Specialist Perinatal Psychology

Perinatal anxiety is one of the most common mental health difficulties experienced during pregnancy and after birth, yet many parents struggle silently because their distress is hidden beneath high functioning and constant responsibility. Anxiety during the perinatal period can involve persistent worry, racing thoughts, panic, physical tension, hypervigilance, difficulty relaxing, intrusive fears, and a sense of constantly needing to anticipate danger. Many parents describe feeling emotionally exhausted from living in a permanent state of alertness.

Perinatal depression can occur during pregnancy or after birth and affects far more than mood alone. Many parents describe feeling emotionally numb, disconnected, hopeless, exhausted, irritable, guilty, or unlike themselves. Some feel unable to enjoy their baby or experience pleasure in daily life, while others continue functioning outwardly but feel emotionally overwhelmed internally.

A traumatic birth experience can have a profound psychological impact long after the birth itself. Birth trauma may develop following emergency intervention, medical complications, overwhelming pain, perceived loss of control, frightening interactions with professionals, or feeling powerless, unsupported, or unsafe during labour and birth.

Pregnancy and early parenthood can profoundly affect a person’s sense of self-worth, identity, confidence, and emotional security. Many parents who previously appeared highly capable and resilient find themselves becoming intensely self-critical, doubtful, or emotionally vulnerable after becoming a parent.

Tokophobia refers to an intense fear of childbirth that can significantly affect emotional wellbeing, pregnancy experiences, and reproductive choices. While many people feel understandably nervous about labour and birth, tokophobia involves a level of fear that becomes overwhelming, persistent, and psychologically distressing. Some people experience tokophobia before pregnancy, while others develop it following previous traumatic births, pregnancy loss, fertility difficulties, or medical trauma.

Intrusive thoughts during pregnancy and early parenthood are extremely common, yet many parents feel frightened or ashamed by them. These thoughts may involve fears of accidental or intentional harm coming to the baby and are often accompanied by compulsive checking, reassurance seeking, or avoidance.

Bonding difficulties can arise following birth trauma, depression, anxiety, fertility struggles, NICU experiences, or overwhelming exhaustion.

Postnatal rage is an increasingly recognised but deeply misunderstood perinatal mental health difficulty. Parents experiencing postnatal rage often describe feeling constantly overstimulated, emotionally flooded, irritable, or unable to regulate intense anger responses. Many feel frightened by how quickly anger escalates and ashamed afterwards.

Fertility difficulties and IVF treatment can place enormous emotional and psychological strain on individuals and couples. Many people describe living through repeated cycles of hope, uncertainty, disappointment, grief, and emotional exhaustion while trying to continue functioning in everyday life.

Pregnancy and baby loss can affect every aspect of emotional, relational, and psychological life. Experiences such as miscarriage, recurrent miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, neonatal death, and termination for medical reasons (TFMR) are often profoundly disorientating and emotionally overwhelming, yet many bereaved parents feel the depth of their experience is not fully understood by others.

Pregnancy and early parenthood place enormous pressure on relationships. Sleep deprivation, unequal load, changing roles, and emotional overwhelm can all contribute to conflict and disconnection.

The transition into parenthood can involve profound emotional and identity shifts. Many parents struggle with changes in autonomy, relationships, career identity, confidence, and sense of self.