First: your worry makes sense
You are now responsible for a person who cannot tell you what they need. Worrying about whether the baby is breathing, eating enough, gaining weight and developing the way they should is a normal part of new parenthood. This information is not meant to tell you your worries are unfounded, but to help if the worry won’t turn off and is making it hard to function.
What postpartum anxiety actually is
Postpartum anxiety is when worry stops being something that comes and goes and starts being something that follows you. It’s less about how you feel in a given moment than about what that worry is doing to your daily life. Anxiety turns up even when things are objectively fine, and it starts taking up space that was meant for other things, like sleep, being present with your baby and feeling connected to the people around you.
What it can feel like
When worry has tipped into something worth addressing
A common pattern with postpartum anxiety is waiting, assuming it will pass or feeling like it hasn't got bad enough to bring up.
You don’t need to be in crisis before reaching out for support. Postpartum anxiety responds well to support and treatment, including talking therapies and, where needed, medication. The earlier it's identified, the more options there are.
References
This article was developed using sourced educational content from Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Trainings (CPMHT), and informed by the collective knowledge and expertise of CPMHT professionals and Karen Clarke, BA, MSW, RSW, Doula (Open Book Doula, Counselling and Consulting Services), as well as the following cited research and clinical practice guidelines:
Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT). 2024. Seeds of Hope: Nurturing Mental Health and Managing Perinatal Mood, Anxiety, and Related Disorders.
Shea, A., et al. 2024. "Guideline No. 454: Identification and Treatment of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders." Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada 46, no. 10: 102696.
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