It’s normal to have periods of worry, stress or low mood during pregnancy. But if these feelings don’t ease, or start to affect your day-to-day life, it’s important to ask for help from your midwife, health visitor or GP.
Mental health difficulties during pregnancy are common, and support is available.
You might be experiencing anxiety or depression if you notice things like:
- feeling over-anxious, sad, tearful, guilty or down most of the time
- worrying a lot about your baby or the birth
- withdrawing from contact with other people
- loss of interest in activities or things that you used to enjoy
- feeling irritable
- a fall in self-confidence
- difficulty concentrating and making decisions
- changes in appetite – eating more or less
- feeling tired or restless
- lack of energy and sleeping problems
- tense muscles
- feeling panicky or experiencing panic attacks
Everyone’s experience is different, and you don’t need to have all of these signs to deserve support.
Watch this short animation with parents from Leeds talking about how they struggled with their emotions during pregnancy and after birth.
Some people hold back from asking for help because they feel their problems aren’t “serious enough”, or they worry about feeling embarrassed or judged.
Health professionals are trained to support people with their emotional wellbeing during pregnancy and after birth. The earlier you talk about how you’re feeling, the easier it can be to get the right support – and the less likely things are to build up.
You deserve to be treated with care and understanding. If you speak to someone and don’t feel heard, it’s okay to try another professional until you find someone you feel comfortable with.