Perinatal OCD and Anxiety

[Hope551]

Has anyone else experienced this?

I use to have OCD as a child but overcame it in my teens when depression hit. Since I've been pregnant it's happened again. I did have 2 miscarriages prior to this pregnancy and honestly throughout pregnancy there has been loads of stress.

But I get thoughts in my head that something will happen to my baby and if I don't wash my hands 5 times it will happen. I know it sounds mad but I feel so agitated till I do it. My hands start sweating and feel dirty till I do it. But more and more sets it off, any article or comment to do with losing a child. And it's spreading, like if I touch something before I've washed then that is infected, so now not only do I have to wash away the thoughts but also if I touch certain items 😬

I know it sounds stupid, but my partner is starting to think I'm nuts.

Has anyone else had this? Once baby is born does it go away again?

Hi @Hope551

I’ve recently been diagnosed with perinatal ocd. Mine is mostly around harming the baby by getting listeriosis and/or sleeping on my back rather than hand washing, but I can see the similarities. I didn’t have it pre pregnancy but from what I’ve read you can get it if you’ve never had ocd before or if you had it before you got pregnant. I got referred by my midwife to speak to a psychiatrist and she listened carefully, diagnosed me and is organising medication & therapy. She said sometimes it goes away post birth but she thought mine wouldn’t get better during the pregnancy and would likely be an issue in the postpartum period too if left untreated.

When is your next midwife appointment? Have you spoken to them about it already?

Thinking of you because those thoughts are a lot!

Hello,

Hope you don’t mind me jumping on this thread but I’ve had OCD all my life (mainly focusing on disease and contamination) and it’s got worse since I’ve been pregnant. I’m on the waiting list for CBT but my dr didn’t recommend medication. I’m 20 weeks pregnant but not sure how much longer I can cope with the thoughts? They are EXHAUSTING! I hope you’re both coping ok.

My main fears are catching HIV from unconventional ways (touching blood and then touching my mouth, people spitting blood into my mouth and me not realising) and then me contracting HIV and passing it onto my unborn son. I realise it sounds stupid but the OCD makes it seem so logical to me. My gums have been bleeding a lot during pregnancy (it’s a symptom) so if I have an ‘exposure’ and then check my mouth for specks of blood, if there is some, I’m convinced it’s from the HIV positive person that I spoke to a few seconds prior. The most exhausting mental illness ever and id do ANYTHING to get rid of it.

Keep strong both! We got this x

Hi, just to clarify you can't contract HIV this way. Any virus in blood outside the body (like on a surface) becomes damaged due to exposure to the air, and can't be passed on to someone who touches it. Saliva contains enzymes that damage the receptors on the surface of the virus that are needed to attach. Spitting is not a risk.

Contracting HIV is all about quality, quantity and route. In the ways you've mentioned it would fail on all three. Plus the vast majority of people with HIV in the UK are on medication and can't pass it on.

I hope that helps in learning the facts.