Can i be mentally pregnant

You should talk to your GP if you are worried about mental health problems in pregnancy. Your GP can provide information, advice and treatment. IAPT offers short-term talking therapies. The types of therapy offered will vary depending on your local IAPT service. These may include guided self-help sessions with a therapist, cognitive behaviour therapy, couples therapy and counselling. IAPT services offer individual and group therapies.

Women who are pregnant or have recently had a baby are usually given priority. You can often bring your baby to appointments. Some IAPT services also have groups just for women who are pregnant or for new mums.

You can self-refer to your local IAPT service. Your GP, midwife or health visitor can also make a referral for you. If you are already under the care of a CMHT , you should tell your care co-ordinator that you are pregnant.

This will depend on the type of illness you have had. These offer advice, practical and social support. They host mother and baby groups and drop-in sessions. This can help you meet other new parents and develop your confidence as a mum. In some cases your doctor, midwife or another professional may want to refer you to Children and Families Social Services.

They provide a range of care and support for children and families. This depends on the needs of the child and other family members.

The professional who wants to refer you will discuss the reasons for this with you. Having social services help may seem daunting, but they are there to provide you with help and support. See our leaflet on Safeguarding Children for more information. Health visitors see all women with new babies. In some areas health visitors may see you even before your baby is born. Your health visitor will ask you about your mental health. She can support you and refer you to other services for support and treatment if you need it.

All the professionals involved in your care during pregnancy will work together with you and your family. They will aim to make sure you have all the care and support you need.

This will help you stay as well as possible. It will also mean that you and your family have a plan and know how to access help and support quickly if you become unwell. If you have had a severe mental illness, it is helpful to have a meeting to plan your care during pregnancy.

This is called a Pre-Birth Planning Meeting. It can be organised by the perinatal mental health service or your community mental health team. It usually happens when you are weeks pregnant. You can choose who to bring to this meeting — this may be your partner, a family member or a close friend. All the professionals involved in your care will be invited.

The Pre-Birth Planning meeting helps everyone to understand the care and support you and your family need. It helps everyone identify how to recognise that you are becoming unwell in case this happens. You and your family can tell the professionals about any extra support you need so this can be arranged before your baby is born.

Everyone at the meeting can agree a plan for your care and treatment during pregnancy, delivery, and for the first few months after birth. This plan will be individual and can include many different things, depending on what you and your family need. It will usually include:. Information and support about many aspects of pregnancy, including mental health. Advice from midwives: or midwife tommys. Practical and emotional support in all areas of pregnancy, birth and early parenthood.

Antenatal and postnatal courses. Local networks where you can meet other parents. Support line: Help advice and support on a wide range of pregnancy and parenting issues, including mental health. Parent supporter service. Online ' helping with depression ' course for women with mild to moderate depression is based on CBT. A charity set up by mothers recovered from perinatal OCD, who can provide support via email, twitter and skype.

Contact: info maternalocd. National charity providing information and support for women and families affected by postpartum psychosis. On-line peer support and one-to-one support. Run by a team of academics, health professionals and women who have recovered from postpartum psychosis. Tel: ; email: app app-network. Telephone helpline and information leaflets for women with postnatal mental illness.

Also a network of volunteers telephone and postal who have experienced postnatal mental illness. Email: info apni. Helpline: Email Support: info pandasfoundation. Factsheets about the use of medications in pregnancy, including antidepressants, antipsychotics and mood stabilisers. Baby Buddy App with information in the form of video clips about many aspects of pregnancy and parenting, including mental health. Support and practical help for families affected by mental health problems and other challenges such as substance misuse and domestic violence.

Contact: T: E: info family-action. Non-psychotic mental disorders in the perinatal period. The Lancet ; : Accuracy of the Whooley questions and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in identifying depression and other mental disorders in early pregnancy.

Br J Psychiatry. Bipolar disorder, affective psychosis, and schizophrenia in pregnancy and the post-partum period. A systematic review and meta-regression of the prevalence and incidence of perinatal depression. J Affect Disord. Perinatal depression: a systematic review of prevalence and incidence. Obstet Gynecol.

Risk of recurrence in women with bipolar disorder during pregnancy: prospective study of mood stabilizer discontinuation. Am J Psychiatry. Does antidepressant use attenuate the risk of a major depressive episode in pregnancy?

NICE, London. There are many mental health problems you could experience in pregnancy. They can happen at any time, even if this is not your first pregnancy. You may also find it hard to cope with your body changing shape, particularly if you have had an eating disorder. Get advice about looking after your mental health during the coronavirus pandemic:.

Page last reviewed: 19 February Next review due: 19 February Home Pregnancy Keeping well in pregnancy Back to Keeping well in pregnancy. Mental health in pregnancy. You are not alone Support is available. Just be careful not to put too much pressure on your other children and don't make them feel that their emotional responses, even if those reactions might be negative, are wrong or bad. Acceptance, attention, and unconditional positive regard can go a long way toward helping your older kids feel excited about the possibility of another child in the family.

Preparing for pregnancy is about more than just getting your body ready; it also means preparing your mind as well. While it can be very helpful to understand the sort of mental challenges you might face going in to this major life change, it is also impossible to predict exactly the sort of challenges you might face.

Before you conceive, assess your unique situation and needs. Take the time now to ensure that you address stress and anxiety in your life, seek out solid sources of support, and make your mental health a priority. By focusing on taking care of yourself, both physically and mentally, you can help ensure that you have a healthy, happy pregnancy. Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy.

Dunkel Schetter C, Tanner L. Anxiety, depression and stress in pregnancy: implications for mothers, children, research, and practice. Curr Opin Psychiatry. O'hara MW. Postpartum depression: what we know. J Clin Psychol. How does early cognitive behavioural therapy reduce postpartum depression? Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. American Academy of Pediatrics.

Updated December 17, Cobb S. Presidential Address Social support as a moderator of life stress. Psychosom Med. The effects of social support on women's health during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the postpartum period. Fam Med. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellFamily.

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