depression, which happens when feelings of sadness or loss of interest occur nearly every day and last two weeks or longer. Other symptoms of postpartum depression include:
Eating too much or too little
Feeling detached or not connected to your baby
Feeling worthless
Feeling like you don’t want to be alive
Feeling guilty
Feeling like you want to withdraw or be away from friends and family
Having difficulty concentrating
Experiencing fatigue or loss of energy
Sleeping too much or too little
Feeling restless or moving very slowly
Postpartum anxiety
Around 10-20% of women experience postpartum anxiety. This usually means being so overwhelmed by worries that they interfere with eating, sleeping and other typical daily activities. Symptoms can include:
Feeling worried all the time (concerns could be related to the baby’s health or focused on scenarios that are very unlikely to happen)
Feeling as though worries cannot be controlled
Feeling agitated or irritable
Experiencing physiological symptoms like racing heart, stomach pain or shortness of breath
Difficulty focusing
Sleep problems
Experiencing panic
When you're worried about mental health after birth
Telling a loved one – a partner, sibling, parent or friend – about the feelings you're having can be a good first step.
"Family or close friends can be a really important safety net, and it's OK to lean on that support system," Dr. Magnuson says.
If you're a single parent or you don’t have a strong support system nearby, getting involved in community baby groups and activities can be a great way to build a support system. Look for these groups or activities at your hospital or birth center, local library, community center, YMCA or park.
Another important step is making sure you or your loved one go to all of the follow-up visits post-birth. These visits often include mental health screenings and information about where to find additional mental health support in your area.
Other valuable resources include:
Postpartum Support International, which provides online support groups, discussions and a directory of mental health providers with training in postpartum depression.
National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, where you can connect with trained counselors and get a referral for further care, if needed.
How to prioritize your mental health when you’re taking care of a newborn
This can be very difficult in the midst of changing diapers, feeding your baby and operating on limited sleep. But even just a few minutes to do something for yourself – by yourself – can make a big difference.
Ask your partner or a loved one to watch the baby while you eat a meal, take a shower or walk around the block, without needing to focus on anyone but yourself.
A lot of new parents have this idea that being a good parent means being there 115% of the time and never thinking of yourself. But I encourage parents to reframe that thought and think about how if you take a shower, you might feel 30% better. And then you can give your child 30% better care.
Dr. Katherine Magnuson, PsyD
As your baby gets bigger and stronger, finding small pockets of time here and there to help you recharge can also go a long way in supporting your mental health. This might mean having a loved one watch the baby for 15-20 minutes while you do an activity that brings you joy – or that connects you to who you were before you had a baby.
"It could be as simple as reading a chapter of a book," Dr. Magnuson says. "Parents often feel a lot of guilt around doing things for themselves. But I often tell parents that it's important to fill your own cup because you can't pour from an empty one."
Mental health resources for new moms
Dr. Magnuson also recommends the following apps to help new moms boost their mental health:
Learn more
Read more about parenting and caring for your baby at childrens.com/newborn.
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