The Hidden Struggle: Why Postpartum Anxiety Often Goes Undetected
Postpartum depression is often one of the first things that comes to mind when thinking about the emotional challenges that new mothers face. It’s being recognized and talked about more frequently, and it’s starting to become less stigmatized.
But postpartum depression isn’t the only emotional challenge that new mothers are up against after giving birth. Postpartum anxiety can be just as serious and as common, but it’s not as talked about as postpartum depression is.
Unfortunately, the silence surrounding postpartum anxiety means that many new moms are left to suffer in silence. Let’s learn more about why postpartum anxiety often goes undetected.
What Is Postpartum Anxiety?
Postpartum anxiety is a mental health condition that is characterized by excessive fear, worry, and tension related to oneself, their baby, or their role as a new parent. While postpartum depression is characterized by feelings of sadness or lack of interest, postpartum anxiety involves a constant state of fear, uneasiness, nervousness, and hypervigilance.
The Signs
Postpartum anxiety extends far beyond what you could consider to be normal worries of parenthood. A lot of new parents worry if they’re doing a good job or if their baby is okay, but postpartum anxiety turns up the volume on these standard worries. This is what postpartum anxiety can look like:
- Increased heart rate
- Intrusive thoughts
- Insomnia
- Nausea
- Overwhelmed by daily tasks
- Excessive checking
- Worst-case scenarios
Why Postpartum Anxiety Often Goes Undetected
These are a few of the different reasons that postpartum anxiety often goes undetected:
It Doesn’t Look Like “Normal” Anxiety or Depression
The hard part is that postpartum anxiety doesn’t always appear like something is wrong. A new mom can go about their day and make it seem like everything is fine. They’ll still care for the baby by feeding, changing, and soothing them. But on the inside, they’re spiraling and in a constant state of panic.
It’s Not Screened For
Postpartum depression is included in a normal postpartum check-up. Postpartum anxiety is not. Since healthcare providers aren’t asking about it, new moms don’t know what’s normal vs. not normal to bring up during their postpartum check-ups. This means that the signs of postpartum anxiety often go undetected and undiagnosed.
It’s “Just Mom Nerves”
It’s a common belief that new moms are supposed to worry. Even when moms speak up about the anxiety they’re feeling, it’s often brushed off or dismissed. New moms can be met with comments like, “Give it time,” “You’ll get used to it,” or “Welcome to being a mom.”
The Emotional Toll
Since postpartum anxiety isn’t as recognized as postpartum depression, new moms can start to feel like they’re not doing a good job, ashamed, and isolated for feeling this way. This can also prevent them from seeking help out of a fear of being judged.
Since they’re not receiving the proper help or support, this can lead to worsening mental health issues and problems in other areas of their life like burnout, depression, and relationship problems. New moms are also faced with this added pressure of appearing like they have it all together.
Next Steps
If you’re a new mom who is struggling with postpartum anxiety, it’s important to know that you’re not alone. We all need to do better and start opening the conversation to talk about postpartum anxiety just as much as we do with postpartum depression. No one, yourself included, should feel like they have to go through this alone just because how they’re feeling doesn’t fit the standard box that we’re led to believe we need to fit into.
If you’re a new mom, and this all feels like it’s hitting a little too close to home, know that you’re not a bad mom. You’re actually experiencing something that a lot of women go through, and help is out there for you. You are not defined by your postpartum anxiety. Reach out today to set up an initial consultation for anxiety counseling.