Emotional and Psychological Health

The arrival of a new baby is a wonderful and exciting time, but it can sometimes be a very challenging one for new parents, especially if this is your first child. Some parents become very anxious about their babies, feeling overwhelmed by the responsibility of looking after them. Relationships may change as a result of the new arrival, leading to increased stress and tension. This, coupled with sleepless nights, exhaustion and a huge change in role, can leave you feeling emotional and tearful.

Although it is common for most women to experience a period of "low" mood in the weeks following childbirth, about 15% will unfortunately go on to develop post-natal depression (PND). We do not know why some women develop PND, but it is more common in women who have previously had depression or where there is a family history of depression. It is also more common if women have experienced significant stress during the pregnancy. It can be exacerbated by sleep deprivation and lack of support. PND can present itself with symptoms of feeling "low", "miserable" and tearful for no apparent reason; being unable to enjoy yourself and feeling guilty at not enjoying a new baby; feeling irritable; having a poor appetite; feeling anxious a lot of the time; or feeling "worthless" or "hopeless." The good news is that PND is very treatable, and your first step should always be to contact your GP.

How We Can Help

At this time it is important to feel understood and supported. An experienced and sympathetic person who can listen to your feelings and worries, can be an enormous relief. Your Zita West midwife can provide valuable support in helping you to understand the emotional changes involved in becoming a new mother and can advise on whether you might benefit from counselling or specific therapies such as Hypnotherapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), all of which are available at our London clinic.


Hypnotherapy

The very term "hypnotherapy" can be off-putting initially for many people. But it shouldn't be. At base it's simply an extremely effective method by which to help you to reach a profound state of relaxation, during which the subconscious part of the brain is accessed and positive suggestions can be made that release deep-seated fears and phobias. Hypnotherapy is completely safe and very effective and you will be conscious throughout and fully aware of everything that is being said.

Many people find hypnotherapy invaluable in addressing and releasing the underlying fears that may be making them worried and anxious. Hypnotherapy is great for general stress reduction too.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can be described as a ‘brief’ form of psychotherapy; ‘brief’ meaning a few sessions as opposed to other forms of therapy that can take several years. In CBT we look at a person’s emotions, behaviours and thoughts and try and identify the ones that are holding them back or causing disturbance in their life with a new baby. The principle behind CBT is that it is not events that cause the problems but the way that we interpret these events.

Post- natal Counselling

Post-natal Counselling provides time and space for you to explore the emotions around your new role and how this may be impacting on you and your feelings and relationships. The counsellor acts as an experienced sounding board, helping you to test out ways to manage your situation. Counselling can be particularly good for helping you to cope with issues such as:-

.