Having a baby is a significant life event and every parent’s experience of pregnancy and parenthood is different. Pregnancy and the first year of parenthood is a unique time which involves major changes.

Like how there are many physical changes during and after pregnancy, there may be many emotional changes that come. While a time of joy, excitement and many firsts, it can also come with a degree of anxiety or changes in mood. Although it is normal to experience these emotions when expecting a baby, some individuals do develop more intense levels of anxiety or lowered mood. All expectant and new parents will have good days and bad days, and ups and downs are expected and common. However, when bad days become the norm, a parent may be experiencing perinatal depression or anxiety.

Up to 1 in 5 women experience anxiety and/or depression during pregnancy, and/or following birth. Despite how common these experiences are, going through these experiences can feel lonely and distressing.

Depression and mood disturbances tend to fluctuate more frequently and deteriorate more rapidly in the perinatal period than at other times. An episode of perinatal depression and anxiety can be mild, moderate, or severe.

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Pregnancy and the first year after birth involve uncertainty, upheaval, and change. In an environment where people try to retain as much control as possible over their lives, these new challenges are often anxiety-inducing. It is expected and common for new parents to experience some worries and concerns. But if worries and fears start to feel overwhelming, or if they interfere significantly with daily life, a parent may be developing some perinatal anxiety symptoms.