Intrusive Thoughts in pregnancy & Postpartum: five quick facts

Intrusive thoughts continue to be one of the most challenging symptoms I see people experience in pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. It's so easy to misunderstand them, few people talk about them, and these sticky thoughts often center on the very things that most upset us.

I'm going to share more information for partners/family members and for therapists in future posts, but to start with, here are five quick facts that might help you understand what's going on if you're experiencing intrusive thoughts.

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1. Intrusive thoughts are unwanted, scary or distressing thoughts or images that invade our consciousness aka just pop up in our head. The majority of new parents have had intrusive thoughts of accidental or deliberate harm to their baby!
2. For many people, an intrusive thought pops up and we're able to move on from it without much effort. For others (particularly with a history of anxiety, depression, or trauma), intrusive thoughts are repetitive, can become stickier, and then they start causing us more distress.
3. Intrusive thoughts are what mental health professionals call "ego-dystonic" - this means that the thought feels unacceptable or repugnant to us - we don't want it to happen.
4. Having an intrusive thought about harming your baby does not mean you will "snap" and hurt your baby. Research has shown that parents with intrusive thoughts are very low risk for causing harm to their baby.
5. When we try to repress or avoid intrusive thoughts, we inadvertently give them more importance and power and they can become more intense and frequent.

If you're experiencing significant distress or worry about your intrusive thoughts, you can feel better. And as scary as it seems, talking to someone who understands perinatal intrusive thoughts is a good place to start. If you're not sure who that is in your life, contact the Postpartum Support International HelpLine at 1-800-944-4773.

If you feel like you're in crisis, you can call 988 to be connected to your local crisis team. There's also the 24/7, confidential Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 1-833-943-5746.

Book Resources:

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I participate in an Affiliate program with Bookshop.org, an online bookstore "with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores." A purchase from my link will pay me a small commission, and gives a matching percentage to independent bookstores. You can view my Bookshop "shop" here: https://bookshop.org/shop/laurieganberglicsw. These recommendations do not constitute medical advice or a therapeutic relationship.