Anyone with anxiety got worse while pregnant?

[Jj93x]

I just wanted to know if anyone has been in the same boat as me as I feel like I’m going crazy

I have had anxiety since I was a child, I’m 26 now and will be 11 weeks in a few days. I used to have CBT and take medication but I have been self managing my symptoms for a couple of years now and I was coping okay.

I always knew I would struggle when I decided to have a baby, as a lot of my anxiety revolves around my health and my loved ones health, and it has hit me like a ton of bricks.

I’m constantly looking up any symptom I’m having and convincing myself there is something wrong with baby.

I’m terrified I’m going to miscarry and keep going to the toilet and checking for blood multiple times a day.

I’m terrified about the result of my bloods in case they come back with something that is up. My midwife said they would call me within a week if they picked up anything in my bloods so I’m sat watching my phone every day terrified for it to ring in case it’s bad.

My partner offered to pay for another private scan when I’m 12 weeks just to give me peace of mind, but I’m scared to even go as I’m so convinced it is going to be bad news that I won’t be able to deal with. I did have an early scan at 8 weeks 4 days and everything was fine, and It did ease my mind for a few days but then the anxiety started again.

Part of me knows I’m being ridiculous but I feel like if I try to stop worrying about it then something bad will happen. I know this amount of stress isn’t good for baby either, and I just want to be able to enjoy my pregnancy.

Has anyone else been this way? I did tell my midwife at my first appt about my anxiety, but I’m not sure if there is anything they can really do to help, unless they’re able to refer me there if there is some sort of counselling I could do?

I hope this makes sense x

My depression and anxiety has gone through the roof lately. I genuinely thought I was okay but clearly not. It’s devastating me. I did come off all of my medication when I found out I was pregnant as I didn’t want to harm the baby. I’m dreading having to take anything again.

Definitely! Newborn stage was worse. Pregnant now with my second and can feel it creeping back 😕

@Halloweenbabyy it’s awful isn’t it, I feel like everyone else can enjoy their pregnancy but my brain just won’t let me.

I hope you feel better x

@Paythosebitchesnomind269 I can imagine, I dread to think what I’ll be like in that stage! Just wish you could turn the anxiety off with a switch

Wish you all the best x

Yep. I've bled heavily in first trimester with both pregnancies and it's just really set me off for the whole 9 months of worry. I never believe I'm going to have my baby until hes in my arms.

If you can I would try and not keep paying for scans, try and speak to your midwife and get some ways of coping. A scan unfortunately only tells you on that day that everything looks good, I go back to worrying the day after. I'm not in UK for this pregnancy and have had increased monitoring (standard here) and it's made my anxiety so much worse. I've had ctgs twice a week for the past 3 weeks and they are never happy with it but seem in no rush to get him out. I was convinced I was going to have gestational diabetes and even looked up diets to follow because they insist on the glucose test. I've been told my placenta has matured so they are closely monitoring but I keep trying to think that if I was in the uk I wouldnt even know anything about my placenta!

Hi you sound just like me, I did all the things you did. I’m now nearly 19 weeks and still worrying all the time to be honest. I have a history of severe depression and anxiety so I was referred by my midwife to the mental health assessment team who recommended therapy via healthy minds, and I was referred by a consultant to the perinatal mental health team. You could ask about these referrals? What they actually do for you once you’ve been referred depends on your individual situation and needs etc, but it’s worth a try asking about it? Mine is controlling my life!

Hi Jj93x
I’m 23 weeks currently and my anxiety is constant, worrying about the health of my baby and convincing myself I have all of the serious conditions being pregnant is associated with; gestational diabetes, cholestasis, pre-eclampsia, and so on. I am constantly googling which is possibly the worst thing to do. The worst thing is you worry so much that you end up worrying about how much you’re worrying and how it’s affecting the baby, you just can’t win, it’s a a comfort to know there are mummies/mummies-to-be out there at the minute who are feeling the same

Yes and I start a pregnancy related anxiety group thing tomorrow which runs for 8 weeks

They have perinatal mental health teams that you can be referred to for extra support. My GP referred me today as I came off my medication and it's really affected me and I have a history of mental health problems.

Definitely, definitely ask for help. You dont need to suffer on your own. Mental health problems are so common in pregnancy, especially when you've had difficulties before.

Let us know how you get on and I hope you manage to find some support.

Similar situation for me too. I'm coming up to 28 weeks. I came off pain meds and anti depressants during my first trimester which combined with terrible sickness and migraines was really hard . I had all sorts of scary thoughts.... each week has got a bit easier. I hope you feel some reassurance when you see your scan and you progress through pregnancy.... each week changes I find. Go easy on yourself...