Perinatal Mental Health
Support through the emotional changes, pressures, and challenges that can come with pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood.
PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT
When becoming a parent feels heavier than expected
Pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood can bring significant emotional, physical, and relational change. For some people, this can feel overwhelming, confusing, lonely, or unlike what they expected parenthood to feel like.
You may find yourself struggling with anxiety, low mood, fear around pregnancy or birth, emotional disconnection, intrusive thoughts, guilt, shame, or a sense that you are no longer feeling like yourself. Perinatal mental health difficulties can affect both mothers and fathers, although they are not always recognised or spoken about openly.
Some people feel pressure to be grateful, especially after a wanted pregnancy, fertility difficulties, or pregnancy after loss, which can make it even harder to speak honestly about how things feel.
These experiences can also bring up older memories, relationship patterns, or questions around identity, confidence, and self worth. For neurodivergent parents, cultural expectations, sensory overwhelm, changes in routine, and the emotional load of parenting can add additional layers that often go unseen or misunderstood.
I understand that perinatal mental health is not only about symptoms or diagnoses. Often, people are trying to make sense of major emotional and relational changes while carrying pressure to cope, adjust, and hold everything together at the same time.
COMMON EXPERIENCES
Support through the different layers of parenthood
Anxiety, overwhelm, and emotional disconnection
This may include perinatal anxiety, low mood, panic, intrusive thoughts, emotional numbness, feeling disconnected from yourself or your baby, or struggling with the pressure to cope and appear okay.
Birth experiences, fear, and loss of confidence
Pregnancy and birth can leave lasting emotional impacts. This may include tokophobia, difficult or traumatic birth experiences, fear during pregnancy, loss of trust in yourself or your body, or anxiety about future pregnancies and parenting.
Relationships, identity, and the pressure to be “good enough”
Many people struggle with guilt, shame, unrealistic expectations, or feeling like they are failing despite trying their best to hold everything together. These pressures can also affect relationships, communication, and emotional connection within families.
NEXT STEPS
Support that begins with understanding where you are
Whether you are struggling during pregnancy, adjusting to parenthood, or trying to understand changes in your emotional wellbeing, counselling begins with a conversation about what feels difficult and what support may feel most helpful for you.