Perinatal Mental Health

Common Areas of Focus in Therapy

  • Feeling checked out, low on energy, or struggling to feel present
  • Feeling powerless
  • Difficulty with bonding and attachment
  • Embracing a new identity as a parent
  • Being a good enough parent
  • Maintaining intimacy and connection with your partner, family, and friends
  • Waves of unexpected and overwhelming emotions
  • Persistent feelings of guilt and shame
  • Racing thoughts and having trouble quieting your mind
  • Being constantly in a state of worry
  • Mood swings
  • Difficulty controlling the worry
  • Fatigue and sleep problems
  • Coping with miscarriage
  • Perinatal grief and loss
  • Perinatal trauma

Risk factors for possibly developing maternal mental health disorders

  • Personal or family history of mental illness including but not limited to depression, anxiety, and postpartum depression
  • Challenging experiences related to pregnancy and birth: infertility, miscarriages, and multiple births.
  • Is your baby special needs, colicky, or have a difficult temperament? Have you had challenges feeding your baby?
  • Lack of social support. Do you feel like there’s no one you can confide in? Does your family live in another part of the country/world?
  • A history of domestic violence, physical, sexual, or other abuse.
  • Traumatic pregnancy or birth. Were you on bed rest? Have an emergency C-section? Was your baby in the NICU?
  • A traumatic childhood. People often underestimate the impact of childhood trauma on their lives as adults. Even if you think you’re over it, profound childhood experiences have lasting effects.
  • Stress and/or significant changes in your life can greatly impact your emotional health. For example moving, relationship challenges, losing a loved one or losing a job.

Start Your Journey Today!

Nilofar Mirchi, LMFT

818-307-7311

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