Postpartum Struggles
Motherhood can be just as hard as it is beautiful.
You can love your children and struggle.
You can be an amazing mom and still feel like you’re not doing enough
Postpartum anxiety and depression are real. and they don’t mean you’re a bad parent.
In therapy, we’ll process what you’re feeling without judgment. We’ll work on managing the anxiety. Reconnecting with yourself and figuring out how to take care of yourself while you’re taking care of everyone else.
What is postpartum depression and anxiety?
Postpartum depression (PPD) and postpartum anxiety (PPA) are among the most common complications of childbirth — and among the most underdiagnosed, because so many people suffer in silence, convinced they should just be grateful.
Postpartum depression can look like persistent sadness, numbness, difficulty bonding, feeling like you’ve made a mistake, or a sense that your baby would be better off without you. It is not a sign of weakness. It is not your fault. It is a medical condition — and it is treatable.
Postpartum anxiety can look like constant worry that won’t switch off, intrusive thoughts about something happening to your baby, hypervigilance, difficulty sleeping even when the baby sleeps, and a body that stays in fight-or-flight long after the danger has passed.
Both can occur together, and both deserve real support.
You’re not failing. You’re struggling. And there’s a difference.
You are not alone
50% of cases go undiagnosed
Because parents don’t recognize the symptoms or are too ashamed to reach out.
PPD and PPA can develop any time in the first year after birth
Not just in the first few weeks.
Public Health Agency of Canada — Pregnancy and Women’s Mental Health in Canada →
Postpartum depression affects approximately 1 in 5 new mothers in Canada
And rates of postpartum anxiety are believed to be even higher
Indigenous mothers, racialized mothers and those with a history of anxiety or depression
Face higher rates and additional barriers to accessing support
Canadian Psychological Association — Perinatal Mental Health →
It is not exclusive to the one who gives birth
Partners and fathers can also experience postpartum depression, affecting an estimated 1 in 10
What it can look like — because it doesn’t always look like sadness.
This is what people don’t talk about enough. Postpartum struggles aren’t always tears and not getting out of bed. They can also look like:
- Rage — losing your temper in ways that scare you, then feeling crushing shame.
- Obsessive checking — of the monitor, the baby’s chest, the car seat straps.
- Intrusive thoughts — terrifying images or fears you’d never act on, but can’t make stop.
- Intrusive thoughts — terrifying images or fears you’d never act on, but can’t make stop.
- Complete emotional flatness — going through the motions but feeling nothing.
- Isolation — avoiding friends and family because putting on a face feels impossible
- Physical symptoms — heart racing, chest tight, always braced for something bad
- Loss of identity — not recognizing yourself, grieving the life you had before, and feeling guilty for grieving it
If any of this sounds familiar — even the parts you haven’t said out loud to anyone — you don’t have to keep carrying it alone.
Motherhood can be beautiful and brutal at the same time. You’re allowed to say that out loud.
You don’t have to keep pretend you’re fine. You don’t have to wait until you’re at rock bottom. You just have to be willing to reach out.
Book a free 15-minute consultation. I offer in-person sessions in the Region of Durham, and virtual sessions for anyone across Ontario. We’ll talk about what’s going on, whether therapy might help, and if we’re a good fit. No pressure. No judgment. Just a conversation.