How common is anxiety in pregnancy?
Anxiety in pregnancy is common. Almost 1 in 5 pregnant women or birthing people have it.
Pregnancy can lead to you feeling a range of emotions. It can be hard to know whether you can cope with your feelings, or whether you could do with some extra support. Trust yourself. You are the best judge of whether your feelings are normal for you. If you feel anxious a lot, or have panic attacks during pregnancy, make sure you ask for help.anxiety treatment online
What should I do if I have anxiety in pregnancy?
Pregnancy and childbirth are major life events, so don’t be hard on yourself for having these feelings. Talking to your midwife and doing some positive things to prepare for labour may help.
Talk to your midwife or doctor if you:
feel anxious most of the time for more than 2 weeks
have anxiety symptoms like a fast heartbeat, rapid breathing, sweating, feeling faint, feeling sick or diarrhoea
think you might have had a panic attack
have unpleasant thoughts that keep coming back and you can’t control them
find yourself repeating an action (like washing, checking or counting) to feel better
are so afraid of giving birth that you don’t want to go through with it
are so afraid of blood tests that you avoid having them.
Tell your midwife or GP if you have had anxiety before, even if you aren’t feeling anxious right now. The more they know about your mental health history, the better they can support you during your pregnancy.
The midwife or doctor will not judge you for having these feelings. They know that anxiety is common during pregnancy and they will focus on finding the right treatment to help you feel better.
If you find anxiety hard to talk about, you could write down how you feel before your appointment, or take someone with you for support.