Pregnancy and Parenthood
Pregnancy and parenthood are often portrayed as natural and blissful periods in a woman’s life. However, many women go through difficult experiences, thoughts and feelings during this time. Keeping distressing thoughts and feelings to yourself can be isolating and overwhelming. Whatever stage you are in your journey, I encourage you to get in touch so we can explore your situation together.
Preconception
Difficulties conceiving and/or remaining pregnant can be painful and distressing. You may not have wanted to share your situation with others.
Counselling provides a safe space for you to explore your feelings with a trusted other, outside your close circle of family and friends.
Baby loss/Still birth
If you are struggling with pain and grief following the loss of your baby, you may be feeling isolated and alone. It can be helpful to talk to someone about how you are feeling.
Perhaps you are considering getting pregnant or are pregnant after experiencing a previous loss. Counselling can help you work through your feelings and support you in your current/future pregnancy.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy can be an especially anxious time. It is common to experience anxiety and fears relating to various aspects of the pregnancy and parenting journey. These may include...
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The health and wellbeing of you and your baby
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Birth and the labour process
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Current and anticipated changes in your body, identity and lifestyle
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How you will experience parenting
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The impact of a new baby on other children in your family
Exploring your feelings in counselling can relieve anxiety and prepare you for birth and afterwards. It can also reduce the likelihood of postnatal depression, allowing you greater enjoyment of your baby.
Birth trauma
If you had a difficult or traumatic birth, it can have an emotional impact on you and your relationship with your baby. You may have noticed you are feeling especially anxious during this time. You may be having intrusive nightmares or flashbacks.
Counselling provides a safe space for you to process your birth experience and to lessen its influence on your life in the present.
After birth
Looking after a new baby is both physically and emotionally challenging. Feeding issues, lack of sleep and hormonal changes all contribute to this.
It can be a vulnerable period as you go through changes in your body and identity. Emotions relating to your own childhood experiences can also be triggered with the event of having a baby.
It is common for women to feel low in mood, depressed and/or anxious during this time. Postnatal depression affects more than 1 in every 10 women within a year of giving birth.
You may be experiencing difficulties with...
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bonding with your baby,
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your confidence as a mum,
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difficult and unwanted thoughts and feelings, or
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issues with the way you see and value yourself.
Counselling can help normalise and make sense of your experience. It can bring you relief and a way forward in your situation that otherwise may be feeling hopeless and overwhelming.
Parenthood
Low mood, depression or anxiety can be experienced at any stage of the parenting journey. You may be struggling with the challenges of being a parent. Or perhaps you are feeling stuck or lost in life, especially as your child/ren grow older. Your parenting experiences, unresolved emotional difficulties, life events and circumstances can all influence how you are feeling.