Perinatal

The perinatal period covers the time from conception to the baby’s first year of life. One in every five women experience mental health problems during this period, depression and anxiety being the two main conditions.

Being pregnant is a reason for joy but it’s also a time of uncertainty and change, so it’s important for a woman to seek help if she’s not feeling mentally stable or if she’s finding it difficult to manage her feelings. Many women don’t ask for support in the hope that once the baby’s born, everything will go back to the way it used to be. Often they find though that life only gets more challenging, as they have to adapt to the baby’s demands. This is the moment to look for help.

You may be pregnant and struggling with undesirable feelings, but it may be hard to accept that not all is well. You may not even be able to voice what you’re going through for fear of being misunderstood. Social conditioning makes it difficult to acknowledge negative thoughts or feelings during pregnancy but that doesn’t mean they’re not there.

Pregnancy is also a time when experiences from the past, including childhood, together with unconscious feelings and fears are brought to the fore. These emotional and mental triggers can have a big impact on a woman’s mental health and on that of her baby too. It is therefore very important for a pregnant woman to have a safe space to talk things through and gain a better understanding and acceptance of what is going on.

I’m committed to helping women during this important period in their lives and in the lives of their babies. I strongly believe in the benefit of a healthy mind during pregnancy and after the birth, not only for the mother’s sake but also because of the impact this will have on the emotional, social and cognitive development of the baby.