It's 2:14am in your North Austin apartment, and your heart is pounding so hard you can feel it in your throat. Your hands are shaking as you hold your baby close, even though she's finally asleep after hours of fussing. Your chest feels tight, like you can't get a full breath, and your stomach is churning with nausea that has nothing to do with the baby. You've convinced yourself something terrible is about to happen—to her, to you—but when you check, everything looks fine. This isn't the first night like this, and you're exhausted from bracing for the next wave.
This is postpartum anxiety showing up in your body, and it's more common than you realize. Dr. Katherine Wisner at Northwestern University has found that up to 20% of new mothers experience postpartum anxiety, with physical symptoms like racing heart, shortness of breath, and muscle tension being the first signs for most. These aren't imaginary or "all in your head"—they're your nervous system stuck in fight-or-flight, scanning for threats that aren't there.
On this page, I'll explain exactly what these physical symptoms mean, why they're hitting you hard right now (especially in the North Austin area), and how targeted therapy can quiet your body so you can actually rest when your baby does.
What Postpartum Anxiety Physical Symptoms Actually Are
Postpartum anxiety physical symptoms are your body's alarm system going haywire—things like a racing heart or palpitations that wake you up in a panic, tightness in your chest or throat that makes every breath feel shallow, shaky hands or legs that make simple tasks like feeding the baby terrifying, dizziness or lightheadedness when you stand up too fast, constant muscle tension in your shoulders and jaw, or stomach issues like nausea and churning that hit without warning.
These aren't the same as general new-mom fatigue or recovery from birth. If you're in North Austin and noticing them spike at night or during quiet moments alone with your baby, it's often the anxiety manifesting physically rather than just worry thoughts. For instance, you might feel fine during the chaos of the day but collapse into full-body tremors once you're trying to sleep.
Dr. Dana Gossett at Northwestern University notes in her perinatal research that over 60% of moms with postpartum anxiety report these somatic symptoms as their primary complaint, often before the mental racing catches up. If you're wondering about the postpartum anxiety support that addresses this directly, it's worth exploring how these tie into patterns like sleep disruption or even postpartum OCD.
Why This Happens (And Why It Feels So Intense in North Austin)
Your body is pumping out cortisol and adrenaline non-stop right now because of massive hormonal shifts after birth—progesterone and estrogen drop sharply, leaving your nervous system hypersensitive. Dr. Pilyoung Kim at the University of Denver has shown through brain imaging that new moms have ramped-up activity in the amygdala and insula, the areas that amplify physical threat signals, turning normal uncertainty into full-body panic.
In North Austin, this gets amplified by the reality of living here: the relentless heat that makes you sweat through another shirt while worrying about your baby's temperature, the I-35 traffic stress from doctor runs to St. David's or Dell Children's, and that suburban isolation where family is states away and neighbors are quiet at 2am. Many North Austin moms come from high-pressure tech jobs where control feels possible—until postpartum hits and your body betrays you with symptoms you can't "optimize" away.
It's not weakness; it's biology meeting Austin life, and recognizing that is the first step to dialing it down.
How Therapy Can Help Postpartum Anxiety Physical Symptoms in North Austin
Therapy targets these physical symptoms head-on with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which interrupts the thought-body feedback loop—like teaching your brain that a racing heart doesn't mean disaster is coming. We often pair it with interoceptive exposure, where you safely lean into sensations like dizziness or chest tightness to show your body they're safe and pass quickly, plus practical tools like paced breathing tailored to when you're holding your baby.
At Bloom Psychology, we get the unique toll on North Austin moms—whether you're juggling a Domain-area job, navigating Round Rock playgroups, or just surviving the heat in your apartment. Our perinatal specialization means we focus on these exact symptoms without shaming you for them, helping reduce the physical intensity so you can function again. Sessions build skills you use immediately, like during those 2am wake-ups.
We've helped dozens of moms distinguish this from related issues like postpartum depression or sleep struggles—check our blog post on symptoms vs. sleep deprivation for more. Our postpartum anxiety therapy is designed for exactly this.
When to Reach Out for Help
These physical symptoms cross into needing support when they're daily, lasting more than a couple weeks, or ramping up your overall exhaustion—like if heart palpitations wake you multiple times a night beyond baby feedings, chest tightness stops you from basic self-care, or shakiness makes driving to HEB feel impossible.
- Your symptoms interfere with sleep more than the baby does
- They spike without a trigger, like quiet evenings alone
- Daily tasks (showering, eating) feel overwhelming because of them
- They've persisted past the early postpartum haze (4-6 weeks)
Reaching out now means you address it before it digs in deeper—you deserve to feel steady in your body again, and North Austin resources like ours make it straightforward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are physical symptoms of postpartum anxiety normal?
Yes, completely—your body is recalibrating after birth, and these symptoms affect a majority of moms with postpartum anxiety. Dr. Katherine Wisner’s research shows they're often the first signal, more common than constant worry thoughts alone. The key is they don't have to stay this way; they're a sign your system needs targeted help to reset.
When should I get help for these physical symptoms?
Get support if they're frequent (daily or nightly), worsening over weeks, or disrupting sleep/eating/caring for your baby more than expected. Red flags include symptoms that feel unshakeable or come with dread about harm. Impact matters more than intensity— if they're stealing your rest or peace, that's your cue.
Can therapy really fix the physical side without medication?
Absolutely—CBT and exposure techniques directly reduce symptoms like palpitations and tension by rewiring your body's response. Many North Austin moms see physical relief in weeks without meds, though we collaborate with providers at St. David's if needed. It's about building tools your body learns to trust.
Get Support for Postpartum Anxiety Physical Symptoms in North Austin
If your heart racing, tight chest, or shaky hands are ruling your nights, you don't have to push through alone in your North Austin home. At Bloom Psychology, we specialize in easing these exact symptoms for local moms with compassionate, effective therapy.