Perinatal Mental Health
Let us help you navigate what might be a difficult and challenging time in your life. The time surrounding your pregnancy.
Firstly, let’s define what we mean by perinatal mental health.
One of the most life changing events that a woman can experience in her life centres around pregnancy planning, conception, pregnancy, the immediate period after giving birth (the postnatal period) and the year that follows the birth of a child (the perinatal period). These events can bring on stressors never previously experienced or exacerbate mental health conditions already in existence. The same may also be true for their non birthing partners.
According to the World Health Organisation, one in five women will experience a mental health condition during pregnancy or in the first year after giving birth. And of those, 20% will experience serious and debilitating issues.
You might be experiencing low levels of ongoing depression and anxiety, centred around the challenges of falling pregnant. You might be dealing with the situation of an un-planned pregnancy. You may be experiencing a tough or demanding pregnancy, for many different reasons including worry about financial stress. You might be experiencing birth trauma after a difficult birthing process. You might find that after giving birth, the conflicting thoughts you are experiencing regarding your new status as a mother and your newborn child do not go away.
And perhaps, while navigating some or all of these issues, you might be concerned about the mental well-being of your chosen non-birth partner – and this might include the father, co-parent, even step-parents or other non-birthing partners, a person or people that you consider important to your well-being and the ongoing upbringing of your child.
We are here to help improve your sense of emotional well-being and your experience of pregnancy and early motherhood. And we’re also qualified to deal with any other, more specific metal health related conditions facing you in relation to your perinatal health.
Sydney Perinatal Mental Health Psychologists and Counsellors
Now I’m A Mother – Why Am I Feeling This Way?
Now that you are a parent you may be experiencing thoughts and feelings you weren’t necessarily expecting. And these thoughts may not be going away on their own.
They may centre around traumatic memories of the birth process (including PTSD), even when the birth itself might be considered obstetrically straightforward. They may focus on your child. They may relate to how you are processing your new status as a parent or how you perceive yourself and how others, including partners and family members, now perceive and interact with you.
Until now, you may have felt that these are issues you can deal with on your own. Or that your partner offers enough support. Perhaps you are unsure of what you should feel, even what might be considered normal. You are not alone in feeling this way. There are a number of different techniques that can be used to help you, from simply listening and offering guidance and support in a non-judgemental environment to the application of structured cognitive therapies and even group-based support sessions. Medication, for example in the form of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may also be appropriate, which can be assessed on a personal level after taking into account your own circumstances and preferences.
Prenatal Grief And Loss
Not all pregnancies and births go the way you want them to.
The pain associated with the death of a child, whether born or unborn, cannot easily be described. The natural order of life is overturned. The sense of loss is catastrophic.
Grief affects the brain and body in many different ways. Changes in memory, awareness, behaviour, sleep patterns and body functions are normal, as the brain tries to cope with the unthinkable. The immune system as well as the heart are affected in exactly the same way as when a person is coping with extreme and traumatic stress.
If there can be said to be any good news in this situation, it is that the brain will, with time, heal. There are many guided techniques that can assist this process. Mindfulness, meditation, counselling and cognitive behaviour therapy can all contribute to healing and, when ready, moving forward.
Getting Pregnant
You could be experiencing one or more of the following:
IVF Stress
Hormonal changes
The challenges of falling pregnant naturally
Preparing yourself physically and emotionally for pregnancy
A requirement to stop, reduce or replace any current psychoactive medications
An existing or past mental health condition that may impact on a pregnancy
We are here to provide support and assistance, no matter your needs.
How can we assist you?
An Unplanned Pregnancy
One of the most stressful and difficult experiences you may ever have in your life is that of an unplanned, mistimed or unwanted pregnancy.
Not only can you experience uncertainty, doubt and mixed emotions, you must also cope with sudden hormonal fluctuations, physical changes, fatigue, discomfort and ongoing nausea.
The decisions that you make going forward will depend on your own unique social, work, financial and familial situation. You may also have physical, spiritual and emotional concerns that will need to be taken into consideration.
At this time, non-judgemental, unbiased support is important and can help you make an informed decision regarding your pregnancy, particularly if you and your significant other(s) are seeing things differently. And no matter what you decide, we are here to support you, help you communicate your feelings, and provide guidance in a safe and informed space.
The Months of Pregnancy
It is likely that you will experience many emotional highs and lows during your months of pregnancy. Feeling a degree of anxiety or depression is also common. You may find that both immediate and extended family place stresses on your pregnancy experience that you have not had to deal with in other situations. And you will also find yourself interacting with an extended range of people, including health professionals such as midwives, GPs, obstetricians, neonatologists, paediatricians, paediatric and neonatal nurses, allied health professionals, carers and community family workers.
External factors that might impact your pregnancy experience and your interaction with others may include cultural dynamics, financial stress, workplace-related issues, or gender and sexuality-related factors experienced within the LGBTQI+ community.
Your emotional well-being during pregnancy is of paramount importance. Whether you need an occasional mental health check, support for integrating healthy behaviours into your daily life, or clinical assistance relating to more specific issues you are experiencing, we want to ensure that you have a parent-centred, positive experience throughout your pregnancy.
Pregnancy And My Partner’s Wellbeing
It’s now understood that perinatal mental health among fathers and other non-birthing partners, including step-parents, co-mothers and non-binary partners, is an important part of increasing a sense of overall wellness during pregnancy. While you, as the birth mother, might have access to a range of health professionals and their allies, your significant other(s) may not come into contact with the health system and its inherent checks and balances as often as you.
If you feel that your significant other(s) or co-parent might benefit from a wellness check or other prenatal mental health services, we are here to support you.
Meet Our Resident Perinatal Expert
Dr Claudine Martijn provides psychological assessment, diagnosis and treatment for a range of mental health conditions and specialises in all aspects of perinatal mental health. She has over two decades of experience in clinical psychology and has worked in private practice, hospitals, aged care, palliative care and community mental health. She believes that perinatal care should extend to up to two years after the birth of a child and is often referred by treating obstetricians and gynaecologists for therapy.
Dr Claudine prioritises a holistic approach to her patients’ care and believes in effective, timely communication with other treating specialists and GPs, working to create treatment plans that encompass both mental and physical needs.
If you are interested in scheduling an appointment, would like to discuss your goals for therapy, or simply want to learn more about whether therapy will be helpful for you, please contact us here.
Meet our Perinatal Mental Health Therapists with Current Openings
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Dr Claudine Martijn
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Kelly Kakakios
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Victoria Shorthouse