What issues can affect women during pregnancy & childbirth?
Pregnancy can be a joyful time, but not every woman experiences it that way. Mixed or negative feelings are common and women may seek help for various mental health and wellbeing concerns. These can relate to pregnancy and childbirth, as well as the first year after the birth.
Common perinatal mental health concerns include:
- Depression: Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or emptiness that persist and interfere with daily life.
- Anxiety: Excessive worry, fear or unease about the pregnancy, childbirth, or parenting.
- Perinatal OCD: Intrusive and distressing thoughts or repetitive behaviours related to the baby’s well-being or parenting responsibilities.
- Stress: Overwhelming feelings of pressure or tension, often exacerbated by life changes and uncertainties.
- Perinatal PTSD: Post-traumatic stress disorder triggered by traumatic childbirth experiences.
- Fear of childbirth: Intense apprehension or phobia surrounding labour and delivery.
- Body image issues: Concerns about changes in weight and shape during pregnancy and postpartum.
- Relationship challenges: Strain on relationships with partners, family, or friends due to the demands of pregnancy and parenting.
- Social isolation: Feeling lonely or disconnected from others, lacking support networks during pregnancy and early parenthood.
These concerns can impact your mental wellbeing during pregnancy and affect the childbirth experience and beyond. Early recognition and intervention can often ease or reduce potential complications, ensuring a healthier pregnancy and childbirth experience, for mother and baby. With the right help, you can effectively manage mental health issues during pregnancy.
Up to 1 in 5 women develop mental health problems during pregnancy or in the first year after birth
15% of pregnant women experience anxiety and/or depression
Around 1/4 of all maternal deaths between 6 weeks and a year after childbirth are related to mental health problems
What causes people to struggle with pregnancy & childbirth?
You may struggle with pregnancy and childbirth because of a combination of physical, emotional, and social factors. While pregnancy and childbirth are characteristically challenging times, there are often additional stressors. These can include hormonal changes, physical discomforts, relationship dynamics, financial concerns, and societal expectations that can intensify the experience for some.
In addition, past trauma, mental health conditions, lack of social support, and personal coping mechanisms can vary. It’s important to recognise that each person’s experience of pregnancy and childbirth is unique. Seeking support from healthcare professionals, loved ones and community resources can help you to cope better.
The impact of pregnancy & childbirth challenges
Research shows there are many benefits to approaching birth with a calm mind and relaxed body. We know that fear and anxiety can significantly affect the birthing process.
When we’re feeling anxious or scared, we feel pain more acutely. Fear results in tension, tension results in pain, and pain leads to fear of the next contraction, and the cycle is repeated. This is known as the fear > tension > pain cycle.
The fear and/or anxiety associated with birth triggers the production of excessive adrenaline, which activates your stress response. This creates tension and the muscles become more tense, so the uterus has to work harder to contract or relax, resulting in more painful contractions. Excess adrenaline can also hinder the production of the birthing hormones, including oxytocin (the hormone that controls contractions), and endorphins (our natural painkillers). When we are relaxed, the oxytocin keeps flowing, so contractions are more effective and potentially less painful.
How can they be overcome?
There are a few ways to manage mental health and wellbeing challenges during pregnancy and childbirth. Combining these creates a holistic approach and supportive environment that can enhance the overall wellbeing of expectant mothers.
Attend regular antenatal care appointments
Regular monitoring can help to reduce your anxiety about potential health issues and professional guidance can provide reassurance. You’ll receive important information that can reduce any fears or uncertainty, and help you set realistic expectations. By building a rapport with healthcare professionals, you will find it easier to discuss any concerns and seek help.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle
Eating well and staying active (following advice from your midwife or GP) can improve your overall wellbeing. Getting enough sleep is important too as it will lift your mood and help you manage stress and anxiety better.
Friends and family support
Having a strong support network will provide emotional and social support that can prevent you from feeling isolated. Sharing how you feel with family and friends can improve your resilience. Having people around you who can assist with daily tasks will also reduce your stress, giving you time to focus on self care.
Pregnancy groups
Connecting with other expectant parents through pregnancy groups or classes can give you a sense of community and belonging. These could be traditional antenatal classes or something like pregnancy yoga. They enable you to share similar experiences, and exchange advice and support.
Professional mental health support
If you’re struggling with mental health during pregnancy and childbirth, counselling or talking therapies can help. You might be able to get referrals from antenatal care providers or access support independently. Mental health professionals can offer strategies to manage your concerns, both during pregnancy and postpartum.
Medical advice
Seek medical advice from your midwife or GP if you experience:
- Severe or persistent physical symptoms such as severe vomiting, abdominal pain, or dizziness.
- Symptoms of mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, or extreme mood swings.
- Any unusual or concerning changes in foetal movement or the baby’s wellbeing.
- Signs of preterm labour, such as regular contractions or leaking fluid.
- Any other worries or uncertainties about your health or the health of the baby.
How can hypnotherapy help?
Talk about how hypnotherapy can help people during pregnancy & in preparation for childbirth. Provide details about what will happen in a session, how many will be needed and what outcomes people can expect.
Solution focused hypnotherapy during pregnancy is a powerful tool for expectant mothers to overcome mental health and wellbeing challenges. Hypnotherapy can provide support for depression, anxiety, birth trauma, and OCD.
By understanding how the brain works, hypnotherapy empowers you to manage your thoughts and emotions, reducing fear and anxiety. Hypnotherapy for pregnancy sessions help you to feel calm, confident, relaxed and more in control. These are all crucial elements for a positive pregnancy and childbirth experience.
One significant benefit of hypnotherapy is hypnobirthing. This uses self-hypnosis to manage pain and anxiety during childbirth. Expectant parents learn techniques to induce deep relaxation and enter a state of focused concentration. They can then navigate childbirth with greater ease and comfort.
Hypnobirthing also supports and empowers birth partners to actively support the mother during childbirth. As a result, it increases their confidence and sense of involvement.
Hypnotherapy for pregnancy and hypnobirthing also have a positive impact on the unborn baby. When the mother is calm and relaxed, the baby receives lower levels of stress hormones and increased oxygenation, creating an optimal environment for development. A calm birth experience contributes to a baby’s alertness and ability to regulate emotions following delivery. This offers a smoother transition into the world.
By incorporating hypnotherapy into their pregnancy journey, expectant mothers can experience profound improvements in their mental and emotional wellbeing. Ultimately, this leads to a more positive childbirth experience and better outcomes for both themselves and their babies.
Our Pregnancy & Childbirth Specialists
Chris Johannes
Spalding
Claire Noyelle
Maidstone East
Dawn Ibbetson
Chelmsford
Gary Johannes
Peterborough
Jill Whitehouse
Newcastle upon Tyne
Keeley Smith
Southend-on-Sea
Kerry Seymour
Weston-super-Mare
Peter Ely
Islington
Victoria Anderson
Sunderland
Why Choose Inspired To Change
Our solution focused hypnotherapists empower you to better understand your brain, helping to guide you towards solutions and achieve the outcomes you want. We have a team of fully trained hypnotherapists, giving you the choice of who to work with and how you want to work with them. Solution focused hypnotherapy is just as effective in-person or online in the comfort of your own home, so you can find the ideal therapist to help you reach your goals.
Every one of our hypnotherapists is recognised by governing bodies like the National Council for Hypnotherapy, the UK’s leading not-for-profit hypnotherapy professional association. They have all trained with Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy Training, one of the leading hypnotherapy schools in the UK.
