Having a baby should be a joyous experience, but many women develop mental health problems during pregnancy and after giving birth. Contact Zoe Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine’s board-certified psychiatrist Taiye Popoola, MD, PhD, PMH-C and her team in Allen, Texas, if you develop low mood, anxiety, or symptoms like hallucinations and delusions during the perinatal period. The team’s perinatal psychiatry experts offer compassionate care to help you overcome these distressing conditions and enjoy motherhood. Call Zoe Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine today or schedule an in-person or telehealth consultation online to benefit from specialized perinatal psychiatry.
What is perinatal psychiatry?
Perinatal psychiatry focuses on women’s mental health before and after childbirth. It includes conditions during pregnancy (prenatal disorders) and those that develop after delivery (postpartum disorders). Pregnancy and childbirth are experiences that affect women in numerous ways. The hormonal changes can significantly alter brain function and mood. Women also feel the pressure of being a good mom, looking after the child before and after birth, and dealing with distressing problems like morning sickness, pain, and fatigue. Unsurprisingly, most women experience mood changes during this time, commonly known as the baby blues. However, some women suffer from severe mental health problems in the perinatal period that require specialized care.
What conditions might require perinatal psychiatry?
Perinatal conditions the Zoe Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine team treats include:
Prenatal depression and anxiety:
Prenatal depression and anxiety occur before childbirth. You might feel overly anxious about the pregnancy or having a baby to such an extent that you can’t relax and enjoy the experience. If you have prenatal depression, you feel sad, weepy, and despairing most or all of the time and can’t improve your mood.
Postpartum depression:
Postpartum depression occurs after childbirth. It’s far more intense and long-lasting than the baby blues, often persisting for months. You might feel unable to care for your child properly and have difficulty bonding with your newborn.
Postpartum psychosis:
Postpartum psychosis is a severe psychiatric disorder that can affect your ability to recognize reality. You may suffer from hallucinations (seeing and hearing things that aren’t there), delusions (mistaken but unshakeable beliefs), paranoia (irrational distrust of others), and other behavior changes.
Women severely affected by postpartum psychosis may harm themselves or their babies.
What does perinatal psychiatry involve?
The perinatal psychiatry experts at Zoe Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine use treatments, such as psychotherapy and medication, that helps women recover from these conditions. These are the same treatments used for other psychiatric disorders. However, perinatal psychiatry specialists undergo additional training in the safe use of medications in pregnant and breastfeeding women and how to approach talk therapy effectively in someone with perinatal mental health problems. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a safe, painless, noninvasive therapy, is also available for women with treatment-resistant perinatal depression and anxiety. Call Zoe Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine today or schedule a consultation online for expert support with perinatal psychiatric disorders.