Reproductive & Perinatal Mental Health
Reproduction, pregnancy, postpartum, and the myriad of experiences that can take place during any phase of this transition into parenthood can bring about lots of change, struggle, and complex feelings of uncertainty, grief, hope, and joy in such profoundly intimate ways.
“Perinatal” refers to the time period from pregnancy to about 1 year postpartum. But birth is a portal that leaves a biological, physiological, and psychological imprint on us for the rest of our lives. And the transition to parenthood can begin in our psycho-social-emotional and even somatic experience long before conception.
The reproductive and perinatal time period is marked by uncertainty and change- which can sometimes mean grief. Not only are there extreme changes in our biology and physiology- including vast hormonal and biochemical (the balance of chemicals in our brains) changes-there are also many changes in our identity, finances, interpersonal relationships, and relationship to our own self and body.
During reproductive journeys, pregnancy, or postpartum, it’s also common for past trauma and family of origin wounds to surface as we begin to think about what it means to become a parent ourselves.
All of this makes the reproductive and perinatal time period a uniquely vulnerable time period worthy of specialized support, no matter what your journey to and/or through parenthood has looked like.
Research tells us that all of these changes (including hormonal changes!) not only happen for the birthing person, but also for partners as well. The bottom line is that birth is a life-altering event for the individual and the whole family.
Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) are a cluster of mental health experiences and include: perinatal depression, perinatal anxiety, perinatal OCD, postpartum PTSD, and postpartum psychosis.
Here are the facts:
PMADs are considered the “most common obstetric complication” by the American Academy of Pediatrics (2018)
14-21% of women* experience postpartum depression or anxiety, 33% of women had symptoms start in pregnancy (Wisner KL, Sit DKY, McShea MC, et al., 2013)
1 in 10 dads experience Paternal Postpartum Depression (Paulson, J.F. & Bazemore, S.D, 2O1O)
Only about 50% of perinatal women* who are diagnosed with depression receive any treatment or support (Luca, D.E., 2019)
PMADs are tied to a slew of other health consequences for both parent and baby. (Parsons et al, 2012; Oconnor et al., 2002)
*women is used here per study citation, however birthing people come in all types of gender expressions and PMADs can happen for any gender.
Infant Mental health
Infant Mental Health refers to a baby’s developing capacity to form close and secure relationships; experience, express, and manage emotions; and learn and explore their environment.
All of this starts with a healthy secure base of a securely attached caregiver. When there has been a disruption in attachment with a caregiver, a trauma experience, or, for whatever reason, a caregiver perceives their baby is struggling- working with an infant mental health specialist can help untangle and give words to what stories might be underlying these struggles and support the caregiver to establish healthy, secure attachment with their baby.
There is no amount of trauma or separation than can not be healed by attunement from a securely attached caregiver.
Infant mental health therapy includes dyadic sessions with both caregiver/parent and baby, and also solo sessions with the caregiver/parent. It is not solo therapy for the baby.