Worry is a normal part of new motherhood

Transcript

Some level of worry after having a baby is completely normal. You're adjusting, you're tired, your brain is learning an entirely new role. Normal new mom worry responds to reassurance. So if you double check the baby monitor, it reassures you. If you text your pediatrician, then your worry eases. Postpartum anxiety can feel a little bit different. So normal worry sounds like, oh, let me just check one more time. Postpartum anxiety sounds like, what if my baby stops breathing? What if I'm doing everything wrong? And the thoughts don't stop. They loop. Even after reassurance, even after everything is okay, they come back. And so the difference really comes down to three things. Are the thoughts intrusive? Do they pop in uninvited? Are they persistent, like they don't go away? And are they distressing? Do they make your body react? Do they make you avoid certain things? If this is you, you're not failing. your brain is stuck in overprotective mode and there are tips and tricks that you can do to make you feel like yourself again.