Therapy for Pregnancy, Postpartum & Motherhood
You’re not failing. You’re navigating a broken system.
Pregnancy and postpartum can feel like a whirlwind of contradictions:
Wanting to be with your baby and also wanting a break
Being grateful for the opportunity to be pregnant and also feeling scared
Wanting to sleep and rest and being unable to due to anxiety and worry
Knowing that online fear-mongering isn't useful and getting swept away anyway
Wanting to utilize your village and also being afraid to leave your child with anyone
Appreciation for your changing body and struggling with it at the same time
Wanting to return to work and feeling guilty for using childcare
Knowing you are doing a great job and also feeling like you're not
What You Might Be Experiencing:
Before Pregnancy / Trying to Conceive:
Anxiety about making the "right" choice to try for a baby
Grief, guilt, or envy related to infertility or others' pregnancies
Obsession with tracking ovulation, symptoms, and timing
Stress about your body, your relationship, and future identity
During Pregnancy:
Constant worry about your baby's health or development
Feeling disconnected from your baby or your pregnancy
Intrusive thoughts or persistent "what if" scenarios
Fear that you're already failing as a parent
Worry about exposures, risks, and everything you put in or on your body
Hyperfixation on nutrition, safety, and lifestyle choices
Excessive checking for baby movement or health (kick counts!)
Anxiety about birth, labor, or becoming a parent
Postpartum Anxiety, Depression & OCD:
Checking if your baby is breathing multiple times an hour
Intrusive, disturbing thoughts about harm coming to your baby
Fear of being alone with your baby or acting impulsively
Obsessive checking (breathing, temperature, safety monitors)
Mental compulsions or rituals to manage anxiety
Seeking constant reassurance from your partner or pediatrician
Feeling trapped, numb, or disconnected from your baby
Intense guilt around feeding choices, sleep schedules, or "doing it wrong"
Avoidance of certain situations out of fear or shame
Hypervigilance about germs, routines, and developmental milestones
Inability to relax even when baby is safe and sleeping
Replaying scenarios to make sure you didn't hurt or forget something
Motherhood & Identity:
Analysis paralysis over every decision ("Does switching to formula make me a bad mom?" "What kind of solids do we start with?")
Worries about the kind of relationship you have with your baby/children
Feeling guilty for wanting time to yourself
Identity loss: feeling like you've disappeared into motherhood
Resentment alongside love
Comparing yourself to other mothers and feeling inadequate
Struggling with the transition back to work or staying home
Feeling isolated and alone despite being surrounded by people
Understanding Perinatal Mental Health:
Perinatal mental health refers to mental health during pregnancy and the first year postpartum, although challenges can extend well beyond that. These conditions are incredibly common but often dismissed, minimized, or misunderstood.
The “Shoulds” of Motherhood:
"You should be grateful."
"This is the happiest time of your life."
"Just enjoy every moment."
But those messages often conflict with your reality: sleepless nights, scary thoughts, guilt, overwhelm, and a body and brain that feel unrecognizable.
In actuality:
1 in 7 women experience postpartum depression
New studies suggest a weighted prevalence of 16.9% for postpartum OCD
Postpartum anxiety is even more common than postpartum depression
Many people experience symptoms during pregnancy, not just postpartum
These conditions are treatable, and you deserve support
Postpartum Depression vs. Postpartum Anxiety vs. Postpartum OCD:
Postpartum Depression involves persistent sadness, hopelessness, difficulty bonding with baby, loss of interest in activities, and sometimes thoughts of harming yourself.
Postpartum Anxiety involves excessive worry, restlessness, physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat or panic, and general fear about your baby's wellbeing.
Postpartum OCD involves doubts, unwanted thoughts, or worries, often about your baby. intrusive, unwanted thoughts about your baby (often about harm, contamination, or something terrible happening) and compulsive behaviors to reduce anxiety such as excessive checking, seeking constant reassurance, avoiding being alone with baby, or mental reviewing. Having these thoughts doesn't mean you're dangerous: it means you care deeply about your baby's safety.
Many people experience a combination of these conditions. All are treatable with specialized therapy.
Our Approach To Pregnancy, Postpartum & Motherhood
At McNulty Wellness Collective, we provide nonjudgmental, holistic, perinatal mental health care that recognizes:
⚘ You're not broken, the system is
⚘ Motherhood is full of contradictions, and that's normal
⚘ Good parents struggle
⚘ You don’t have to (nor should you) love every moment
⚘ You deserve support that validates, rather than dismisses your experience
Frequently Asked Questions:
When should I seek help for postpartum mental health?
1
You don't have to wait until things feel "bad enough." Seek help if:
You're experiencing intrusive thoughts that scare you
Anxiety or worry is interfering with sleep, eating, or daily functioning
You're avoiding activities or situations because of fear
You feel disconnected from your baby or unable to bond
You're having thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
You feel hopeless, trapped, or like you've made a terrible mistake
You're engaging in excessive checking, cleaning, or reassurance-seeking
You feel like you're "just surviving" rather than living
What is the difference between baby blues and postpartum depression?
2
Baby blues affect up to 80% of new mothers and typically start 2-3 days after birth, lasting about 2 weeks. Symptoms include mood swings, crying spells, anxiety, and feeling overwhelmed, but you can still function and have moments of joy. Postpartum depression is more severe and persistent, lasting weeks to months if untreated. Symptoms include persistent sadness, hopelessness, difficulty bonding with baby, loss of interest in activities, changes in sleep/appetite beyond normal newborn disruption, and sometimes thoughts of harming yourself. If symptoms last longer than 2 weeks or interfere significantly with your ability to care for yourself or your baby, it's likely postpartum depression and you should seek help.
What is perinatal OCD and how is it different from postpartum anxiety?
3
Because perinatal OCD has unique presentations and treatment considerations, we've created a dedicated page about Perinatal OCD & Anixety.
Can you help if I'm caring for both young children and aging parents?
4
Yes. Many mothers are navigating the reality of caring for young children while also managing aging parents' needs, such as coordinating medical appointments, making difficult decisions about their care, or processing anticipatory grief while actively parenting. This "sandwich generation" experience brings unique challenges: guilt about not being "enough" for anyone, burnout from being everyone's anchor, financial stress, time scarcity, and the emotional weight of multiple caregiving roles. We help you navigate these layered demands, set boundaries, process grief, and reclaim space for yourself without adding more to your plate.
Can postpartum OCD or anxiety start during pregnancy?
5
Yes! Perinatal mental health conditions can begin during pregnancy (antenatal/prenatal) or postpartum. Many people experience intrusive thoughts, excessive worry, or compulsive behaviors during pregnancy (such as: constant checking for baby movement, obsessive research about risks, intrusive thoughts about miscarriage or birth complications, excessive cleaning/preparing, or hypervigilance about food/exposures). These are just as valid and treatable as postpartum symptoms. Don't wait until after birth to get help if you're struggling during pregnancy.
You're Not Failing. The System Is.
Whether you're experiencing postpartum anxiety, depression, OCD, or just trying to navigate the massive identity shift of becoming a parent, you're not alone, and therapy can help.
Therapy for Pregnancy, Postpartum & Motherhood
We offer secure, HIPAA-compliant virtual therapy sessions throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Vermont. Whether you're in Baltimore, Bethesda, Annapolis, Rockville, Philadelphia, or anywhere else in these states, you can access compassionate, specialized care from the comfort of your home.
You're not broken. You're not alone. And therapy can help.