Postpartum and Perinatal Mental Health:

Finding Support During Life’s Biggest Transition

Bringing a new life into the world can be a beautiful yet overwhelming experience. While many expect parenthood to be filled with joy, it's common to also experience a range of complex emotions—including sadness, fear, anxiety, or even grief. If you’re struggling with pregnancy-related anxiety, postpartum depression, intrusive thoughts, or the identity shifts that come with parenthood, you’re not alone.
We provide a safe, nonjudgmental space to explore your emotions, manage stress, and get the support you deserve during this life-changing time.

In this blog post, we’ll explore the symptoms of postpartum and perinatal mental health struggles, common screening tools, and how therapy can offer powerful, compassionate support for your journey into parenthood.

Understanding Perinatal and Postpartum Mental Health

Perinatal mental health covers emotional and mental health issues that occur during pregnancy and in the first year after giving birth. Postpartum mental health typically refers to mental health challenges that arise after delivery.

These conditions are not a reflection of your abilities as a parent. They are very real, medical conditions that require and deserve attention, care, and support.

Common Conditions Include:

  • Postpartum Depression (PPD): Intense feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or worthlessness after childbirth.

  • Postpartum Anxiety (PPA): Excessive worry, nervousness, or fear related to your baby’s health, your parenting abilities, or life in general.

  • Postpartum OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder): Intrusive, unwanted thoughts often centered around fears of harming the baby (even though you have no intention to do so).

  • Postpartum PTSD: Trauma symptoms triggered by a difficult pregnancy, labor, or delivery.

  • Postpartum Psychosis (rare): Severe disturbances in thinking, mood, and perception that require immediate medical attention.

Symptoms of Postpartum and Perinatal Mental Health Disorders

It's important to recognize the symptoms so you can seek help early. Signs might include:

  • Persistent feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness

  • Intense anxiety or panic attacks

  • Racing thoughts or constant worry

  • Difficulty bonding with the baby

  • Irritability, anger, or rage

  • Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy

  • Sleep disturbances unrelated to the baby's schedule

  • Changes in appetite

  • Feeling disconnected from reality

  • Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby (seek immediate help)

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, know that help is available, and recovery is possible.

Screening Tools for Postpartum and Perinatal Mental Health

Several screening tools can help identify mental health struggles early:

  • Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS): A widely used 10-question screening tool that helps identify depression symptoms.

  • Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9): Measures the severity of depression symptoms.

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7): Screens for anxiety disorders.

  • Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS): A more detailed screening tool specific to postpartum depression.

Your healthcare provider or therapist can guide you through these screenings and help determine the right course of support.

How Therapy Can Help During the Perinatal and Postpartum Period

Therapy is a critical lifeline for individuals navigating the emotional ups and downs of pregnancy, childbirth, and new parenthood. Here's how therapy can support you:

1. A Safe Space to Talk

Therapy provides a nonjudgmental environment where you can openly express fears, grief, joy, guilt, or any emotion you’re experiencing.

2. Skill Building and Emotional Regulation

Therapists can teach you coping strategies to manage intrusive thoughts, overwhelming anxiety, or depressive feelings, helping you regain a sense of calm and control.

3. Support for Identity Shifts

Becoming a parent changes your identity. Therapy helps you explore who you are now, process grief over your "old life," and build confidence in your evolving role.

4. Relationship and Family Support

Therapy can also address relationship challenges that often arise after a baby is born, including changes in communication, intimacy, and household dynamics.

5. Specialized Techniques

Evidence-based approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), or even EMDR for birth trauma can be integrated into your healing journey.

You Are Not Alone—Help Is Available

The transition to parenthood is massive, and it's okay to need help along the way.
If you're experiencing postpartum depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, or any emotional struggles during or after pregnancy, reaching out for support is a sign of strength—not weakness.

Contact us today to schedule a confidential consultation and start receiving the compassionate care you deserve. You don’t have to navigate this journey alone.

 What to Expect

  • If you’ve received the client portal invitation, log in and check any messages, fill out paperwork, etc.

    Be thinking of what you would like to talk about, or any questions you have. Feel free to write those down and bring them in.

    Verify your insurance. Click here for more information regarding insurance.

  • Our office is tucked beside/behind Ge’Angelo’s in the. Northern Lights Shopping Center.

    We do not have a receptionist, so feel free to have a seat and we will be with you as soon as possible.

    If there is still paperwork to be done, you may be asked to fill out paperwork before your appointment.

    Each therapist has a private office, so you will be with the same therapist in the same office every session. To increase privacy we leave a noise machine on as well as the bathroom light/fan. These are to muffle noises.

    The lighting in the office LED. If you prefer lamps to overhead lighting, let us know and we will be happy to use lamps instead.

    After your appointment we will work together to decide if you would like to schedule another session. We will also determine if that will be scheduled at that time, or if it will be scheduled later. There is no right or wrong way to do it.

  • Be kind to yourself, you’ve done a lot of hard work.

    You are welcome to contact your counselor with any questions/concerns between session. Email or the client portal are the preferred and most direct ways to get in contact. We are generally in with clients and are unable to answer phone calls much of the time. Please be aware we may not be able to return your message for up to 48 hours.

    You can use the client portal to check your appointments or make/change any appointments.

    Contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit your local emergency department if you are having thoughts of self harm or suicide. Vivant is not a crisis center.

 Frequently Asked Questions

  • Age ranges are based on individual clinicians.

    Child specific information:

    Sometimes kids are unable to manage more than 30 minutes. Children’s sessions may seem short, but they are still working.

    All child sessions are unique. Sometimes kids have parents/caregivers in the session, other times they do better without parents in the room. Parents/caregivers are almost always involved in the first session, and we will talk about these options.

    If you are bringing an elementary aged child, we ask that you stay in the building during the session if you are not in the session. If there is a concern we will try to accommodate something. We want your child to be safe.

    If you are bringing an older child that gets dropped off, please be aware of the end time (generally 45 minutes for middle school/high school aged kids) so they can be picked up quickly. Again, we want everyone to be safe and we will likely be in session and unable to monitor safety.

  • We treat a variety of diagnoses including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and PTSD. Our clinicians have extra training in trauma, and am Basic Trained in EMDR.

    We are not licensed to prescribe medications.

  • Yes. Vivant is LGBTQ+ Affirming

  • While we are not faith based, we welcome all faiths.

  • For ongoing clients, scheduling your next appointment can be done at the end of an appointment, through the client portal, or by calling 515-523-5543. Counselors are not always able to accommodate same day appointments.

    Potential Clients can fill out a potential client request on our scheduling page.

  • Read about our insurance/fees/payments here

  • We take your privacy seriously. This is suppose to be a safe space and confidentiality is vital to that. If you want someone to be able to communicate with us about your services. (including billing) you can sign a release of information. This is also something that can be revoked by you at any time. Best practice includes coordinating with your primary care provider, but again, this is your choice.

    HIPAA (Health Insurance Privacy Portability Act) protects your PHI (protected health information). Our emails use HIPAA compliant encryption. Our client portal and our backup telehalth platform are HIPAA compliant.

    Counselors are mandatory reporters. As such we are mandated by law to report any suspected child abuse.

    Child Specific: During our first session we will go over confidentiality with children. It is my practice to keep conversations private and only tell parents general updates (ex: ____was open and talkative today), unless there is a safety concern or something that I feel the parents/caregiver should know. If this is the case, I try to be transparent with that so the child is not caught off guard.

    42 CFR Part 2 affords special protection when talking about substance abuse. Therefore children 14 years of age and older need to sign a specific release of information for parents/caregivers to obtain information from the counselor about anything substance abuse related.

  • While our emails use a HIPAA compliant encryption, it is safest to use our secure portal to communicate with your counselor. You may call 515-523-5433, however this is not the preferred form of communication as we are often in session and unable to answer phone calls.

    We discourage coming in person without an appointment as we may be unable to help you. Our office space is shared with other counselors, but they are unable to see your information and will likely be unable to help.