These behaviors might include checking on your baby constantly singing the same song over and over in the belief that it can protect your child checking doors and windows over and over to ensure they’re locked, out of fear that your baby may be harmed by an intruder crying over putting the baby in the right onesie because you might choose the “wrong” one seeking repeated reassurance from friends and loved ones that you are doing a good job as a new parent engaging in rituals like hand-washing or sterilizing the baby’s bottles over and over or counting or praying as a way to banish the thoughts. Obsessions also sometimes present as concerns about a safety-oriented task, like having left the door unlocked intense, gripping fears about germs and contamination a pressing, driving need to get everything perfect, or a need for symmetry or order.Įffective, specialized OCD therapy is here Learn moreĬompulsions how people with Perinatal OCD try reduce their anxiety around all of these obsessive thoughts. The thoughts or images can appear suddenly and without warning and are extremely upsetting to the person experiencing them. Such obsessions often take the form of very vivid images of physical or sexual harm or even the infant’s death, by accident or from intentionally harming your baby. With Perinatal OCD, the obsessions frequently present as unwanted thoughts about something terrible happening to the child. When we talk about Perinatal OCD, we are referring to OCD that takes place during pregnancy and/or after the baby is born. Compulsions are repetitive actions or mental acts that are performed in an attempt to reduce the distress and anxiety caused by obsessions, or to keep an unwanted outcome from happening. Obsessions are unwanted thoughts, images, urges, or sensations that occur repeatedly and bring about a significant amount of anxiety or distress. OCD has two key characteristics: obsessions and compulsions. What is perinatal OCD?įirst, let’s define what OCD is in general. Let’s examine the condition further, and explore ways to find relief. In fact, they are likely indicative of your strong commitment to keeping your child safe. What’s more, although these thoughts can be terrifying, they almost never mean you actually want to harm your baby. It is very disturbing to experience these thoughts, but it’s extremely common in people experiencing Perinatal OCD. ![]() There might be intrusive thoughts about hurting your baby, disturbing thoughts of sexually abusing your little one, or fear of making a wrong decision that severely impacts your child’s life. ![]() It’s also normal to experience thoughts that you don’t recognize or that are really upsetting to you. It’s completely normal to not be able to handle these stressors in the way that you had envisioned. But being a new parent also comes with stress, lack of sleep, and adjusting to life with a newborn-not to mention your own hormones, which are on a perpetual rollercoaster. According to many people’s expectations, when your baby is born, it’s supposed to be the most joyous occasion of your life. This might not be what you had in mind when you pictured bringing a child into the world, but it happens, and it’s more common than you think. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition that affects millions of people around the world, and Perinatal OCD describes a specific manifestation of OCD that is experienced during pregnancy or in the first year after giving birth.
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